Transfer Update at 27-01-2012

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Transfer Update at 27-01-2012

Christopher Samba: Wants to leave Blackburn

VENKY'S BLASTED BY SAMBA

Blackburn defender Christopher Samba has hit out at Indian owners Venky's, claiming they "don't understand" English football, as he continues to push for a move away from Ewood Park.
Samba requested a transfer earlier this month, claiming he had "given 100 per cent" to the club for five years and that "now is the right time for me to pursue a new challenge".
A move has so far failed to materialise, despite an offer from QPR and reported interest from Tottenham, and Samba has called on Venky's to grant him his desired move.
He told The Sun: "I signed a new deal last January because Venky's told me they had big plans. Names like Ronaldinho were mentioned and they promised there was going to be a lot of investment in the team. It hasn't happened.
"They don't understand football in this country and they don't realise how much I've given to Blackburn and that they have broken promises they have made. I stayed because I believed them but they weren't honest with me and now I know I made the wrong decision.
"I share the frustration of the fans who must have believed the owners too."
The Congo international also claims the fee being sought for his services, a reported £15million, is unreasonable.
"I'm not a £15million player," he said. "Blackburn only signed me for £400,000 from Hertha Berlin and if they get £7million now then that's very good business.
"I've got nothing against the manager (Steve Kean). It's not like he's been given £100million to spend, he's trying to do the best he can with what he has.
"This is between me and the owners. It's personal."

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Roy Carroll: Greek move

CARROLL JOINS OLYMPIACOS

Olympiacos have signed former Northern Ireland goalkeeper Roy Carroll on an 18-month contract, the Greek champions have announced.
The 34-year-old Carroll counts the likes of Manchester United, Wigan, West Ham and Hull City among his former clubs in England while in recent years he has played in Denmark for Odense and OFI Crete in Greece.
Carroll told the club's official website: "I'm very happy to have joined such a club. It's a real honour to be part of Olympiacos, Greece's greatest team. I will do my best in order to contribute and help our squad accomplish its goals.
"I'm really looking forward to the Europa League games and my own comeback to European competition.
"I'm hoping that next year we will be playing in the Champions League, because everybody wants to play at the top level. In order to be able to do so, however, we must first win the championship."

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Tim Ream (l) is welcomed to Bolton by boss Owen Coyle

REAM UNFAZED BY CAHILL COMPARISONS

Tim Ream knows comparisons with Gary Cahill are inevitable but he is determined to prove a success in his own right after moving from New York Red Bulls to Bolton.
The deal was wrapped up on Thursday after the United States international defender was granted a work permit, with Ream signing for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
Cahill's switch to Chelsea was finally completed last week, leaving big boots to fill after an impressive four-year spell at the Reebok Stadium that saw the central defender establish himself in the England squad.
Ream said: "Whenever you sell a player and bring another player in of the same position, you're going to have that comparison. People are going to say, 'he's not this, he doesn't do this as well as Gary', but you've just got to take it and roll with it.
"Everybody's their own player so I just have to do what I'm good at and hopefully everybody will like me."
The 24-year-old will have to wait for his debut as he must return to the States to tie up the last of the paperwork.
That is almost certain to mean Ream will be unavailable not just for Saturday's FA Cup clash with Swansea but also Wednesday's Barclays Premier League meeting with Arsenal and his former Red Bulls team-mate Thierry Henry.
"I'm hoping to be back either late Wednesday night or early Thursday and hopefully be available for the following weekend (against Norwich)," said Ream.
"When all this started really getting serious and we were looking at time-frames I was looking at the Arsenal game and thinking how incredible it would be to go up against Thierry."
Ream has been hugely impressed by the Frenchman's talents, and he added: "I don't think his qualities will ever diminish no matter how old he is, which is scary to say. He is unbelievable."
While Henry could be involved in the Champions League during his loan spell with Arsenal, Ream finds himself mired in a battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
But the defender was impressed by his new team's performance in last weekend's 3-1 win over Liverpool and hopes his experience of playing the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham with Red Bulls will stand him in good stead.
"It was a great game," said Ream of the Liverpool win. "All the guys put in a great shift. If everybody can do that the rest of the year then we'll have no problems staying up.
"I think I'm still probably a week away but I've been here for a couple of weeks training hard and, with the games I've played against Premier League teams, I think I have a pretty good feel.
"It's a huge challenge, the pace is quicker and it's more physical, there's quality players all over the field. It's a challenge but it's something that I'm ready for."

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Stuart Duff: Dunfermline transfer target

McINTYRE EYEING TRANSFER BOOST

Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre is hoping the club's board can make funds available to allow him to sign experienced midfielder Stuart Duff.
Former Dundee United, Aberdeen and Inverness player Duff has been training with the Pars following a recent spell in Malta with Qormi.
McIntyre is desperate to enhance his squad as the Fife outfit look to move off the foot of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
Dunfermline have already signed goalkeeper Iain Turner on loan from Preston and midfielder Mark Kerr.
McIntyre, whose side travel to Aberdeen on Saturday and are one point adrift of Hibs at the bottom, said: "Stuart Duff has just returned from Malta and we've offered him training facilities.
"He's a player I would like to sign but right now we don't have money for that. And until money is made available, we'll just need to wait and see.
"We're still talking about what funds may be made available. That's probably the most diplomatic way of putting it."
Dunfermline fell to defeat to 10-man Motherwell on Tuesday, just days after winning at Kilmarnock, but McIntyre reckons his team were suffering from fatigue at Fir Park after a recent extra-time loss to Inverness in the William Hill Scottish Cup.
He added: "We've had a lot of minutes lately. It was a really heavy pitch last Saturday (against Kilmarnock) and we had 120 minutes the week before in the cup.
"The starting 11, who have played the most over the past weeks, have had a recovery session to get the lactic acid out of the legs."

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Jim Goodwin: Staying at St Mirren

LENNON DELIGHT AT GOODWIN DECISION

Danny Lennon believes keeping Jim Goodwin at St Mirren is testament to the type of club he is trying to build in Paisley.
It was thought likely that the Buddies skipper, 30, would sign a pre-contract with Hibernian after speaking to Hibs boss Pat Fenlon.
However, St Mirren boss Lennon was "delighted" to reveal on Thursday that the Irishman had signed a new contract which will take him up until at least the end of season 2013/14.
"Jim has a big part to play in what we are trying to build at this football club," Lennon said.
"It was very flattering for him that a club of Hibernian's stature comes looking for his service.
"We try to compete as best we can with the other clubs and I think it is a credit to everyone involved at St Mirren, from the fans to the directors to the staff and players here, that that type of player has chosen to stay."
Goodwin said that he had ignored most of the advice given to him out of a sense of "loyalty" to both St Mirren and Lennon, who signed him from Hamilton a year ago.
"I think everyone had written me off at St Mirren," he said.
"I was never that close to leaving to be honest. Hibs had expressed an interest and out of respect for Pat Fenlon and Hibs it was right that I spoke to them and heard what they had to say.
"But when I sat down and had a moment to myself I thought I was giving up an awful lot here, in terms of relationships, the captaincy and what we are trying to do.
"I enjoy going to work every day. I enjoy the training sessions because they are football daft here.
"St Mirren play the way I want to play and that was a huge factor in my decision.
"So I am looking forward to the rest of the season and the next couple of years."
Meanwhile, there was bad news on the injury front for St Mirren after midfielder Kenny McLean was ruled out for six weeks after breaking his collar bone.
The Scotland Under-21 cap, who has been one of Lennon's best players this season, sustained the injury in a training collision.
"It was just an accidental collision with one of the young players," the 20-year-old said.
"The physio took me to hospital and the X-ray showed that I had a broken collar bone.
"I will be out for six weeks but these things happen and you just need to get on with it.
"I can't do anything for a week or two until the sling comes off then we will see if I can do some jogging. But hopefully I will be back soon enough."

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Ian Ayre: Says Liverpool have money to spend

AYRE: REDS HAVE MONEY TO SPEND

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre insists the club have money to spend in the transfer window, but that they are happy with their current squad.
The Reds have been linked with a number of names during this month's transfer window with Kenny Dalglish thought to be in the market for striking reinforcements to help solve the club's goalscoring problems.
Ayre is adamant the club's American owners are prepared to back Dalglish in the transfer market, but insists they will not rush into any signings.
"Money is not an issue," Ayre told Sky Sports News. "If we need somebody and there's a player I think our owners have shown the level of commitment you would expect from a good ownership group that the manager will get supported whatever he needs.
"But that's not the same as saying we will just go spend money because we have got it or just because we can.
"It is about the long-term plan of where they want the squad and where they want the team to be, that's not about any particular transfer window it's about continuing to improve.
"If an opportunity presents itself I am sure we will look at it, but right now it's about keeping going and improving and getting the best out of what we have got.
"We have got some great players in a great squad of players and they are focused on pushing that forward."

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Brendan Rodgers: Staying at Swansea

RODGERS SET TO SIGN NEW SWANS DEAL

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has agreed in principle to a new three-year contract with the Barclays Premier League club and expects to put pen to paper in the coming days.
The Northern Irishman has operated on a one-year rolling contract since moving to the Liberty Stadium in the summer of 2010.
He guided the Welsh club to the top flight and has overseen an impressive start to life in the Premier League with the club lying 13th in table, leading chairman Huw Jenkins to look to tie the former Reading and Watford manager to a longer-term contract, and Rodgers revealed the deal to keep him in south Wales until 2015 is as good as done.
He said: "I spoke with the chairman today and we have agreed everything in principle, we just need to draft up the paperwork and be presented with it over the weekend, then it will be signed and done and that will be fantastic.
"It was clear to me I wanted to be here. There was very little to discuss and I will be proud to move forward with the project.
"Ultimately my job is to make Swansea a sustainable Premier League club, that's the challenge.
"It looked a massive challenge to get promoted, but since then we have shown we can compete at this level, although we are riding high and playing well the objective is to stay in the league, that would be monumental and give the club more money to invest in the team.
"But the goal is firstly to make Swansea sustainable and you can obviously build from that."
Rodgers and Swansea's next Premier League fixture sees Chelsea visit the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday, but before then they travel to face Bolton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Rodgers will include Alan Tate in his squad for the first time since the defender broke his leg in a golf buggy accident in August.
The 29-year-old has made three appearances for the reserves after completing his recovery a month ahead of schedule.
And Rodgers said: "He is working very well, he has been out for a long time, but he is a wonderful pro and I have no doubt he will come into the squad this weekend.
"He was outstanding last season and was just unfortunate that he had the freak accident.
"It was a long road back for him and to be out that long was tough, but he dealt with it well and it's a credit to him and the medical team that he is back in contention earlier than expected."
On-loan Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran is set to make his first start as he will not be available to face his parent club on Tuesday.
But Swansea will be without on-loan centre-half Steven Caulker after Tottenham asked that the defender be left out of the trip to the Trotters in order to avoid being cup-tied.
Tottenham have until the end of January to recall the 19-year-old, and have requested that Swansea err on the side of caution in the unlikely event that they should need to take him back to White Hart Lane early.
Rodgers said: "If we get through and he is still here then he will be able to play for us in the FA Cup.
"We have to respect he is a Tottenham player, as much as we may not agree and want him to play, he is their player.
"I have spoken to (Tottenham assistant manager) Kevin Bond and (coach) Tim Sherwood at length.
"They know we don't want to lose him but you have to look after your own club, and though they have centre-halves available you never know.
"Just like in our situation here, we have players that want to go out and play games, but I have to look after Swansea and Harry (Redknapp) and his staff have to look after Tottenham."

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Kevin de Bruyne: Heavily linked with Chelsea

DE BRUYNE CHASE 'CLUB POLICY' - AVB

Andre Villas-Boas says Chelsea's pursuit of Kevin de Bruyne is down to "club policy".
The Blues were this week on the brink of completing the signing of 20-year-old Genk winger De Bruyne, who they have been linked with for several months.
But manager Villas-Boas revealed on Friday afternoon the decision to fork out a reported £8million for the player had come from above.
"You have to speak to the people from the club about that," he said.
"It's club policy. It's not within my immediate projects.
"He's a player the club has scouted for some time. I'm a manager who respects club policy."
It has long been assumed Chelsea bosses have not had full control over transfers since Roman Abramovich bought the club.
The likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Alex and even Fernando Torres were all said to be Abramovich buys.
But while his predecessors have tiptoed around the subject - sometimes describing such signings as 'joint decisions' - Villas-Boas is the first to explicitly distance himself from a new arrival.
He added of De Bruyne, who is expected to be loaned back to Genk should he sign before the transfer window closes: "A club has to look to the future, whether it's with this manager or another. He's a good bet for the future."
Someone who has the potential to improve their current squad is Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian, who Chelsea had a £16.7million bid rejected for this week - according to the Ukrainian champions.
Villas-Boas ruled out resurrecting a move for the Brazilian before the transfer window closes, even if Shakhtar lower their demands.
"It's an extremely interesting player, but I don't think we'll progress with our interest," he said.
"Different issues, from work permit to price valuation. Our project next year is more important than the 'actual project' at the moment.
"We're betting a lot on what we can build on for next year."
Villas-Boas claimed Chelsea were being priced out of the January market.
He said: "Regarding the forwards, we looked at the options but the problem, in that sense, was that there are clubs asking for a lot of money and there's not a lot of money around, in society or in football clubs.
"We have to take responsibility in making correct market judgements and buying accordingly.
"We have to understand that the January market is extra inflated. You have to take that into account."
Villas-Boas denied Chelsea were looking to sell Jose Bosingwa, insisting they still planned to activate a clause in the right-back's contract that would keep him at the club until 2014.
But he did unequivocally rule the Blues out of the Barclays Premier League title race, with the gap to leaders Manchester City now 13 points.
"It's absolutely impossible in the Premier League," he said, admitting he had long written off the championship.
"The distance is massive and we don't expect this record-breaking leader to lose points.
"We have to find the consistency to get the best position in the league possible.
"The FA Cup and the Champions League, they're trophies we will try to win and hope to win."
Defeat at QPR on Saturday would end Chelsea's involvement in the former competition but Villas-Boas played down the consequences of such a result.
He added: "It's one of the most prestigious trophies around, and the second most important domestic trophy - the one with the biggest tradition.
"We want to go as far as we can and try to win the trophy."
With Frank Lampard injured and also a doubt for Tuesday's league game at Swansea, Michael Essien could make his first start of the season.
Villas-Boas confirmed Gary Cahill would also make his debut, probably from the bench, while there could be other changes with the midweek match in mind.

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Alex: Has joined PSG

ALEX JOINS PSG FROM CHELSEA

Brazilian defender Alex has been presented as a Paris St Germain player in the French capital to indicate his move from Chelsea is complete.
PSG sporting director Leonardo joined Alex in addressing the media in a press conference broadcast live by PSG TV.
The 29-year-old joined Chelsea in 2004 but has struggled for first-team football under Andre Villas-Boas this season and has now been reunited with former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti.
French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported that the transfer fee was 5million euros (£4.18million).

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Mark Hughes: Keen for more recruits

HUGHES EYES MORE SIGNINGS

Mark Hughes wants more new faces at QPR before the transfer window shuts next week.
The Welshman replaced Neil Warnock at the Loftus Road helm earlier this month and has made no secret of his intention to bring in reinforcements.
AC Milan left-back Taye Taiwo and Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha were drafted in this week, but the Rs were thwarted in moves for Brazilian duo Alex and Henrique.
Hughes has been linked with a host of other players and hopes there is more business to be done, with some reports suggesting a move for Wigan's Hugo Rodallega could be on the cards.
"I think there was some talk of that," Hughes said when asked about the striker.
"As you can imagine there are a lot of conversations going on at the moment.
"Forward players, midfield players, defenders - that is what happens in the January window.
"In terms of concrete movement on things it really isn't worth discussing individual things until they put the kit on and start training with us.
"January is what it is and is a time when you have conversations with people in regards to the position of players at people's clubs.
"Sometimes those conversations are misinterpreted as strong interest."
Hughes was also questioned about interest in Tottenham midfielder Steven Pienaar and Wigan's Victor Moses to which he responded: "These are all names that get bandied about.
"If you looked at the list of all the players in my office we would be here for a long time."
One player Hughes confirmed an interest in is Mali international Samba Diakite.
It was revealed on Thursday that QPR are in talks to sign the Nancy defensive midfielder and Hughes hopes a deal can be thrashed out.
"We are hoping to progress that," he said. "He is a player I like and I think he will help us.
"We're hopeful that the conversations we're having will lead to something but nothing is confirmed as yet."
Another player Hughes has shown interest in previously is Blackburn centre-back Christopher Samba.
The former Rovers boss is reportedly keen to be reunited with the man he brought to English football.
Hughes was coy when asked about making another move for Samba, who again reiterated his desire to leave today.
"We expressed an interest and I think we actually put in a couple of bids, but that was two or three weeks ago," he said.
"Blackburn came out very strongly and said they didn't want to encourage anymore bids so that is where we left it.
"That situation seems to have come to a head between the player and his club.
"It is a shame as I obviously worked with Chris at Blackburn and I know them as a club and him as a player.
"It is a shame the relationship seems to have broken down, but it is their problem that they have to resolve."
Hughes' immediate concern is Saturday's much-publicised FA Cup fourth round tie with west London rivals Chelsea, which could see new signing Onuoha make his Rs debut.
"Nedum has trained on a couple of occasions now and obviously we're delighted to have him here," Hughes said.
"He is a player I have worked with before and knew about all the qualities that he would bring to the club.
"He just wants to get his career back on track. He is a young man who has got great potential and great ability.
"I feel and he feels this is the best place for him now."
While Onuoha could feature, fellow newboy Taiwo is one of several key players missing as he waits for his work permit to be rubber-stamped.
"He was in the building on Tuesday but then had to go to get his work permit stamped," Hughes added.
"That has not been confirmed as yet and I think he is stood outside an embassy as we speak.
"It is taking a little bit longer than we hoped and we hoped we could get an extension from the FA up to about an hour before the match tomorrow but it doesn't look like that is the case.
"They said there is a 12 o'clock cut off so he won't be available tomorrow."