Sky Sports News's breaking news ticker is going into over-drive, Christian Dailly is suddenly, inexplicably hot property and motorway service stations the length and breadth of the country are awash with agents engaged in secretive meetings to flog their bright-eyed players to the highest bidder.

Yes, the January transfer deadline is only one day away and the Championship transfer action is hotting up.

In news that will bring tears to the eyes of every pie-maker in the West Midlands, portly Welsh striker John Hartson (pictured) is to be released by West Brom.

The 32 year-old has not played for the Baggies since a 1-0 win over Cardiff at the end of February last year.

Speaking of Cardiff, former Bluebirds 'keeper Neil Alexander is to swap East Anglia for East Glasgow after SPL leaders Rangers agreed a fee with his current club Ipswich.

29 year-old Scot Alexander will be demonstrating the strength of his international credentials by determinedly warming the Ibrox bench and definitely not hoping a terrible misfortune befalls current Rangers number one Allan McGregor.

One man who won't be joining Alexander on the aforementioned bench is Burnley's Kyle Lafferty.

Walter Smith had been linked with a move for the Northern Ireland international after being pipped by Celtic to the loan signing of Man City's Georgios Samaras, but Burnley boss Owen Coyle said he's received no offers from Rangers.

Celtic, though, are still keen on the 20 year-old, with assistant manager Tommy Burns stating the club will wait until the summer - much in the style of the lurking, anorak-clad psychopath from teen 'slasher flick' I Know What You Did Last Summer, perhaps - if they can't sign him before the deadline.

Tired of Geordie Messiah Kevin Keegan hogging all the Alliteratively-Named Kevin headlines, Coventry striker Kevin Kyle is on the verge of sealing a loan move to Wolves in a desperate bid to steal the limelight from the Magpies boss/perfectly understandable effort to further his career.

Barnsley fans getting excited about the prospect of a midfielder called Anderson joining the Tykes should note that the Anderson in question is largely unheralded Everton reserve Anderson - who spelt a successful loan spell at Oakwell earlier in the season - rather than the dreadlock-sporting, Steven Gerrard-bullying Man United version.

In other news, Charlton could soon find themselves with only half a midfield.

West Brom and Ipswich are interested in Darren Ambrose, while Sunderland manager Roy Keane is thought to be mulling over a £2.5 million bid for countryman Andy Reid , whose departure would probably not go down too well with the pie-makers of south-east London.

Tom Williams / Eurosport