A one-time prolific scorer in Serie A with 181 goals to his name, Montella's career has stalled at Roma in the last two seasons and he will attempt to revitalise it at Craven Cottage until the end of the season.

Boa Morte moves for what is believed to be £5m, kicking off what could be busy period in the market for new West Ham manager Alan Curbishley.

He has already lodged a £500,000 bid for want-away Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka and is looking to make further moves for Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nigel Quashie and Alexei Smertin.

Fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic are looking to reshuf"e their porous defence meanwhile, allowing Scottish centre-back Andy Webster to join manager-less Rangers on loan and bringing in David Unsworth on a free from Sheffield United. Ade Akinbiyi is also on his way out of Bramall Lane, returning to Burnley for £750,000.

In the Championship, Roy Keane continues to remould Sunderland into his own image with some heavy activity in the market already.

Dwight Yorke's World Cup teammate Carlos Edwards is the biggest name in, signing from Luton for £1.4m. Joining him on loan is Manchester United's young Northern Irish full-back Johnny Evans, as Keane has also initiated a clear-out.

Robbie Elliott leaves for Leeds United, while outgoing defender Neill Collins represents his first piece of business with Wolves manager Mick McCarthy since their much publicised handshake last November. Following another tabloid furore . . . the alleged sex-tape incident . . . Liam Lawrence and Ben Alnwick find themselves on their way out of the Stadium of Light, Lawrence joining Stoke City for £500,000 and goalkeeper Alnwick moving to Tottenham, with Martin Fulop coming the other way as a ready-made replacement.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Luke Chadwick joins Norwich from Stoke, former Chelsea striker To r e Andre Flo arrives at Elland Road to aid Leeds United's survival attempt and Paul Butler, who earned a solitary cap for Ireland against the Czech Republic under McCarthy, signs for Milton Keynes Dons.

The Irish contingent in Scotland has increased meanwhile, with Cork full-back Danny Murphy and St Pat's duo Paul Keegan and Trevor Molloy all joining Motherwell. John Daly also joins Dundee United from Hartlepool. Back home, Dean Fitzgerald moves north of the border, signing for Glentoran from Longford Town.

On the continent, Fabio Capello continues his quest to overhaul Barcelona by gazumping the champions and bringing two of Argentina's brightest young prospects to Real Madrid. The 'new Fernando Redondo', Fernando Gago, arrives from Boca Juniors for £13m while striker Gonzalo Higuain joins from River Plate in a £9m move. Higuain has spent most of his life in Argentina, and is of Argentine parentage but, like David Trezeguet before him, was born in France and seems set to declare for the World Cup "nalists. In France meanwhile, former Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has come out of retirement to sign for Nantes.