Latest Transfer Update at 17-04-11

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Latest Transfer Update at 17-04-11


Van Nistelrooy - calf injury.
VAN NISTELROOY SEASON OVER

Ruud van Nistelrooy looks to have played his last match for Hamburg after being ruled out for the remainder of the season with a calf injury.
The 34-year-old former Real Madrid and Manchester United hitman suffered the injury in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Hanover.
Van Nistelrooy's contract is up at the end of the season and after being denied a return to Real in January, he stated he did not wish to renew it.
"It's hard to swallow," Van Nistelrooy said of the injury on Hamburg's website.
"I hope to be able to come back as quickly as possible, but it is clear that I will be absent for a fair amount of time."

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Vidic - happy to stay at Manchester United.
NEMANJA VIDIC: I'M UNITED FOR LIFE

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic says he wants to spend the rest of his career with the club.
The Serbia international has long been linked with possible moves to Spain or Italy, even though he signed a new long-term deal at the start of this season.
But Vidic has emphasised his commitment to the club by insisting he wants to stay at Old Trafford for life.
"I hope to spend the rest of my career here at United," Vidic told the Sunday Mirror.
"I heard the speculation about me maybe leaving last year, but I know where I want to be and I have shown my commitment to the club.
"I have given the best years of my career to this club and the talk about me leaving here was never correct.
"I always give my best. Of course, sometimes you have good and bad days, but I think I always try to give 100 per cent - and especially now I have that armband and the responsibility that goes with it.
"I'm definitely here for the rest of my career now.
"It never came from my mouth that I would be leaving United. I love it here and I think I show that on the pitch."
The 29-year-old was handed the United captaincy last summer and he is delighted with how things of gone since he took the armband from Rio Ferdinand.
"The boss told me at the start of the season he was giving me the captaincy," he said.
"Then after a few games he said that I would be captain for the season, which was great news.
"Being captain of United is a big honour and I am really enjoying the role."

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Carlo Ancelotti - backed by Kalou.
SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT FOR KALOU

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti at least has allies fighting his corner after Salomon Kalou confirmed the team are enjoying their football under the beleaguered Italian.
For only the third time since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, Chelsea appear destined to end a season trophyless, and that has pushed Ancelotti into the spotlight and to the brink of being axed.
On the two previous occasions Chelsea ended up without silverware, the managers concerned were sacked, and few are holding out much hope of Ancelotti avoiding such a fate.
Last season's Barclays Premier League and FA Cup double success, in addition to Chelsea becoming the first club to score over 100 goals in a league campaign since 1963, now counts for nothing.
Potential successors to Ancelotti, and the list is plentiful and includes the likes of Guus Hiddink, Frank Rijkaard, Andre Villas Boas and Marcello Lippi, are already being talked about.
Yet as far as the players are concerned, if Abramovich were to pay any heed to their thoughts, there appears to be feeling for the 51-year-old.
Although success and trophies are the name of the game, Ancelotti has his players playing a style of football they are ultimately happy with.
That was certainly the case at The Hawthorns where Chelsea showed their mettle after going a goal down to win 3-1 and close the gap to leaders Manchester United to eight points.
"The main concern is we are together as a team," Kalou said.
"We win as a team, we lose as a team, and in this game we showed good character, the real face of Chelsea.
"It is the Chelsea everyone wants to see, a team that goes out on the pitch and plays hard, that plays with each other.
"After our defeat to Manchester United on Tuesday (in the quarter final of the Champions League) this was a good response.
"We showed that we're fighting for ourselves, for the team, also for the manager.
"It would be easy to point to someone and say it's his fault. The game is about the squad, and everyone has to be concerned about that.
"Everyone has to be professional, and when they go on the pitch to enjoy playing and fighting hard for the club and for the fans who travel far to come and support us.
"It is very important we show them respect by playing hard and giving everything we can."
Kalou, who netted Chelsea's second after Scott Carson had parried a shot from Didier Drogba, rightly concedes the decision over whether Ancelotti stays or goes is not one the players can take.
Instead, Kalou simply stated how easy it is to play under Ancelotti at the present time.
"As a player you want the team to do well, so you play with the direction the manager gives you, and right now we are enjoying," added Kalou.
"In the first half we played with a lot of passion, even though we conceded the first goal, and I think everyone then thought it was going to be a difficult day for us.
"But we played together, and when you play like that, it is easy to win.
"We now have six games to go and we have to maintain this spirit, which is the only way to qualify for the Champions League because we know everything is in our hands.
"So we have to play our part by winning our games, and it's still between the top three."
Second or third would appear to be the best Chelsea can hope for, and with Drogba in such irrepressible form as he was yesterday, it appears almost inconceivable they will not achieve that.
Drogba scored the first and played a significant part in the other two, with Frank Lampard adding the third, after Peter Odemwingie had opened the scoring in the 17th minute.
This was all while Fernando Torres looked on from the bench as the £50million forward was dropped in favour of Drogba, only replacing him in the final eight minutes.
However, the Spain international appears poised to return to the side for Wednesday's game with Birmingham at Stamford Bridge, and with Ancelotti again vouching for Britain's most expensive player.
"He has fantastic support from everyone here, from the fans, the club, and from the manager," said Ancelotti.
"Sometimes he has to start from the bench because at Chelsea, as with any other team, there is competition to play.
"But everyone is confident he will score, and I think he will do that in the next game."

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Sebastian Bassong - could leave Tottenham.
BASSONG CONSIDERS TOTTENHAM FUTURE

Sebastian Bassong admits he is considering his future at Tottenham.
The Cameroon international has started just 14-games this season, despite their struggles with injury.
The former Newcastle man now admits that is wondering whether he needs to leave White Hart Lane.
"I admit I am disappointed," he told the News of the World.
"I was a regular last season but this season I have spent a lot of time on the bench.
"It hurts being constantly overlooked. If I'm not playing for Tottenham, then maybe I am not much use to them.
"I want to stay but if you are not playing, you have to consider your options. It would be irresponsible not to."

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Neuer - linked with Manchester United.
NEUER: DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has revealed that he has already decided where his future lies.
The Germany international has been strongly linked with both Bayern Munich and Manchester United in recent months.
The 25-year-old has now revealed that a decision has been made about his future, but he refused to reveal who he would be playing for next
"A decision has been taken. People who need to know, know. So everything is cleared up," he said after Schalke's 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Neuer has just over 12-months left on his current deal with Schalke.

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Lawrie Sanchez - takes role at Barnet.
LAWRIE SANCHEZ TAKES BARNET ROLE

Lawrie Sanchez has joined Barnet in a consultancy role until the end of the season as the club bid to avoid relegation from the Football League.
The 51-year-old former Wycombe, Northern Ireland and Fulham boss will assist caretaker manager Giuliano Grazioli in the Bees' last four matches of the season.
Barnet are second-bottom and lie three points from safety but Sanchez said: "I've come in to help Giuliano, who is a football acquaintance, with the big task of helping Barnet off the bottom rungs of League Two."
Grazioli added on the club's website: "This is an opportunity for me to learn from someone with experience at Premiership and international level. He has so much to give and there is a lot I can learn.
"We've got a job to do and three weeks to get it done."
Ex-Barnet striker Grazioli was placed in charge last week following Martin Allen's shock departure to Notts County.

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Jacobsen - out of contract in the summer.
JACOBSEN EYES NEW HAMMERS DEAL

Danish full-back Lars Jacobsen is keen to commit his future to West Ham.
The 31-year-old joined the Hammers at the start of the season from Blackburn and has started the majority of their league matches.
Jacobsen is now hoping to hold talks with West Ham about his future, as his current deal expires in the summer.
"I could see myself being here next season," he said.
"I must find a place to play after the summer, because I'm not going to hang up my boots just yet."

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Derek McInnes - wants more goals.
McINNES TO BOOST ATTACKING THREAT

St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes pledged to search for better attacking players after his side again drew a blank in their disappointing Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Motherwell.
Saints rarely looked like scoring in their 3-0 Hampden defeat, although midfielder Murray Davidson came close on several occasions, notably when he headed against the crossbar late on.
The Perth side have only scored 18 goals in 33 Clydesdale Bank Premier League games this season and McInnes knows where his recruitment priorities lie.
McInnes said: "We have struggled away all season and we've been good enough to make sure we're not involved in the relegation issues.
"That's through a lot of hard work and a lot of proper, good defending, that we didn't see in that first half.
"But we know where our problems lie, at the top end of the pitch we have failed miserably, we can't hide behind it.
"Motherwell had players who could inspire their team at the top end of the pitch and give them something and we didn't and it has been like that for a while.
"We will keep working hard to address that. The close season is going to be very important, we need to make sure we try and get better in.
"We have had injuries but we need to try and get better than what we have served up this season at the top end of the pitch. I'll try to do the best to bring those players in to try and do better."
Jamie Murphy and John Sutton scored spectacular goals for Motherwell but the Saints defence and goalkeeper Peter Enckelman looked vulnerable throughout the first half, when all the goals were scored.
Motherwell were gifted their fifth-minute opener when Enckelman missed Tom Hateley's corner and Stephen Craigan was allowed a free header inside the six-yard box.
However, McInnes does not believe his defence requires major summer surgery.
"We had a poor game defensively but if you have watched us enough this season, we have been excellent in that department," the St Johnstone manager said.
Left-back Danny Grainger, one of St Johnstone's better performers on the day, insists they will deal with the disappointing defeat as a collective.
"We let ourselves down," Grainger said. "It's probably three goals that we don't usually concede.
"It seems like we have been struggling all season to score goals but we have been defending well as a team.
"I'm not pointing the fingers at anyone. We score as a team and keep clean sheets as a team.
"We are not pointing the fingers at strikers or midfielders, we all had the chance to score on Saturday.
"We have been poor defending as a team and it has cost us our place in the Scottish Cup final."

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Nuri Sahin - expected to move on.
DORTMUND MAKE PLANS FOR SAHIN EXIT

Borussia Dortmund are lining up Nurnberg's Ilkay Gundogan as a replacement for Nuri Sahin, who they expect to lose this summer.
Sahin is reported to be wanted by both Barcelona and Real Madrid and, although no offer has yet been received, Dortmund are resigned to losing him.
"If Nuri has an offer from Real Madrid or Barcelona, then he obviously has every right to talk to us about it," said Dortmund's general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke to the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
"Then we would sit down and discuss it. We have already tried to extend his contract, but we did not manage it."
With Sahin set to leave, Dortmund have wasted no time in identifying a replacement in Gundogan.
"We would love to sign him as long as the overall package is right, which means that we can agree financially both with him and Nurnberg," added Watzke.
"If Ilkay Gundogan wants to take the next step in his sporting development, then he would be coming to the right place here."

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Kenny Dalglish - upbeat over Pepe Reina.
REINA COULD STAY AT LIVERPOOL

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is hopeful of keeping Pepe Reina beyond the end of the season, and is also confident over his own long-term future.
Reina has been attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United over the past season after becoming widely regarded as one of Europe's finest keepers since joining the Reds in 2005.
Dalglish has gone some way to steady the ship on Merseyside, replacing Roy Hodgson as caretaker boss under new owners FSG.
There has yet to be an announcement over Dalglish's future beyond the end of the season, despite a marked improvement in results and unanimous backing for the Kop legend with the belief that they are moving in the right direction.
Reports suggest that FSG will offer the Scot a new deal over the coming weeks, but the 60-year-old is cool over his position, and confident that the situation will be resolved sooner rather than later.
"There is the outstanding issue with myself, but that is the least important one," said Dalglish.
"Everything will be sorted out. I am perfectly relaxed about my position.
"It is not my decision about my future, but I am just happy to be here."
Reina was subject to a bid from Arsenal last summer in Arsene Wenger's search for a top-class keeper, but despite staying at Anfield, another turbulent season has led to him admitting he was unsure where his future lies.
However, as the Spaniard heads to the Emirates on Sunday to face the Gunners, Dalglish commented that the player seemed in good spirits and not unhappy where he currently is.
"Whatever he feels about us going in the right direction or not is up to him, but he does not look too unhappy to me," he added.
"I have always believed he is one of the best in the Premier League, if not the best, and maybe even in [world] football."