Latest Transfer Update at 01-03-11.

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Latest Transfer Update at 01-03-11.


Martins - Carling Cup final hero.
RUBIN EXPECT MARTINS RETURN

Rubin Kazan have informed Obafemi Martins that they expect him to return to Russia in the summer.
The Nigerian striker left the club in January to pen a short-term loan deal with Premier League outfit Birmingham.
The former Newcastle forward etched his name into the St Andrews history books on Sunday as he notched a dramatic winner in a 2-1 Carling Cup final victory over Arsenal.
Having helped Birmingham end their long wait for a major trophy, Martins had hoped that he would be offered the opportunity to extend his time in England.
Rubin, though, have other ideas and claim no agreement has been struck to take the 26-year-old back to the Premier League on a permanent basis.
They have made it clear that Martins' current deal is only due to run until the end of the season, at which time he will be

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Pires - wants to stay at Villa.

One more year: Pires wants to stay at Aston Villa



PIRES WANTS TO STAY AT VILLA

Robert Pires has expressed his desire to remain at Aston Villa for another season and help with the development of the club's crop of young talent.
Pires, 37, joined Villa on an initial six-month contract to the end of the current campaign.
The former Arsenal player took time to gain full sharpness and match fitness after not playing since the end of last season.
But there have been more encouraging signs and Pires was giving a standing ovation after his performance in Saturday's 4-1 home win over Blackburn.
Pires said: "For me, every morning I need to practice my football. I hope to play games and I hope to play next season. Why not?
"I would you like to stay at Villa for another season. I really love this club.
"I love the players because it is a very good team. I know Gerard Houllier, I am French, he is French.
"The most important for me help this team because I have experience."
Pires added: "I know I'm not going to play every game. I'm old!
"We have some very good players. Sometimes you play, sometimes you go to the bench.
"But when I play, I try to play very well, like against Blackburn at the weekend.
"But, for me, I need to help this team, or the younger players, because I have the experience."
Villa have lost only one of their last seven league games in climbing clear of the bottom three.
There was speculation regarding dressing room unrest but Pires insists the team spirit is good ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup fifth round clash at Manchester City.
He said: "Sometimes it is difficult in the middle of the season when you change the manager.
"It is difficult for the new manager, for the players, for the chairman, for the coach, for everyone.
"But there is a great team spirit and, when you play like against Blackburn, you have more confidence."
"We have two months for climbing the table. The situation is not good. You need to work more, win game after game.
"But the next is in the FA Cup and the objective is to win the FA Cup."

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Mark van Bommel - at AC Milan on five-month deal.

Mark van Bommel will wait until the end of the season before deciding his next move, according to his agent.
The Holland midfielder swapped Bayern Munich for AC Milan in January and the Rossoneri retain the option to extend his five-month deal for a further year.
Should that not happen, Van Bommel is likely to have plenty of other options with former club PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham known admirers.
The 33-year-old's representative Mino Raiola told Voetbal International: "There is still nothing certain - only that PSV are the only Dutch option for him.
"If Milan were deciding today they would keep him. He is a very important player for them.
"But as he only came in the winter window we decided together that only in May would we look to the future."

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Billy Davies - chasing promotion with Forest.
BILLY DAVIES WANTS CONTRACT TALKS

Billy Davies has urged the Nottingham Forest board to open contract talks.
The Scot has helped to transform the Reds from second tier also-rans to promotion hopefuls during his two years at the helm.
Last term he guided the club into the Championship play-offs, only to come up short against Blackpool.
He looks set to repeat that trick in 2010/11, while a top-two finish is still very much up for grabs.
Such success has led Davies to be linked with a number of other posts, while his regular outbursts against a perceived lack of backing from his board have also seen his position called into question.
Davies has 12 months still to run on his current contract, but thinks he deserves recognition just like Steve Bruce, who has been rewarded with a long-term deal at Sunderland.
"It is great Sunderland have given their manager a new contract," said Davies in the Daily Mirror.
"They have shown great faith in him.
"Well played Sunderland. He has been given a new contract for his efforts and reward for what he's done.
"I have a year to go on my contract, but at the moment no-one has spoken to me about extending it."

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Paul Hayes - Derby move blocked.
BROWN BLOCKS HAYES LOAN

Phil Brown will not let out-of-favour striker Paul Hayes join Derby on loan.
The summer signing has started the last seven games on the bench and was keen on a temporary switch to Pride Park.
But Brown, whose North End are 11 points adrift of safety, is unwilling to help another relegation-threatened club.
He told the Evening Post: "I wasn't prepared to lend Paul to Derby. Why should I benefit any football club in and around where we are in the Championship?
"I have had regular chats with Paul, he is frustrated and just wants to play, which I can understand. He is willing to go out on loan and that is something we have talked about.
"It would only be if it was right for me as manager of Preston North End. If it was a club higher up the table or in another division, maybe it would happen."

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Dani Alves - would like to stay at Nou Camp.
ALVES WANTS TO STAY AT BARCELONA

Barcelona full-back Dani Alves believes his future lies at the Nou Camp, despite failing to agree a new contract with the Catalan club.
Alves' current deal at Barca runs out at the end of next season and talks are ongoing to extend the Brazil defender's time in Catalonia.
But weeks on from the initial conversations, an agreement still appears no closer.
In the meantime, Alves has been linked with a big-money summer move to Manchester City, but the former Sevilla star says he cannot imagine playing for any other club than Barca.
"I can't imagine Alves without Barcelona," he said.
"If it were up to me, I would stay. But it doesn't depend (solely) on me, it depends on two parties.
"If there is an agreement, it will be very welcome, but if the contrary happens, life goes on."
Alves admits talks have broken down, but hopes conversations with Barca resume shortly in order to clear up the issue.
"My dream and my desire are to stay here - I hope everything is resolved soon," he said.
"I'm optimistic, but we haven't spoken about the subject again.
"It's not just money; it's other things too."
Alves has helped Barca win eight trophies in his three seasons at the club and could be in line for a ninth in the Primera Division this term after Pep Guardiola's side went seven points clear of fierce rivals Real Madrid at the weekend.
That came about thanks to Madrid's goalless draw at Deportivo La Coruna and Alves believes the bigger the advantage, the better.
"Real Madrid are human and they fail (sometimes)," he said.
"Now we are seven points clear again, but there are a lot more to play for - the bigger distance we have the better."
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho complained this week that Barca are given favourable playing slots in league matches, but Alves has rejected such talk as psychology on the part of the Portuguese.
"Whatever happens, draw or lose, we won't complain about the calendar," he said.
"Excuses don't work here, only work.
"Mourinho is very intelligent because he tries to deflect the attention away from his team and onto himself, but his comments won't destabilise us."
Barca are likely to be without goalkeeper Victor Valdes and captain Carles Puyol for the Primera Division clash at Valencia tomorrow as the defensive duo make their way back from injury, but Xavi has returned to training and could feature at Mestalla.
Mestalla is the only current top flight ground at which Guardiola has failed to win since taking over at Barca and Valencia winger Joaquin Sanchez says his on-form side are prepared to suffer in tomorrow's match.
"It's clear that we will suffer like never before because Barcelona are a great team," he said.
"But we will try to impose our game and make sure they don't feel comfortable at Mestalla."
Valencia consolidated third place in the league on Sunday with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao.
That was an eighth win in the last 10 matches for Unai Emery's side, who lost 2-1 at the Nou Camp earlier this season and are 17 points behind Barca after 25 rounds of the Primera Division.
David Albelda and Aritz Aduriz are set to miss out again through injury.

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Kevin Keegan - warns Alan Pardew.
KEEGAN WARNS PARDEW OVER CASH

Kevin Keegan has told Alan Pardew not to make plans for the £35million Newcastle raised in selling Andy Carroll to Liverpool.
Keegan's second stint as Magpies manager ended acrimoniously in 2008 after a breakdown in relations with the club's owner Mike Ashley and his team of executives over player recruitment.
The former England boss was unhappy at not having the final say on transfer targets and also complained of not being given sufficient funds to satisfy Newcastle's ambitions.
Pardew is the latest incumbent at St James' Park - controversially installed after Chris Hughton's sacking - and Keegan has warned he does not expect Carroll's transfer fee to be readily available.
"I saw an interview with Alan Pardew where he said he hoped to get some of the £35million and I thought 'Alan, you ain't going to get any of that'," he told Radio Five Live.
Even if Pardew is permitted to spend, Keegan believes life in the transfer market will not now be easy for the club.
He likens the situation to when Newcastle sold James Milner to Aston Villa during his reign, a situation which he believes was poorly handled and left him a tough job securing good value reinforcements.
"I think £35million for Andy Carroll...if I'd been manager I'd have taken it," he said.
"But how can you spend it on the last day of the transfer window?
"My big argument was that we were selling James Milner for a lot of money - probably above the value we put on him - and I said, 'Please don't sell him before we get someone in'.
"The reason I didn't want them to put that out and to hold on a little longer was so I could get a good value signing. It's business; it's a sensible way to do to do it."
"If you sell Milner for £11million then they say, 'If he's worth £11million, our guy must be worth £9million."

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Ashley Cole - punished over air-gun incident.
CHELSEA WON'T SACK ASHLEY COLE

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted Ashley Cole does not deserve to be sacked by Chelsea for accidentally shooting a work placement student.
The Blues have announced "appropriate action" was being taken against Cole, who last Sunday wounded 21-year-old Tom Cowan with a .22 air rifle at the club's Cobham training ground.
Surrey Police revealed on Sunday night they would speak to officials from Chelsea in the coming days to determine whether any criminal offence had been committed.
Cole, who reportedly did not know the rifle was loaded when he fired at Cowan, looks to have already been punished by his club, although Ancelotti refused to reveal the precise nature of the sanction this afternoon.
A fine looks the most likely option, with Ancelotti ruling out a suspension by confirming the 30-year-old would start Tuesday night's Barclays Premier League game against Manchester United.
It was pointed out to Ancelotti that simply bringing a weapon to work is a sackable offence in many jobs, never mind brandishing it.
But he was adamant such drastic action was not warranted in Cole's case, claiming there was "no way" he would have considered it.
He added: "He always had very good behaviour here.
"Now, we have to move on.
"Who didn't make a mistake in his life?"
Revealing he had no idea Cole had brought the rifle to the training ground, he said: "The mistake was that the gun was here in Cobham.
"We didn't know the gun was here."
Pressed further on whether Cole's case proved modern players wielded too much power, Ancelotti was unequivocal.
"They have no power," he said.
Despite his manager's protests of "good behaviour", the air rifle incident is not the first time Cole or his Chelsea team-mates have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.
But Ancelotti denied his players were a law unto themselves, saying: "Cobham is not out of control. At Cobham, there is discipline.
"If a player steps over the line, we will take a decision.
"Nobody can say here it is out of control."
And although Cole is at the centre of the current storm, Ancelotti was confident the England left-back was in the right frame of mind to start against United on Tuesday.
"He will play tomorrow, yes," said the Italian.
"Obviously, we are not happy with what happened.
"But I have spoken with him.
"He was very disappointed with this, and said sorry.
"It was an accident.
"We have taken proper action but tomorrow he will play."
Cole has been criticised for not issuing a public apology but Ancelotti confirmed the player had done so in private.
He said: "First, he said sorry to the guy that was involved in this, second sorry to his team-mates, third sorry to the club."
Sports sciences student Cowan, who is on a one-year work placement, was reportedly hit in the side by a lead pellet, with his bleeding wound treated by the club's medical staff.
He did not require hospital attention and appears to have made no formal complaint to the police, who today confirmed they were still planning to contact Chelsea over the matter.
Despite taking place last Sunday, the incident only came to light a week later, suggesting the club had been keen to deal with it privately.
Surrey Police later announced they had been in touch with Chelsea, a spokesperson saying: "Surrey Police officers have today been in contact with Chelsea Football Club and are continuing enquiries to establish whether any criminal offences have taken place."

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Martin Jiranek - set to stay at Birmingham.
JIRANEK TO STAY AT BLUES

Martin Jiranek has insisted there is no longer a realistic chance of him leaving Birmingham for Russia.
The experienced defender spent six years with Spartak Moscow before moving to St Andrew's last summer.
He admitted in January that he had become frustrated with his lack of playing time this season and speculation had suggested he could return to Russia, where the transfer window remains open.
However, the 31-year-old has since established himself as a regular member of Alex McLeish's side and started the Carling Cup final victory over Arsenal on Sunday.
He is happy to stay with the club and has been told that he is an important part of their plans, although his contract only runs until the end of the season.
"The most important thing is that I have made the best of the chance I was given, even though I expected it to come much earlier as I had arrived here with the intention of playing regularly, not to just sit on the bench," Jiranek told CTK.
Speaking about a possible return to Russia, he added: "It's gone now, it's not too realistic.
"Moreover, at Birmingham they have told me that they don't at all want to release me.
"We'll see what happens after the season."
Jiranek admits it felt special to play a part in the Carling Cup success as Birmingham claimed only the second major trophy in their history at Wembley.
He said: "I had noticed that no one trusted we could win it, but finals are about different factors, no team is the favourite.
"The outsiders can spring a surprise and anything can happen. In a final it's about the determination, morale and fighting spirit and we had all these attributes.
"On the other hand we were also very lucky, but you cannot win things without luck."

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Alex McLeish shows off the Carling Cup.
McLEISH AIMS TO STRENGTHEN FOR EUROPE

Alex McLeish admits Birmingham will have to strengthen their squad to cope with the demands of Europe after their shock Carling Cup success.
Blues are celebrating only the second major trophy in their history after overcoming Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley.
It means they will participate in the Europa League if they come through next summer's qualifying rounds.
But McLeish is aware of the need for additional players to be brought in to combine any aspirations in that competition with the demands of the Barclays Premier League.
He said: "Initially I had forgotten we were in Europe because in Scotland, you don't get into Europe after winning the League Cup.
"We are so proud to win the cup and get into Europe.
"But it's not without its problems in terms of needing a strong squad to do that.
"We have to try and develop the squad further. We will need to strengthen."
McLeish's faith in Serbia striker Nikola Zigic - ridiculed by some City fans earlier in the season - was again justified.
The former Valencia player scored the first goal and was involved in the winner, scored by substitute Obafemi Martins.
McLeish said: "Arsenal were very apprehensive of the big fellow (Zigic).
"I think we've helped him improve his game though he might not agree when he's got to try and head every ball that's kicked up to him.
"It isn't like the cultured football he was used to in Europe.
"But he's certainly added something to his game that will benefit the Serbian national team.
"Even when we lost to Newcastle last week, Ziggy was probably our most effective player.
"Our players probably didn't realise it until I showed them a video of the game and he must have headed about 30 or 40 balls that night but just didn't get the breaks."
McLeish felt the discipline showed by his players was a key factor against the Gunners who were guilty of some rash challenges, particularly on midfielder Lee Bowyer.
He said: "It was important for the players. We talked about discipline and we kept our discipline.
"We could have gone flying into tackles, got yellow cards or reds. But we did that well.
"We kept our discipline. We concentrated on maintaining that. It's about educating them, drilling it into their heads.
"If you do it enough times, it does stay with you.
"It's something I learned from a very early point in my career and has stuck with me ever since."
McLeish felt all his players played to their potential against the Gunners which was all he demanded, irrespective of the result.
He said: "I said to them 'come in after the game, be proud of your individual performance, and look in the mirror and say I thought I did pretty well' - and I couldn't fault a single player."