Latest Transfer Update at 23-05-11

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Latest Transfer Update at 23-05-11


Nicklas Bendtner - wants regular football.
BENDTNER WANTS REGULAR FOOTBALL

Nicklas Bendtner has made a decision on his future and is set to leave Arsenal in the summer, according to his father and agent.
The Danish striker has never hidden his frustration at a lack of regular starting opportunities this season, having found himself down the pecking order.
But he has always stated he will keep pushing for a place in Arsene Wenger's team and will not make his mind up about what to do next until the summer.
That moment has now arrived after the Gunners ended their Premier League campaign in fourth following a 2-2 draw with Fulham on Sunday.
And Thomas Bendtner claims his son has now informed Arsenal that he would like the club to listen to offers.
"Nicklas is 100 per cent open now to a change of clubs," Thomas Bendtner said in the Daily Mirror.
"He has made his decision and he has told it to Arsenal. Nicklas needs to be playing from the start so, sadly, he must leave.
"He wanted to finish the season first, so no-one could say he didn't fight for a first-team place right until the end."
Bendtner's father insists there will be a number of options to consider but has dismissed speculation linking the 23-year-old with a move to Aston Villa.
He said: "There is real interest from both English and German clubs, and Bayern Munich were after him, earlier. It's very exciting.
"But talk about Aston Villa is rubbish. He has not met anyone from there."

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Gareth McAuley - set for West Brom move.
HODGSON CONFIDENT OF McAULEY DEAL

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson believes defender Gareth McAuley will be "a very valuable addition" to his squad as he begins rebuilding for next season.
McAuley will be available on a free transfer on the expiry of his contract at Ipswich and is poised to make the move to The Hawthorns in the next few days.
It is hopep the arrival of the 31-year-old, who has won 28 caps for Northern Ireland, will bolster a defence which leaked 71 goals in the Barclays Premier League this season.
Hodgson said: "He's another centre-half, the Northern Ireland captain who knows British football and he will be a very valuable addition to our squad next year.
"We are in discussions with the player and his agent and are confident something will be finalised in the coming week."
McAuley will enjoy his first taste of life in the top flight if he joins the Baggies. He made just under 100 appearances for Ipswich during a three-year spell having previously played for Lincoln and Leicester.
Meanwhile, Hodgson has to decide whether to take up a 12-month option on defender Abdoulaye Meite, who will otherwise be out of contract next month.
Meite was recalled to the side when Hodgson took charge three months ago but has been out of form in recent weeks and was taken off at half-time against Newcastle on Sunday.
Albion also have options they can take up on fringe players Marek Cech, Gianni Zuiverloon and Giles Barnes.

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Ashley Young - linked with Liverpool and Man Utd.
YOUNG 'NOT WAVING GOODBYE'

Gary McAllister insists Ashley Young was not "waving goodbye" to the Aston Villa fans during the final Premier League game of the season.
Young was replaced towards the end of Sunday's 1-0 win over Liverpool and waved to all four sides of Villa Park on leaving the pitch.
The England winger has been strongly tipped to quit Villa in the summer as he has just 12 months remaining on his contract.
He has been heavily linked with Liverpool and Manchester United, but assistant manager McAllister is not giving up hope of keeping hold of Young.
"I think people thought that was staged but his calf was screaming," said McAllister regarding Young's substitution.
"He wasn't coming off waving goodbye because we want to keep him.
"We have to keep trying and a couple of signings here or there might help.
"I am sure there is interest because there has been a lot of speculation around Ashley for a long time now.
"Until such a time that someone comes in with a bid which is acceptable to Aston Villa then he is still a Villa player because he has a year left on his contract.
"But there is no way of me predicting how clubs will do their business."I think people thought that was staged but his calf was screaming. He wasn't coming off waving goodbye because we want to keep him.Gary McAllister

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O'Hara - set for permanent Wolves move.
O'HARA EXPECTED TO JOIN WOLVES

Harry Redknapp expects Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara to secure a permanent move to Wolves following their Premier League survival.
O'Hara joined Wolves on loan in January and has played an influential role in helping Mick McCarthy's side retain their top-flight status.
He has scored three goals, including one in Sunday's 3-2 home defeat by Blackburn, and now looks primed to stay at Molineux.
The 24-year-old had struggled for opportunities back at Spurs and Redknapp does not expect O'Hara to return to White Hart Lane.
"I think he will probably go there (to Wolves) now," said Redknapp.
"I think it's part of the deal. If they stay up there was an agreement that they'd buy him."
Redknapp is looking to trim his squad over the summer, but has not ruled out keeping Robbie Keane following a disappointing loan spell at West Ham.
The Spurs boss added: "I haven't written Robbie off at all. He is a top-class professional who has played over 100 times for his country.
"He captains the Republic of Ireland team. He is a top-class professional. He has to come back here and fight to play in the team now."
Spurs ended the season with a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City and Redknapp admits Roman Pavlyuchenko's brace could save him money in the transfer market.
"He has dynamite in his boots," Redknapp said of the Russian.
"When he is on form he is fantastic. I have been to France to watch players three times this week and I'm looking at them and thinking they're not as good as Pav is."

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David Moyes - happy at Goodison Park.
MOYES HAPPY ON MERSEYSIDE

While Carlo Ancelotti's spell as Chelsea manager ended after defeat at Everton, his opposite number looked forward to next season's challenge.
The futures of both Ancelotti and Everton boss David Moyes had been the subject of speculation heading into their campaign-ending Barclays Premier League clash at Goodison Park, but the attitude of their clubs differed vastly.
Whereas Everton made no secret of their desire to keep Moyes, Chelsea admitted their suspected uneasiness at Ancelotti's position soon after the 1-0 loss by confirming the Italian had been sacked.
The only concern at Everton was whether Moyes himself was happy following rumours he might opt to test himself at a club with greater resources.
But after watching his side secure seventh place after a stunning Jermaine Beckford solo goal, the Scot underlined his commitment to the post he has held for the past nine years.
Moyes said: "As far as I know I am here and I am the manager - that is what I want to do.
"I want to have a club where I can give the supporters something. I want to be fresh and have a good, fresh challenge when we come back next summer. Let's hope that's the case."
Everton fully deserved their victory having made all the running against a Chelsea side clearly lacking motivation following the failure of their title bid.
They even continued to dominate after Seamus Coleman was sent off in the 53rd minute for a reckless lunge at Jon Obi Mikel that earned a second booking.
Having hit the bar through Phil Jagielka and missed a number of other chances, the Toffees finally went ahead in grand style 15 minutes from time.
Beckford broke up a Chelsea attack on the edge of his own area and set off on a run that took him into the opposite box.
He got a lucky bounce off Paulo Ferreira mid-charge and Petr Cech got a hand to his shot but he was not to be denied and the ball bobbled over the line.
His was his 10th goal of an occasionally laboured but ultimately promising first season since a free transfer from Leeds.
Moyes said: "I think 10 goals is probably what I would have expected from him when we got him.
"He'll get goals but you'll have to live with some other faults.
"I don't think come the end of the season you'll ever be disappointed with his goal return."
Everton's victory emphasised their return to form over the second half of the season after a slow start.
The Merseysiders were just three points off the relegation zone at the end of February but lost only two of their last 12 games.
Moyes said: "At the start of the season I was one of the people saying we could do better than seventh.
"But I have had to reassess after seeing what is going to be spent and what has to be done.
"I have got to praise the players for how they have performed from Christmas onwards."

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Alex McLeish - told job is 'safe'.
BIRMINGHAM STICK WITH McLEISH

Alex McLeish is to remain as Birmingham manager despite their relegation from the Barclays Premier League.
Blues acting chairman Peter Pannu told the club's official website that McLeish's job is "safe".
But the Scot has been told the board expect him to lead the team back to the top flight at the first attempt next season.
Birmingham's two-season spell in the top flight came to an end on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham - just three months after lifting the Carling Cup.
McLeish led City to promotion in his first full season and their ninth-place finish in 2009-2010 was their highest in the top flight.
But the statement makes it clear that regaining Premier League status in 2011-2012 is of paramount importance.
Pannu told bcfc.com: "The board regrets (Sunday's) result and subsequent relegation and feels that supporters, who have continued to back us magnificently, have been let down.
"The club can confirm that manager Alex McLeish's job is safe but that the board will expect him to lead the side back to the Barclays Premier League in the 2011-12 season."
Pannu added: "The board will take stock of what went wrong this season despite Carson Yeung's promised injection of £40million in funds - not £80m as the media wrongly assumed.
"The board will closely discuss and implement appropriate procedures to ensure a speedy return to the top flight.
"Finally a word for our terrific supporters, who are no doubt feeling the pain like everyone else connected with the club.
"We thank you for your tremendous backing - something we are confident we will still have moving forward as we embark on looking to make an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League."
McLeish, meanwhile, admits he faces a battle to hold onto some of his players.
There is no doubt McLeish will have a very different squad at his disposal when the Championship campaign gets under way in August after the loss of around £25 million in revenue via relegation.
McLeish said: "I will speak to them. There are one or two that are out of contract and we have to decide what is happening.
"Some of the guys will have other options and we appreciate that.
"The fact is we are in the Championship and not the Premier League and I'm sure they'll have choices.
"It's tough on us to be relegated but we don't lie down and bury our heads in the sand.
"We've got to get on with the next challenge. We've got to show leadership."
The likes of Sebastian Larsson, Kevin Phillips, Martin Jiranek and Lee Bowyer are at the end of their current contracts.
Alexander Hleb, David Bentley, Matt Derbyshire and Obafemi Martins will return to their parent clubs after loan spells.
Ben Foster, Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Cameron Jerome and Nikola Zigic could be targets for Premier League predators.

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Guus Hiddink - heavily linked with Chelsea return.
HIDDINK AGENT WON'T RULE OUT CLUB JOB

Guus Hiddink today looked set to have the final say over whether he returns to Chelsea as manager this summer.
The Dutchman appears to be Roman Abramovich's number one target to succeed Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked barely an hour after last night's final game of the season.
Hiddink reprising the role he filled on a temporary basis to such great effect two years ago seemed unlikely until today, amid reports he was not keen on a return to frontline club management and staunch opposition from his current employers at the Turkish Football Federation.
But agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen this morning refused to rule out a club management role being Hiddink's next job, while the TFF this afternoon adopted a far more relaxed response to the latest rumours linking the Turkey boss to Stamford Bridge.
Senior national team communications manager Turker Tozar told Press Association Sport: "At this stage, we will leave everything to Mr Hiddink and if he sees the need to speak about this issue, he will do this personally.
"We have a press conference on May 27. If he wishes comment on these rumours or leaks, he will do it."
Pressed on whether they would refuse any approach for Hiddink from Chelsea, Tozar added: "Last month, our vice-president was asked and he said we had long-term plans with Mr Hiddink.
"If there are new issues, Hiddink will talk about this."
Van Nieuwenhuizen earlier warned the earliest Hiddink would currently be available would be October as he would not break his contract with the TFF.
But pressed on whether his client had completely ruled out a club management role as his next move, he told Press Association Sport: "I don't know that you can say that.
"He is focusing on his job and he likes what he is doing.
"He said also in his column on Saturday in De Telegraaf, the Dutch newspaper, that as long as he is in the race for the European Championship with Turkey, he would continue to focus on that.
"Once that is finished, he will start thinking about his future."
Hiddink is contracted to Turkey until the end of Euro 2012 but will leave his position immediately if they fail to qualify.
They currently lie third in Group A and face a crucial match with second-placed Belgium on June 3.
Defeat would leave them four points adrift of a play-off spot with four games remaining and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could be sacked.
If not, Chelsea could be faced with the dilemma of waiting for him to become available - and appointing an interim manager - or looking elsewhere.
The Blues would also need to establish for certain whether the Dutchman would prefer to move into a sporting director role.
If so, they would face competition from Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, with the former club having already approached Hiddink about taking a place on their board.
Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "Johan Cruyff has also already spoken to him a couple of times in the last couple of months, because Johan is right now restructuring at Ajax.
"He has been saying, 'Maybe we can do this together'.
Hiddink revealed in his column on Saturday that he was still acting as an adviser to Chelsea owner Abramovich.
Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "I know that he has a very good relationship with some people at Chelsea and that he is every now and then talking to Roman Abramovich - but more out of a friendship that was based on the months that they spent together."
Van Nieuwenhuizen insisted he knew nothing of reports Hiddink had recommended Marco van Basten to Abramovich as an alternative to himself as manager but confirmed the fellow Dutchmen were in touch.
"They meet each other every now and then," he said.
Van Basten's agent Perry van Overeem told Press Association Sport there had been no approach from Chelsea for the former Holland player and manager, who has been out of work since leaving Ajax two years ago and is currently mulling over more than one offer to return to the game.
The other name heavily touted as successor to Ancelotti - who was sacked barely and hour after yesterday's final game of the season at Everton - is Porto sensation Andre Villas-Boas.
The 33-year-old distanced himself from the job after winning the Europa League on Wednesday night and he reportedly has a 15million-euro (£13million) release clause in his contract.
That could leave the door open for a raft of other candidates, with rumours even Jose Mourinho is under consideration.

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Van Aanholt - near four-year deal.
NEW DEAL FOR VAN AANHOLT

Chelsea defender Patrick van Aanholt has agreed a new four-year contract with the Stamford Bridge club.
The 20-year-old joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in 2007 and has made eight appearances for the side, scoring in the Carling Cup third-round defeat to Newcastle last September.
Van Aanholt, a Holland Under-21 international, spent the second half of this season on loan at Leicester, while he has also had loan spells at Coventry and Newcastle.

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Carlo Ancelotti - return tipped.
GALLIANI BACKS ANCELOTTI FOR RETURN

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes Carlo Ancelotti will be snapped up quickly by another club after being dismissed by Chelsea.
Ancelotti was sacked by Chelsea after two years in charge of the Blues.
The Italian, who spent eight years as coach of Milan before moving to London in the summer of 2009, is a reported target of Roma.
Galliani said: "I have spoken to Carlo. He will come to see me in a couple of weeks.
"He is a great coach and I'm confident he will soon find a great coaching post he deserves."
Ancelotti, 51, won the Italian title with Roma as a player in 1983 and has made no secret of his desire to manage the club one day.
Roma are looking to replace Vincenzo Montella this summer and club captain Francesco Totti would welcome Ancelotti's arrival at the Eternal City club.
"We hope that Ancelotti is one of our candidates for Roma's bench," Totti said.

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Holloway - looking forward to future talks. HOLLOWAY TO MAP WAY BACK TO TOP

Ian Holloway intends to sit down with chairman Karl Oyston to plot a way out of the relegation mire Blackpool landed in yesterday.
Whilst Holloway's immediate reaction after the 4-2 defeat at Manchester United that sent them straight back down to the Championship was to question how many of his players he would be able to retain, Oyston was more concerned about his manager's future.
However, it seems Holloway will not be going anywhere.
All he is concerned about is getting a structure in place that will allow Blackpool to profit from their brief flirtation with the Premier League.
"I have a year on my contract and I am looking forward to talking with the chairman to see what he wants to do with his club, where it lies now and where we have gone back to," said Holloway.
"I am hoping it is not as far as when we started this season.
"Luckily I work for a chairman who won't sack me because I am rubbish halfway through the season.
"This game is completely mad but it is good to be me. I am not mad. I know what I am doing and where I am going."
Although no-one is pretending life at Bloomfield Road is going to be easy over the coming weeks, Holloway's words should at least offer Oyston some reassurance.
Charlie Adam, Matthew Gilks, David Vaughan and Gary Taylor-Fletcher might be on their way out but for as long as Holloway remains in charge, Blackpool have hope.
"The nature of the industry is that people always try and covet what you've got," Oyston admitted on Sky Sports News.
"I just hope that Ian doesn't get his head turned by a club that probably won't allow him to express himself the way we do.
"This is a work in progress, we have long-term plans to strengthen the business to make it viable and to be able to compete and challenge on the field as well.
"Ian has performed miracles ever since he arrived here and we will help him as much as we can to try and get back into the Premier League, because every manager wants to manage at the highest level they can."
The look on Holloway's face when he was informed Blackpool could be handed a place in the first qualifying round of the Europa League - which would commit them to playing their first competitive game on June 30 - suggested he would not be overly disappointed if the Premier League announced someone else had claimed the "prize".
"We need a break," he said.
"We came into this league late and the Championship starts a week earlier than the Premier League. These lads are running on empty."
How many of the lads are still at Blackpool on August 8 is a moot point.
The club have been trapped by a combination of the Premier League's demand for players to be told last week whether contracts would be offered, an obvious desire not to offer wages that would be unsustainable outside the top flight and a preference to avoid long-term contracts.
It is just one of many lessons Holloway has learned about life in the big league, the rules of which he believes are loaded against the smaller clubs.
"Lots of it didn't suit us," he argued.
"There are so many problems. I can only have two people on loan from the Premier League and Football League combined but I could have as many foreign under-21 lads as I like.
"I was at Blackpool. I never had a scout go abroad. What chance did I have? Was I supposed to sign people blind?
"I had to name a squad of 25. Then when I played them I got fined because they weren't good enough. What a joke."