Latest Transfer Update at 05-09-11

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Latest Transfer Update at 05-09-11

Raul: Could get new Schalke deal
SCHALKE KEEN TO KEEP RAUL

Schalke chairman Clemens Tonnies has not ruled out offering striker Raul a new contract next season after being impressed by the Spaniard since his arrival from Real Madrid last year.
The 34-year-old was rumoured to be close to leaving the club this summer before committing himself to the remaining 10 months of his contract.
And Tonnies now hopes this campaign will not be Raul's last for the Royal Blues.
"I am proud with every minute that Raul plays for Schalke," said Tonnies on Sport1 television.
"He is an amazing personality. We will wait to see how the season goes and then find the right moment to discuss whether he could maybe add another year on."
Should Schalke qualify for the Champions League next season, thereby giving Raul the chance to add to his current goalscoring record in that competition, those negotiations would be facilitated.
However, despite a bright start to the season which has taken Schalke up to second behind Bayern Munich, Tonnies has warned his club's fans not to get carried away.
"We are still going to experience setbacks," he added. "That has to be expected.
"But the lads are hungry and a great team is being formed and there is a great euphoria at the club that will carry us forward a fair way, but we are not going to end the season where we are now."
Schalke have yet to win a Bundesliga title and Tonnies is intentionally lowering the expectations.
"To always proclaim the title as our aim I think puts a great weight on the club, the players and the whole troop," he said.

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Giovanni Trapattoni: Republic of Ireland boss
TARDELLI: WE WANT TO STAY ON

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni will stay in his job as long as he is wanted, according to his assistant Marco Tardelli.
Trapattoni, 72, flew out to Moscow with his players ahead of Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Russia having woken to reports that the Football Association of Ireland were edging towards offering him a contract extension, but on half his current salary as part of plans to reduce expenditure on the management team from 2.5million euros to 1.5m euros.
Tardelli admitted that was news to him, but was relaxed about the whole situation after speaking to FAI chief executive John Delaney earlier this week.
He said: "I spoke with John Delaney two or three days ago. He never told me about this. For me, it's speculation. Also two years ago, we took a cut in our contracts."
Asked if it would be a problem to take a pay cut, Tardelli said: "Not too much.
"I don't understand well in English, but John Delaney didn't talk to me about that.
"Many times, we speak with John and the board to decide to continue or not. For us, you know our idea - we want to stay on."
The reports also claimed the retention of Trapattoni and his staff would depend on Ireland at least reaching the play-off stage of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, although Tardelli was unaware also of that.
He said: "We don't have any such targets. We spoke with John Delaney two or three days. If the board want me and Giovanni to stay here, it's okay. There's nothing to be discussed at the moment."
Tardelli's comments came after the squad's final training session in Malahide before they left for Moscow yesterday afternoon.
But he and Trapattoni had more immediate concerns with John O'Shea ruled out due to hip and calf injuries, and goalkeeper Shay Given undergoing a scan on a back problem which has hampered him since last weekend.
Richard Dunne and Robbie Keane are also being nursed through knocks picked up during Friday night's 0-0 draw with Slovakia.
Given was able to travel with the rest of his team-mates, but O'Shea's ailments have stopped him from making the trip.
The Sunderland defender, who started at right-back on Friday evening, was one of the candidates to replace the suspended Sean St Ledger in central defence, and his absence has further limited Trapattoni's options.
As a result, Leeds' Darren O'Dea is likely to partner Dunne in a patched-up back four.

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Craig Bellamy: Back at Liverpool
GERRARD WELCOMES BELLAMY RETURN

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has welcomed Craig Bellamy's return to Anfield and backed the club's decision to sell Raul Meireles.
In a busy day of transfer activity on deadline day Liverpool swooped to bring Bellamy back to the club, while Meireles left for Chelsea.
Gerrard is delighted to have Bellamy back on Merseyside admitting he did not want the Welshman to leave when he departed for West Ham four years ago.
"I'm delighted that Craig is back - I didn't want him to leave in the first place," Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo.
"That pace and the fiery character he's got will help us in our push for success this season.
"When he was here before he was popular and one of the hardest working in training. He was always in the gym getting himself in good shape.
"What people need to realise is that Craig is a top professional. He works really hard day in, day out.
"He's very knowledgeable about the game and I know even though he's slightly older than me he will still want to learn and do well here.
"I'm sure he will be desperate to play for Kenny. He will have watched Liverpool from the outside like me in recent months and seen a lot of positive things. He will be excited to come back and we're glad to have him back."
Gerrard admitted the club were right to sell Meireles after he handed in a transfer request as he does not want any unhappy players at Anfield.
"It was a bit of a surprise because of the timing," added Gerrard.
"I don't think Raul had been too happy because he wanted more game time, but the players who have been playing before him have been doing really well .
"He put in a transfer request and I'm sure Kenny and Damien (Comolli) thought if he's going to be unhappy and doesn't want to be here then it was better to move him on.
"It was probably the right decision and we got good money back for him."

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Fabregas: Back at Barcelona
FABREGAS THANKS ARSENE WENGER

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas insists he owes everything to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
The Spain international sealed a move back to his beloved Barcelona last month, but he says Wenger is the one that convinced Arsenal to allow him to go back.
He also admits that he needed his years under Wenger to become the player he is today.
The Spanish press often accused Wenger of almost abducting Fabregas from the Barcelona academy - but he insists that is totally the wrong idea.
"That is the wrong picture of him, had it not been for him, I would not now be a Barca player," he told El Pais.
"Without him I would not have made my debut by 16, played in the final of the Champions League at 18 and been team captain by 20.
"Without him I would not be a Barca player now, he convinced the owners of Arsenal, who would not sell under any circumstances, to lower the price."
Whilst admitting that he is forever grateful to Arsenal, he insists that he never gave less than 100 per cent.
"I have everything, I could not have done more, my performances were fine and I played as much as I could," he said.
"In terms of titles, I am bitter about that - missing out on winning the Premier League about three times, I would have liked to have taken that, but it could not happen.
"But London will always be my city, I did not make great friends, but friends from the changing room and Wenger, you can look no further I would be nothing without him, no world champion, nothing.
"I talked with him a lot, his words to me will last a liftetime. I could hardly talk when I left, but I did speak with him. But what he has given me is priceless."
He admits that he had offers to leave Arsenal from the age of 18 - but he refused to confirm who they were, with reports suggesting Real Madrid were always following him.
"Since 18 I was made offers, I am not going to name names but that is the truth of it," he said.
Now back at Barcelona, he insists that he still is not the finished article as a footballer.
"I feel I still have much to learn, this team is highly mechanised and there are things I have to catch up on particularly in defence," he said.
"I have never seen a team that is so focused on the attack-defend transition - playing against Barcelona is very complicated but playing at the club is not so easy and that is the challenge.
"I honestly feel that at times I may hinder them, but they are good at fixing it and hiding it, I must adapt to them and learn."
The former Arsenal skipper admits that training at Barcelona is something he has never witnessed before.
He said: "It is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life, all you hear is the ball going - tap, tap, tap - I have never seen so much training at this level."
And he admits that he will have to bide his time to play - insisting that only Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi are guaranteed to start.
"It is clear that only players like Xavi, Iniesta and Messi could complain about a lack of playing time, and if they did complain I would respect that, so I will play when I play," Fabregas concluded.

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James McFadden: Possible Wolves target
McFADDEN LINKED WITH WOLVES MOVE

Striker James McFadden has emerged as a target for Wolves following his release by Birmingham.
The Scotland international has been sidelined for a year with a cruciate ligament injury but is now close to full fitness.
Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey told the Express and Star: "I would say we would be interested in speaking to any player who is out of contract who we think might be helpful to us."
McFadden is a free agent after Birmingham decided against taking up a two-year option on his contract.
Wolves would like to strengthen in attack after the departure of Andy Keogh and Stefan Maierhofer while Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is injured.

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Gary Cahill: Still at Bolton
COYLE: NO GOOD GARY CAHILL BIDS

Bolton manager Owen Coyle has revealed no club made a bid for defender Gary Cahill which was even worth considering in the closing days of the transfer window.
Arsenal were heavily linked with the centre-back and Tottenham made a late attempt to lure the England international, who is in the final year of his contract, to north London on deadline day.
However, Coyle said no offer the club received - there were no official written bids - was anywhere near the value they placed on the 25-year-old.
"The bottom line is the clubs involved did not get close to what the club's valuation is of Gary Cahill to sell," said the Wanderers boss.
"That valuation to sell (because of his contract situation) would probably be less than what my valuation of him as a manager is, but the business side of it you have to look at.
"I don't know if they didn't think he was worth the money. It might have been a case of those clubs involved maybe didn't have that amount.
"I don't think there is any doubt managers out there know his quality but whether they had the finance to do anything about it is a different question.
"Any interested clubs didn't come close to what it would take for Gary to leave. It didn't give you anything to think about."

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Asamoah Gyan: Linked with Galatasaray
GYAN QUIET ON GALATASARAY LINK

Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has refused to be drawn on reports that Galatasaray are looking to sign him.
The Ghana international was linked with a move on transfer deadline day, as Tottenham and Marseille reportedly expressed an interest, but nothing materialised.
However, because the transfer market remains open in Turkey until Monday evening, any player could still leave the Premier League to play there.
And Galatasaray are understood to be interested in the 25-year-old who joined Sunderland just over 12 months ago.
Speaking exclusively to skysports.com, Gyan insists that he is not thinking about a move as he is with Ghana in London ahead of their friendly clash with Brazil on Monday evening.
Asked about Galatasaray's interest, he said: "I heard the news like everyone, before I came to England, there was a transfer bid from a Turkish club and I choose to come here.
"I am flattered by their interest but like I said it is up to Sunderland.
"I am at Sunderland, if they accept a bid from any club, I will have to speak to that club, as you know I am preparing for a game against Brazil and not thinking about any transfer."

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Lukas Jutkiewicz: Backed by Thorn
THORN: JUTKIEWICZ'S TIME WILL COME

Coventry striker Lukas Jutkiewicz will soon be a Premier League player, according to his manager Andy Thorn.
Thorn brought the 22-year-old to the Ricoh Arena from Everton in July 2010, and after managing to keep hold of the player in the transfer window, Thorn has tipped Jutkiewicz to soon be playing in the top flight, hopefully with the Sky Blues.
Thorn told the Coventry Telegraph: "I brought Juke to the club so I know how good he is and his time will come.
"He'll play in the Premiership one day, and hopefully that will be with us.
"I think the world of him because he's got loads of talent but I think the world of Coventry as well and that's why it was important to keep him in the window."

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Niklas Moisander: No PSV bid
MOISANDER UNHAPPY WITH AZ

AZ Alkmaar captain Niklas Moisander has hit out at the club's handling of a summer transfer bid from PSV Eindhoven - though he insists he is committed to the club.
Moisander remains at AZ despite being the subject of a reported three million euro bid from PSV this summer.
And, as the Finland international prepares to go into action against Holland in Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier, he voiced his frustration at his club's refusal to negotiate.
"I told AZ it was a unique opportunity for me," he told De Telegraaf.
"PSV made a good offer but the club said I was too important for that amount and they would not enter into discussions.
"An arbitration case was not an option for me. I thought about it very briefly but I decided not to for my team-mates, the fans and AZ. I had been made captain after all.
"I still think they should have let me go, I'm not happy with how it went. You never know as a player how many chances like this you will get.
"Despite AZ's promises to be more flexible next time, I blame (director of football) Earnest Stewart and (coach) Gertjan Verbeek for the transfer not succeeding.
"'Blame' is perhaps not the right word. But I'm certainly not happy."

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Martin Allen: Keeps Cristian Montano
MONTANO EXTENDS MAGPIES DEAL

West Ham youngster Cristian Montano has extended his loan spell at Notts County for a second month.
The 19-year-old forward has scored twice in five appearances for the League One Magpies, including a stunning strike in Saturday's 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
County manager Martin Allen, a former Hammers favourite as a player, has now secured Montano's services until October 9.