Rams sign young American

The Rams have added 22-year-old Benny Feilhaber to their squad after paying German club Hamburg £1m for the American international midfielder, and he has signed a three-year deal.

Feilhaber has been on trail at the club and has impressed the Rams coaching staff in training, and he signed the transfer papers before yesterday’s noon deadline meaning he will be available for tonight’s clash at the City of Manchester Stadium against Manchester City, but only if his international clearance comes through before 5pm.

Rams coach Billy Davies is delighted to bring the talented midfielder to Pride Park. He said: “Benny looked excellent in training and is a wonderful young player – we are now hoping to get his clearance as quickly as possible, so he can take his spot in the squad.”

The Rams have been linked to a number of players this week and Davies has not ruled out other new faces arriving before the transfer window closes but he has dismissed reports linking the club with Watford striker Marlon King. ‘It is speculation, nothing more than that,’ said Davies.

Talks are ongoing over the transfer of Finnish winger Mika Vayrynen from PSV Eindhoven. A deal has been agreed with the Dutch club but the 25-year-old picked up a slight calf strain and returned to Finland, but Davies is hopeful he will return. ‘We hope to get him back over here in the next week or so to finish off one or two things,’ said Davies.

Another target for Davies is Southampton’s Kenwyne Jones but Saints’ manager George Burley doesn`t want the striker to leave St Marys. The Rams have had two bids rejected, and Burley says: ‘I don’t want to sell Kenwyne. I’ve sold my best two players and as a manager you get no thanks from the fans for that, which was obvious on Saturday.’