Latest Transfer Update at 02-09-11

[<<ELVIS>>]

Grayson: Frustrated
INACTIVITY FRUSTRATES GRAYSON

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has vented his frustration at being unable to bring any fresh faces to the club on deadline day.
There were plenty of outgoings on Wednesday with Max Gradel joining St Etienne while Federico Bessone and Mike Grella had the remainder of their contracts cancelled.
The Whites tactician has revealed the club had lined up no less than three deals during the day to strengthen his squad only to see none of the players make the Elland Road switch.
Grayson believed the club had agreed a deal to land Jason Puncheon from Southampton only to see the winger make a last-gasp move to newly-promoted QPR.
The club also lined up moves for two international players, however, neither deal failed to materialise due to various reasons.
"It was probably the most frustrating day I have had as a manager," Grayson told the club's official website.
"From the early hours of the morning right up to the last few hours before the window shut I was behind my desk on the phone trying to bring in more players. Just after dinner we had three deals almost done and dusted.
"All the players needed to do was sign but different circumstances didn't make the deals happen which is the most frustrating part.
"Jason Puncheon agreed to sign for us (on Wednesday) dinner time and changed his mind for whatever reason. That reason obviously turned out to be to go to QPR.
"We also agreed for another Premier League international defender to come here as another defender was going to their club so was surplus to requirements. That then got changed as the player went somewhere else hence the player then decided that he felt he still had an opportunity to play for the Premier League club.
"Another one was an international player, again the deal was virtually done but the club, at the last minute, changed their mind as another deal of theirs fell through."
Grayson admits money was there for him to spend on strengthening the squad, although he is not getting too down as he knows he can bring in new faces when the loan window opens next week.
"The money was there to go and sign players, whether it was loan deals or permanent deals we were trying to sign players to make us better and increase the competition," he continued.
"We know we are still a few bodies short but saying that we still have good players here, some of which were enquired about but we managed to keep hold of them, something which is obviously good news.
"It was a bad day at the office as we were working extremely hard to get in the targets that we had. A plus side, to a certain degree, is that the loan market with emergency loans opens next week so if we are short on bodies still then we can go down that market."

[<<ELVIS>>]

De Rossi: Staying at Roma
ROMA KEEN TO EXTEND DE ROSSI DEAL

Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini is ready to start negotiations with Daniele De Rossi over a contract extension at the club.
With the transfer deadline having passed and Italy international De Rossi not moved, Sabatini can now fully focus on a new deal for the combative midfielder.
"Now we will dedicate ourselves to Daniele's contract," said Roma sporting director Sabatini. "Our will is to arrive to an agreement."
De Rossi, who was believed to have been a target of Manchester City and Manchester United, has a year left to run on his existing deal.
The 28-year-old has spent his entire career at Roma.

[<<ELVIS>>]

Gourcuff: Subject of enquiry from Arsenal
LYON: ARSENAL WANTED GOURCUFF

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas claims that Arsenal made a late bid for Yoann Gourcuff before deadline day.
The Frenchman was just one of the players chased by the Gunners in the final days of the transfer window as Arsenal searched for replacements for Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas.
Gourcuff, who is currently recovering from injury, is regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in France and is thought to be a long-term target of Arsene Wenger's.
Lyon rejected Arsenal's enquiry for Gourcuff with the player having a big part to play at Stade Gerland.
"I got a call on the penultimate day of the transfer window from Gilles Grimandi asking for a loan," Aulas told RMC Sport.
"We believe in re-establishing Yoann. He has been operated upon. He has just resumed training.
"We have chosen Gourcuff, like last year. It was hard last season. Hopefully he will demonstrate his capabilities this term."
Gourcuff scored three goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances last season for Lyon but is currently ruled out through injury.

[<<ELVIS>>]

Arteta: Excited about Arsenal start
ARTETA READY TO MAKE HIS MARK

Mikel Arteta is confident he can fit right in at Arsenal as they look to finally deliver some long overdue success in 2012.
The 29-year-old Spaniard is said to have accepted a pay cut to force through his £10million deadline-day switch from Everton.
And while Arteta does not claim he can fill the void left at the heart of the Arsenal team by the sales of captain Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, the midfielder is confident he can have an impact for Arsene Wenger's men as they look to first recover from the 8-2 mauling at Manchester United, and then win a first trophy since 2005.
"I know Arsenal's philosophy is always having possession of the ball and to be a really nice passing team, it's the type of football I like to play, so I can't wait," Arteta said on Sky Sports News.
"I am going there to help the team to make things better and to see if we can win something.
"Fabregas has been a terrific player, one of the best in the Premier League and [replacing him] is a big ask.
"What I want to do is start helping the team, start showing my abilities and see where we go from there."
Arteta, though, admits it was not easy to leave Everton after six-and-a half years on Merseyside.
However, the midfielder believes his sale will help ease the financial burdens which currently surround Goodison Park.
"It has been hard saying goodbye to everyone at Everton and seeing some of the reaction of people with whom I've shared so many good moments," the former Rangers man said.
"I think the club is in a situation where they need to sell someone.
"They don't want to put the team and the club in a situation when in one or two years time this club is in bits."
Arsenal were one of the busiest clubs over the final days of the transfer window, as deals were concluded to bring in South Korea captain Park Chu-young - who netted a hat-trick in Friday's 6-0 World Cup qualifier win over against Lebanon - and defensive duo Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos.
Israel captain Yossi Benayoun was another arrival, joining on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
Wenger also had plenty of other irons in the fire, with Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas claiming the Gunners made a late bid for attacking midfielder Yaroann Gourcuff.
Arsenal may have secured a place in the group stages of the Champions League with a play-off win over Udinese, but have lost two of their opening three domestic fixtures.
Czech winger Tomas Rosicky, however, is in no doubt his side, who host new-boys Swansea after the international break, will soon be back to form.
"We are at the very beginning of the season and there is still plenty of time to turn things around completely," Rosicky told the Czech newspaper Blesk.
"Up until now we always had good starts and finished badly. Maybe it will turn around and we will have a successful season. We must shake it off and respond in the next game."
Rosicky admits the squad will analyse just what went wrong in "the worst hammering I have experienced in football" when they return to London Colney next week.
"There is probably no sense in commenting on the game after such a hammering. The best you can do is to forget and start from the scratch," the 30-year-old added.
"We will definitely discuss it when everyone returns from international duty and there is no point about speaking about it now."

[<<ELVIS>>]

Nicky Maynard: No Bristol City exit
ROBINS REJECTED BIG MAYNARD BID

Bristol City chairman Colin Sexstone has revealed his club rejected a
"very substantial" bid from Leicester for striker Nicky Maynard in the transfer window.
Maynard had been a transfer target of the Foxes for the entire summer, making three unsuccessful bids in the close season, but the Robins were able to keep hold of their star player.
Sexstone told the club's official website: "Leicester were very determined and they were pushing very hard.
"They did submit a fourth bid, a very substantial bid, far in excess of what they had offered before.
"It was a lot of money but the board was adamant that we want to keep Nicky Maynard.
"We will continue to work on getting him signing a new contract but in any event we didn't want to be selling to another Championship club."