EX-SAINTS skipper Chris Marsden is targeting promotion to the First Division with fallen giants Sheffield Wednesday next season.

The 35-year-old midfielder, who made 118 league starts for Saints in a near five-year spell with the club, has returned to England after just four months in South Korea with Busan Icons.

Marsden's family had trouble settling in the Far East after leaving Southampton at the end of January.

And Marsden, Sheffield born and a boyhood Wednesday fan, jumped at the chance to end his career at Hillsbrough - 17 years after making his league debut for cross-city rivals Sheffield United!

Marsden, who joined the Owls for £150,000 just months after Busan signed him for nothing from Saints, said: "I'm very pleased. I have always wanted to play for Wednesday and finally I'm here.

"I expect to be pushing to get back into the First Division and that's a belief instilled by the chairman with the new signings.

Busan manager Ian Porterfield, the man who handed Marsden his Sheffield United debut in 1987/88, said: "It's an amazing deal for a player I signed on a free transfer.

"But Chris has experience in all divisions and he's a Sheffield boy so it's good for the club."

Former Chelsea boss Porterfield was nonetheless upset by Marsden's decision to quit South Korea. "You must have principles and my loyalty is to Busan," said Porterfield, whose contract runs out at the end of the season. "I have tried hard to change the fortunes of this football club."

Busan finished fourth from bottom of the K-League last year but have lost just one of 10 matches in the 2004 campaign - Marsden scoring on his debut in April.

Wednesday, who were in the Premier League as recently as 2000, finished 16th in Division Two last season.

Sources in Sheffield, meanwhile, believe Owls boss Chris Turner has cooled his interest in Winchester City hot-shot Andy Forbes.

Instead Wednesday are chasing Blackpool's Scott Taylor and Steven Howard of Luton as their ninth close-season signing.

Former Saints defender Garry Monk is on the verge of joining Third Division Swansea City.

The centre half joined Barnsley in February after his St Mary's contract was cancelled by mutual consent, but only played a handful of matches before an ankle injury ended his season.

He was released by the Yorkshire club at the end of the season.

The only weekend Saints speculation of note saw defender Fitz Hall unsurprisingly linked with a move to promoted Crystal Palace.

Palace are managed by ex-Dell striker Iain Dowie, who plucked Hall from non-league Chesham in March 2002 while Oldham boss before reluctantly selling him to Saints for £250,000 last summer as the Latics faced financial meltdown.