Latest Transfer Update at 25-04-11

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Latest Transfer Update at 25-04-11


Verhoek - not thinking about Ajax rumours.
VERHOEK COMMITTED TO ADO CAUSE

ADO Den Haag forward Wesley Verhoek has distanced himself from a summer move to Ajax and insists his current club have a great chance of succeeding in the Eredivisie Europa League play-offs.
The 24-year-old Verhoek came through the ranks at ADO and is contracted until next summer. He has refuted ongoing claims in the media that he is set to leave for Ajax at the end of the current campaign.
"I'm getting a little tired of the media and their claims I have joined Ajax already," he told Haaglanden Football.
"There's nothing to do with Ajax and again I am having a great time here and I just want to stay."
Defeat against defending champions and current league leaders FC Twente on Friday dented ADO's chances of finishing higher up the table, but Verhoek thinks they save their best performances for the big games and that will help them in the end-of-season Europa League play-offs.
"I've said before, we play our best games against the top teams in the Netherlands," he said.
"I have had a great season and want help Den Haag bring European football here. Our game certainly offers good prospects for the playoffs."

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Hodgson - looking to strengthen in summer.
HODGSON READY FOR SUMMER DEALING

Roy Hodgson admits he needs to sign "several players" this summer if West Brom secure their Barclays Premier League status for another season.
The Baggies head coach had inspired a revival in fortunes since his arrival in January with 13 points from eight games taking them to the 40-point mark.
But Hodgson is aware the squad at his disposal needs strengthening if Albion are to avoid being involved in another relegation battle next year.
The former Liverpool boss said: "I think we need to make some improvements to the squad if we do stay up.
"We need to be looking very carefully at how we are going to improve this squad.
"We are running on a reasonably small squad of players. We are asking an awful lot of inexperienced players who are getting better all the time.
"But if we want to have a good Premier League campaign next season, it is very important we sign several players in the summer that will really help us.
"It will also take some of the burden away from the Youssuf Mulumbus and Peter Odemwingies who, you must remember, are in their first season in the Premier League."
Hodgson is taking nothing for granted in terms of West Brom being safe this time.
He said: "We still need one or two points but if we do survive then it will be an achievement for this club."

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Wenger - willing to spend in the summer.
WENGER TO SPEND 'WHERE NEEDED'

Arsene Wenger admits he will strengthen the Arsenal squad "where it needs" this summer in what is set to be one of the key decisions of his tenure.
The Gunners look to be heading for a sixth consecutive season without silverware after a last-minute defeat at Bolton left them nine points behind Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United with just four games left.
Only eight weeks ago, Arsenal appeared well on course for a much different outcome before they suffered a shock Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham at Wembley, went out of Europe to Barcelona and then lost their FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford.
Six draws from the last nine of an unbeaten 16-game Premier League run, which ended on Sunday, saw what had looked to be a sustained title assault fail to last the distance once again.
Wenger cut a forlorn figure at full-time at the Reebok Stadium, as the reality of his young squad's latest failing sunk in.
The Gunners boss has endured great criticism of his unwavering faith in youth, with fans and pundits alike calling for him to add some steely experience to all that potential.
While Wenger is unlikely to raid his £40million warchest for just one marquee signing this summer, it is now highly probably a couple of more mature players will be brought in to help the current generation win that first illusive trophy.
"We have the quality, that is for sure. We have to strengthen the squad where it needs and make the right decision on that front. It [transfers] is always in my mind every day," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.
"The team have had an outstanding attitude and will not be rewarded because of small things, but small things cost you.
"It is frustrating because the team has produced the efforts.
"We have to be realistic that it [the title] is very unlikely now, but we have to finish as well as we can."
Next up for Arsenal is the visit of United on May 1, in what Wenger had hoped could prove a title showdown, but where now an Arsenal victory would only seem to serve as a delaying tactic for the Red Devils' coronation or give London rivals Chelsea a shot in the arm.
Despite all of the now perennial criticism over his young squad, Wenger maintains Arsenal's philosophy stands true.
"If someone can convince me that the principles are wrong I am ready to change, but I feel we try to play football the proper way," he said.
"When you don't win you question your principles, but you have to give yourself the right distance to see what is right and wrong in what you do.
"I think if something is wrong in our team, it is not the principles in playing our football."
Wenger, however, accepted shortcomings at the back have proven too costly, Arsenal without injured centre-half Thomas Vermaelen for most of the campaign.
"We have not been stable enough defensively," he said.
"The numbers are the numbers - this week we have conceded six goals and you cannot afford to concede six goals in April in three games and win the championship.
"Defensively we have been too frail this season."
Wenger may not have delivered a trophy since Patrick Vieira lifted the 2005 FA Cup in Cardiff, but few can accuse the club of standing still.
Arsenal have moved from Highbury to their new 60,000-seater home at Ashburton Grove, which in the long-term will secure their self-funding status, while the Gunners also reached the 2006 Champions League final.
Wenger has overseen consistent qualification for Europe's lucrative elite club competition in each of the past 15 seasons, while his transfer spending is in credit - unlike all of Arsenal's title rivals - and has tied-up key men such as Cesc Fabregas on long-term deals.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson believes calls for a change in the dugout are wide of the mark.
"He is not fireproof, nobody is, but Arsene is an intelligent man and he will say when he has taken them as far as he can," former Scotland goalkeeper Wilson, who won the double with Arsenal in 1971, told BBC Radio Five Live.
"I don't think the board will ever sack Arsene, unless there is a dramatic slump in the manner they play."
Wilson added: "Arsene has a complete aversion to paying double the price for British players, but he has to swallow his pride on that because there has to be a more British feel to the team."

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Getafe - takeover completed.

Royal Emirates Group have completed their purchase of Primera Division side Getafe.
The deal was confirmed by the Dubai-based group in an open letter by their managing director Dr Kaiser Rafiq on the club's website.
There had been speculation last week that the club would be renamed "Team Dubai" as part of the takeover deal, but both parties confirmed on Monday that their identity will remain unchanged.
Dr Rafiq wrote: "From the first moment we started to discuss our decision to buy Getafe CF, we had a clear vision of the goal we wanted for the future of the club. We clearly respect the identity, traditions, culture and history of the club and have no intention of changing any of these.
"We hope that all football fans in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East share this heritage and offer support. Our goal is to globalise the Getafe brand and create strong links between the two regions in which Getafe CF will be the perfect ambassador.
"We support the club's football tradition and will use the experience of Getafe CF to train our young people. The proximity of the Qatar World Cup 2022 means football will have still more significance in our region.
"We feel a great harmony with people and fans of Getafe and pledge to continue supporting the progress of this great club to reach the highest levels in the league."
Getafe are languishing in 14th in the top flight, where they have played since 2004.
They are four points above the relegation zone and club president Angel Torres admits the accompanying financial pressure forced the sale.
"The decision to sell the club is because, logically, the more years that you are in the first division, the greater the risk of getting into debt. It is difficult to compete in this league," he said.
"Each year that you are in the first division you get into more debt. We could not put in more money and the banks were not lending to us, so we had to go out and look for investors.''