Dowie closes in on Hall capture

Crystal Palace manager Iain Dowie expects to sign Fitz Hall and Gabor Kiraly in time for this weekend's Barclays Premiership opener at Norwich.

Hall will complete a transfer from Southampton subject to him passing a medical after Saints accepted a bid of around £1.5million for the defender.

Dowie is also confident Hungary goalkeeper Kiraly will accept the contract Palace have offered him despite a dispute over personal terms.

The Eagles boss said: "Fitz Hall is a player we clearly like, and he brings athleticism and a great deal of quality and flexibility to the team. We're very hopeful a deal will be concluded.

"With Kiraly it's just about over the line. He's an established international for Hungary and he's played a huge amount of times for Hertha Berlin in the German Bundesliga."

Southampton did not want to lose Hall, a promising defender Dowie discovered in non-league football while manager of Oldham, from whom Saints signed him for £250,000 one year ago.

But Saints chairman Rupert Lowe told the official club website www.saintsfc.co.uk: "Fitz is a very good young player and we wanted to keep him. But he made it very clear he wants to play with Iain Dowie again. Palace have now met our valuation and he is undergoing a medical there.

"We tried to persuade him to stay but we subscribe to the view that home is where the heart is and if his heart is not with the Saints it is better if he moves on."