Niculae Stanca's sudden interest in the transfer market continued unabated, as he brought 27 year-old Swiss defensive midfielder Gene Filippone in for S$3.67 million. This means that English Division Five side CPD Wrecsam (Wrexham AFC) will take a hit on him, having once paid S$5.1 million for their former Number Six, as they balance the books after an end-of-the-year splurge. Mexican fifth division side FC CRCOB were also reported to be in it.

Stanca, who had been outdone for Portuguese backup Virgílio Góis not long ago, maintained that this represented great value for the club. "Filippone offers a skillset that none of our other regulars have, and being forced to play without Ling and Rashid on Wednesday indicates just how thin we are at the back. Gene comes at just the right time to shake things up."

This pronouncement will inevitably be seen as a snub by 33 year-old Austrian reserve Walter Ross, who has already been reported as having made up his mind to leave, after Abdul bin Jantan was picked ahead of him in that situation. Ex-skipper Qassem Madaini is accepted as being on the way out in any case, as the Saudi's 36th birthday approaches.

This leaves Ling Fuquan and Rashid bin Ahmad in competition with Filippone for two centreback spots, which Stanca feels is ideal for the development of all three. "I don't want any Birds player to think that their place in the team is certain. Saying that, they all have their strong points, and I'm sure each of them will enjoy their share of games."

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