Watt a signing: have Southend signed Benjani?

Southend United appear to have pulled off a stunning transfer coup with the loan signing of Man City's £7.6m Zimbabwean striker Benjani.

The club are refusing to name the player involved and are only stating that they are awaiting official confirmation that the transfer was lodged before the 5pm deadline and that the player would boost their striking options.

Sources are speculating that the FA employee with responsibility for looking after the fax machine nipped off home five minutes early on Monday night, leaving the fax machine to go into overdrive as the 5pm transfer deadline approached.

It is believed FA officials then had to spend all of Tuesday trying to sort through the paperwork which had by then spilled onto the floor leading to the pages of the faxed documents getting mixed up. The Southend Afternoon Echo Sportsdesk can exclusively reveal that it is believed that lowly League One Southend have signed Man City's multi-million pound international striker, whilst Premier League Sunderland had signed some 18 year old kid that no-one had heard of and is probably paid peanuts.

The move represents a real coup for the Essex side, although Sunderland must also be pretty chuffed to have got in Sanchez Watt a footballer with the most exotic name since Rio Alderton.

A product of the famed Arsenal English youth academy - and therefore following in the foot-steps of such legends as Kerrea Gilbert; Peggy Lokando; and the Black brothers, Michael and Tommy - Sunderland will be optimistic that Sanchez Watt can replicate Alderton's samba skills and maybe even rival Barrington Belgrave in the name stakes.