Sunderland's Marton Fulop joins Man City on emergency loan
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Fulop joins Manchester City on emergency loan
Manchester City have confirmed that goalkeeper Marton Fulop has joined them on emergency loan to replace injured stopper Shay Given until the end of the season.
Marton Fulop: Last played in a 7-2 defeat at Chelsea
The Premier League have approved City's application to sign a player on loan as their three first-team goalkeepers - Given, Stuart Taylor and David Gonzalez - are all injured.
The club's only fit goalkeeper is Faroe Islands stopper Gunnar Nielsen, who made his debut against Arsenal on Saturday. Any other keeper would be an academy player and not, as has been suggested, a full professional. There is no recall clause in Joe Hart's loan deal at Birmingham City, so Roberto Mancini was left no choice but to ask for special dispensation to bring in another stopper.
A club spokesman said: "The club, with the backing of the Premier League, have been in contact throughout the day with both Birmingham City and Sunderland with regards to bringing either Joe Hart or Marton Fulop to the team on an emergency basis.
And a Premier League statement confirmed the legitimacy of the transfer: "The Premier League can confirm that the board has given Manchester City FC permission to sign Marton Fulop on a temporary transfer in line with our rules regarding injuries to goalkeepers.''
Fulop had earlier told the Sunderland Chronicle that he would be delighted to join City and help their bid for Champions League football.
"I can't confirm officially any approach because personally I haven't been contacted by anyone," Fulop said. "But if the news is true then I'd go there happily and I would be hungry to play for Manchester City.
It will not be the first time that a Premier League side has been allowed to recruit a goalkeeper outside of the transfer window, as Aston Villa signed Gabor Kiraly in December 2006. And it happens regularly in the Football League at the end of the season once the loan window has closed.
City had been looking into possible loan options and Fulop, the third-choice goalkeeper at Sunderland following an alleged fall-out with manager Steve Bruce, was out of favour at the Stadium of Light.
The 24-year-old has started 12 Premier League games this season, keeping two clean sheets. He has not been in Sunderland's matchday squad since February 6. His last appearance was in the 7-2 thumping at Chelsea in mid-January.