Latest Transfer Update at 27-02-11.

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Latest Transfer Update at 27-02-11.

Nasri - talks over new deal continue.
AGENT: NO NASRI DEAL YET

Samir Nasri's agent has denied the French ace has agreed a new deal with Arsenal but confirmed talks are ongoing.
The 23-year-old has less than 18-months left on his current deal and Arsenal are keen to tie down one of the star performers.
Nasri has had a sensational season and is widely thought to be in the running for Footballer of the Year.
Reports had suggested that a new long-term deal was already in place, but the player's agent Jean-Pierre Bernes says nothing is yet agreed.
"No, not yet, he [Nasri] did not sign the contract," Bernes is quoted by the Sunday Telegraph.
"We are discussing this but there is nothing concrete for now".

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Fabregas - constantly linked with Barcelona return.
GAZIDIS: NO REASON FOR FABREGAS TO GO

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis insists "there is no reason to think" Cesc Fabregas would leave the north London club and return to his native Spain.
Fabregas has long been linked with a return to Barcelona but Gazidis, while refusing to guarantee the midfielder would be at the Emirates next season, believes the club are in a strong position with no indication the player will be on his way.
Talking to BBC Five Live's Sportsweek programme, Gazidis said: "There's no reason to think he would (leave) and another aspect is, because we have this sustainable business model, it gives us the strength to be able to say we don't need to sell Cesc Fabregas to raise money and that's a tremendously strong position to be in.
"Cesc is under a long-term contract. That gives us some real strength from which to operate and gave us the ability to keep him over the last summer.
"We didn't have a financial imperative that meant we had to sell."
However, Gazidis knows he cannot say for certain Fabregas will be at Arsenal on the first day of next season.
"I can't look ahead that far, the game isn't like that that you can predict which individual players will be there," he added.
"I certainly hope Cesc will be. He's our captain and is a very important part of the team, but right now we're focused on this season and not on the first day of next season."

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O'Hara - impressing at Wolves.
McCARTHY EYEING O'HARA STAY

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy wants on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara to stay after the summer.
The 24-year-old has proved a big hit at Molineux since moving from Spurs to the Midlands on loan until the end of the season.
O'Hara, who did not play any part at Spurs in the first half of the season due to a back injury, has already spoken of his desire to stay on at the club.
While McCarthy would welcome such a scenario, he admits to not being sure whether a deal is already in place.
The Wolves boss told the News of the World: "It's not just a case of me wanting him here but he wants to come here as well.
"He is a chirpy character to have around the place as well as being a very good player.
"Whether there is a deal already in place to sign him from Spurs - that is down to our chief executive Jez Moxey."

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Sergio Ramos - interest claimed.
SERGIO RAMOS AGENT CLAIMS INTEREST

Sergio Ramos' brother and agent claims clubs from England and Italy are interested in the Real Madrid defender.
Ramos has been in talks with Real about a new deal taking him to 2017 - but as yet nothing has been agreed.
His brother, Rene, is also his agent and although he has confirmed fresh talks with Real are due to take place - he also acknowledged interest from abroad.
Manchester United, Chelsea and AC Milan have all been linked with the 24-year-old Spanish star, who can play centre-half as well as right-back.
"Some big clubs in England and Italy have been interested in Sergio for some time," Ramos told The People.
"We expect to have a meeting with the club in the next few months and to analyse the future of Sergio."

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Gavin Mahon - another new QPR deal.
MAHON PENS NEW QPR DEAL

QPR midfielder Gavin Mahon has signed another new one-month contract.
The 34-year-old has been on a month-to-month deal for most of the season despite having yet to make a first-team appearance for Neil Warnock's Championship leaders.
Mahon missed a chunk of last season with a serious knee injury but continued to train with Rangers over the summer.
He has made 66 appearances in three years at Loftus Road, scoring four goals.

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Mark Hughes - has support from City fans.
HUGHES 'AMONG LAST TO KNOW'


Mark Hughes has finally lifted the lid on his shambolic sacking by Manchester City, revealing he was actually among the last to be told he had lost his job.
It was widely assumed Hughes knew of his fate before the end of what proved to be his last match in charge 14 months ago.
Reports of Roberto Mancini's appointment as his successor emerged at half-time of City's 4-3 Barclays Premier League victory against Sunderland, while Hughes even saluted the four corners of Eastlands as he left the field after the game.
But he insists he was simply "covering all eventualities" in response to the fevered speculation over his position and had no idea at that point he had already been given the boot.
Hughes revealed he was only made aware of events 15 minutes after the final whistle, giving further ammunition to those who believe City bungled the entire affair.
"I had a fair idea that something was afoot and something was likely to happen, but I didn't actually know at the end of the game," Hughes said.
"I waved to the crowd and everybody assumed I knew, but I didn't.
"Maybe I was just covering all eventualities and was proved right in the end.
"I found out about a quarter of an hour later."
Hughes continues to maintain he feels no lingering bitterness over his controversial departure.
But as he prepares for his first visit to the City of Manchester Stadium since that fateful night - he takes Fulham to his former club tomorrow - he admits there will be no handshakes with those who plotted his downfall.
Hughes still has plenty of friends at the club, who he plans to greet, but asked if he would avoid the boardroom while there, he replied: "You'd be correct.
"I'm there to do a job and I'd love to come away from there having seen my team play exceptionally well and win the game.
"I don't think I have anything to prove, to be perfectly honest, because I think everybody there understood that I was taking the club in the right direction, the direction it need to be.
"But they wanted to get there quicker, and with a different profile, and maybe that's the reason I lost my job."
The manner of Hughes' departure means one of the most interesting aspects of Sunday's game will be the reception he receives from the home supporters.
"Many Man City fans have come up to me since I left and said they were disappointed with the way I was taken out of the club, and that I was hard done by," Hughes said.
"I think the vast majority of them felt that way and I appreciated the fact that some have taken the time to say that to me."
City was Hughes' first big job in club management and despite being stung by the experience, he has not been deterred in his quest to coach at the highest level.
"In terms being in charge of a big club, I know I can do the job because I have experienced it," said Hughes, who is among the favourites to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and was also recently linked with Chelsea amid speculation over Carlo Ancelotti's future.
"Irrespective of the circumstances that surrounded my eventual departure, I knew that the things we had put in place and the plan we had would bring success there.
"So it doesn't faze me whatsoever. I understand what it takes to manage a big club and it doesn't faze me at all."

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Shay Given - injury blow.
NO EXTRA KEEPER FOR MAN CITY

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has ruled out bringing in another goalkeeper to act as back-up to Joe Hart.
Mancini's options have been limited due to the shoulder injury sustained by Shay Given that will rule the Republic of Ireland international out for almost all the remainder of the season.
It means City only have Stuart Taylor as back-up and he has not played a first-team game for 13 months, an FA Cup tie at Scunthorpe.
For City, the spectre of last season's nightmare, when they ended up bringing in Marton Fulop on an emergency loan after failing to recall Hart from a loan spell at Birmingham when Given got injured during the latter weeks of the campaign, is looming again.
But Mancini will resist a panic move, trusting to Hart's fitness to fate.
"Last year we were unlucky," he said.
"It is impossible that we will be unlucky like that again.
"Joe is young. I hope he will be strong and can play all the games until the end. I am not going to try and loan someone."
It is just a measure of the fitness problems Mancini is trying to combat ahead of Sunday's Premier League encounter with Fulham at Eastlands.
City are already without half a dozen senior men and Vincent Kompany may join them after sustaining a hip injury against Aris Thessalonika in midweek.
It merely adds to Mancini's total disbelief at a fixture pile-up that is threatening his side's chances of success.
Should City draw their FA Cup fifth-round tie with Aston Villa on Wednesday, the replay has been scheduled for Monday, March 7, two days after the Blues tackle Wigan in the Premier League at Eastlands and only three before a punishing round trip to Kiev of 4,500km for the Europa League first-leg tie with Dynamo.
It is fixture congestion the likes of which Mancini has never encountered before. And the Italian does not believe it is fair.
"In my life I have never seen that a team arrives in February and March and has to play every two days," he said.
"This is a big problem, not only for us but for all the teams.
"Something should change because this is impossible for all English players.
"At every World Cup and European Championships, there is a problem for England because all their players are tired.
"We should have more respect for them. They are not machines."

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Bruce - new deal.
BRUCE SIGNS NEW SUNDERLAND DEAL

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has committed himself to the club until 2014 by signing a new contract.
The 50-year-old, who arrived at the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2009, has been in discussions with the Black Cats for some time and has now put pen to paper.
Sunderland are currently seventh in the Premier League and bidding for a first top-flight top-10 finish in a decade.
Bruce said: "I'm delighted to have signed a new contract. It's a magnificent club from top to bottom with wonderful support and everything is in place here for a manager.
"We have the makings of a fantastic young team.
"It's been a great challenge so far and one that my backroom team and I have relished, so we are looking forward to continuing with that over the next few years."
Chairman Niall Quinn, who along with owner Ellis Short has provided Bruce with the financial backing to rebuild the squad, was delighted to have reached an agreement.
He said: "It was hugely important to bring stability to this football club and I firmly believe that in Steve we have the man to do just that.
"In only 18 months he has reshaped our squad beyond recognition, bringing in some fantastically talented players, many of whom are young and desperate to achieve and improve.
"He embodies the ethos of team-work and the importance of camaraderie in creating a wonderful spirit of togetherness amongst the players and staff.
"As someone born and bred in the north east he fully understands the unique passion for football in this region.
"He has already raised the aspirations of not only the players, but also the supporters, and instilled a belief in everyone that we can go on to achieve the sustained success that we all crave for this club."

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Sebastian Larsson - focusing on his football.
LARSSON FUTURE STILL UNCLEAR

Birmingham midfielder Sebastian Larsson insists he has "not made my mind up one way or another" over his future ahead of Sunday's Carling Cup final against his former club Arsenal.
Larsson's current contract runs out in the summer and he could have moved to Newcastle last month had he agreed personal terms.
But the Sweden international has an open mind and Birmingham's gradual progress under Alex McLeish - and a first major cup final for 10 years - is giving him food for thought.
Larsson said: "I have not made up my mind one way or another. For myself, what is going to happen after this summer, we will just have to wait and see.
"I have left that stuff behind and I just want to concentrate on football.
"Will the club's success have an influence on my decision? Yes, of course it does. Any player in the dressing room wants to become better and be part of a better team.
"That doesn't necessarily mean a different team. Hopefully that is the way the club is heading, to a better future. I have always maintained that I am happy here."
Larsson moved to Blues from Arsenal five years ago after an initial loan spell. He has been in contract talks since the summer but the two parties have yet to reach agreement.

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Emilio Izaguirre - hot property.
MAJSTOROVIC HOPES IZAGUIRRE STAYS

Daniel Majstorovic is hoping highly-rated Emilio Izaguirre remains at Celtic next season to help the Hoops make amends in Europe.
Neil Lennon's newly-assembled squad were still finding their feet when they crashed out of the Champions League and the Europa League at the first hurdles.
Gradually Neil Lennon has gelled his side together and, with Celtic leading the Clydesdale Bank Premier League table, in the final of the Co-operative Insurance Cup and with a home replay against Rangers in the Scottish Cup, there is talk of a treble in the air.
A key part of the Parkhead club's success has been the Honduran left-back, who has reportedly attracted the attention of Aston Villa, Manchester United and Liverpool.
However, Majstorovic is hoping the Izaguirre and the rest of the Celtic squad sticks together for next season.
He said: "Everyone at the club wants to play in Europe so of course we were disappointed at the start of the season.
"It is not easy when so many new players came in to the club and it takes time to gel together.
"At the moment we work as a unit, we know exactly what to do out there and the mentality in the team is much stronger now.
"If we can stay together and grow together I think we will be very strong next season.
"Izaguirre is an unbelievable player.
"Of course he still has a lot of things to work on but he is an amazing player and I'm sure that he will be a top man.
"It is very important to keep him because he is a quality player and he makes a difference to the team.
"And as I said before, if we can keep this team together, I think we will be very strong next season."
While everything in the Parkhead garden appears rosy at the moment, Majstorovic is taking nothing for granted.
"We are in a good way but we have to be ready for what's coming up and take it game by game," he said.
"Rangers will always be a strong team and every game we play against them will be totally different.
"The most important thing is to focus on Motherwell on Sunday and we will see what will happens."