Latest Transfer Update at 29-01-2012

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Transfer Update at 29-01-2012

Jose Mourinho: Heading back to England?

JOSE MOURINHO LINKED WITH RETURN

Reports on Saturday night claimed Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho will return to the Premier League next season.
Although Real are seven points clear at the top of the Primera Division, Mourinho's position is by no means secure with controversy never far away ever since his move from Inter Milan in May 2010.
The 49-year-old has not managed to break Barcelona's dominance in matches between the two rivals while he has attracted negative headlines for a number of unsavoury episodes.
Last weekend he was booed and whistled by some Real fans responding to others chanting his name although he professed to be unconcerned.
Last month Real president Florentino Perez insisted the Portuguese was the man to usurp Barca, saying: "Signing Jose Mourinho has been my best decision as president of Real Madrid."
Over Christmas Mourinho reiterated his desire to return to England "in a couple of years" - although he later
clarified his comments, explaining he had not literally meant two years, but a few.
He insisted he wanted to see the fruit of his labour at the Bernabeu, saying: "I don't see the moment when I'm going to leave nor do I want to leave."
However, reports are claiming he will choose to leave Real and return England once the current season is over.
Mourinho spent a little over three years at Chelsea from June 2004, twice winning the league and league cup as well as the FA Cup before his sudden exit in September 2007.

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Carroll: Still wanted by Dalglish

DALGLISH WANTS CARROLL TO STAY

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists he is keen to continue working with striker Andy Carroll despite more suggestions the club have tried to offload their record signing.
Reports have claimed Manchester City turned down an approach from the Merseysiders about a potential swap deal with Carlos Tevez and the £35million England international.
That came on the back of speculation earlier this month - dismissed by Liverpool - that Newcastle were keen to take their former number nine back to the north-east if they could get a cut-price deal.
Liverpool have refused to comment on the story, insisting they never do on transfer speculation, but after Carroll played a part in both goals in Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup win over Manchester United Dalglish was quick to praise the striker, who has had a tough first 12 months for his new club.
"I thought Andy had a fantastic game," said the Scot.
"He works really hard and gave everything he's got for us.
"He has a lot of attributes for us to work on. I am sure that (performance) will do him no harm whatsoever in terms of confidence.
"The individual awards are all well and good but collectively we want to start showing an improvement and winning things and if we continue with that commitment we have a chance."
What a difference a week has made for Liverpool.
Last Saturday Dalglish openly criticised his players for the first time after a woeful 3-1 Barclays Premier League defeat at Bolton.
Since then they came from behind twice to draw with Manchester City and secure a place in the final of the Carling Cup and then dispatched their arch-rivals United out of another knockout competition on Saturday.
It has certainly lifted confidence levels at the club but with his side still not consistent enough in the league Dalglish will not be getting carried away.
He was, however, delighted with the response he got from his squad.
"We will have to wait and see what this week means for the season but it has got us in a Carling Cup final and the next round of the FA Cup," added the 60-year-old.
"It started badly for us at Bolton and it is fantastic credit to the players, and shows how much pride they take in the club, that they got themselves back on track as quickly as they did.
"They were two enormous games and coming out on the winning side twice - once on aggregate - deserves great credit.
"It has been a really difficult week for us. To play two good teams like City and United is even more of a task - we've had a good week.
"It is much better than it was last Saturday. It is fantastic for us to progress from a very difficult week."
All the pre-match talk had been about the behaviour of players and supporters as Patrice Evra returned to the ground for the first time since October's spat with Luis Suarez eventually resulted in the Uruguay international being banned for eight matches for racial abuse.
But the focus on Evra took a different shape as, with two minutes remaining, it was his error in getting caught out of position which allowed Carroll to flick on Jose Reina's goal-kick to Dirk Kuyt who fired past David de Gea.
Unusually for a match which still has the biggest rivalry in English football there were very few flashpoints on the pitch.
The main talking point before Kuyt's late winner was the performance of United goalkeeper De Gea, starting his first match of 2012, who was culpable for Liverpool's opener when he allowed himself to be crowded out at a corner - where Carroll played a major part - and Daniel Agger headed home.
Park Ji-sung equalised shortly before half-time, though, and it appeared the tie was drifting towards a replay neither side wanted until Kuyt struck only his second goal of the campaign.
The Holland international, whose only other strike came in the Carling Cup against Brighton on September 21, was rewarded for his persistence as despite losing his place in the team he has never been found wanting for determination and work-rate.
"As a professional you just need to keep going," said Kuyt.
"Sometimes things go very well and when things aren't going well you just need to keep working hard and that is what I did.
"I have the belief in myself but with the players around me supporting me we are all in it together.
"If you want to achieve things you have to do it together, it is not a one-man team."

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Diniyar Bilyaletdinov: Leaves Everton

BILYALETDINOV COMPLETES SPARTAK SWITCH

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov has completed his move to Spartak Moscow, leaving Everton for an undisclosed fee after two-and-a-half years on Merseyside.
The Toffees accepted a bid for the 26-year-old Russia winger on Wednesday and he had travelled to his homeland to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
He made 77 appearances for Everton, scoring nine goals, but failed to make himself a regular starter for David Moyes' side.
Moyes admitted the signing of Bilyaletdinov, who had made only seven starts this season, had not quite worked out as he had hoped.
"He was a great boy to work with, a really good professional," he told the club's website. "When he played he was totally committed and he did everything he could to succeed. We wish him well. It just didn't quite work and obviously we've decided to sell.
"It happens. You could probably ask every manager in the Premier League about players and I can think of some clubs you could ask about a lot of players but, yes, Bily's been in here and not quite reached what we wanted.
"But I couldn't fault anything that he did - he is a good lad."

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Pawel Brozek: Set for Celtic move

CELTIC SET TO SIGN BROZEK

Celtic appear to have beaten rivals Rangers in the race to sign Pawel Brozek after the Polish striker claimed he had agreed a move to Parkhead.
Ibrox boss Ally McCoist had considered making a move for Brozek to join the Scottish champions on loan from Turkish club Trabzonspor.
But Brozek looks set for a move to their Old Firm rivals instead.
He was quoted in the Sunday Mail saying: "This is a great move and I can't wait to get started.
"I have been told plenty about Celtic from my former team-mate Maciej Zurawski and Lukasz Zaluska.
"Lukasz will welcome me when I arrive. They have both made me aware of the club's great history, the atmosphere inside the stadium and the passionate supporters.
"Celtic showed more determination than any other club to sign me and now I want to repay their faith."

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Wilfried Zaha: Target for Bolton

BOLTON CHASING ZAHA DEAL

Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has confirmed his interest in Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha as he looks to boost his squad before the transfer window closes.
Coyle has money to spend in Bolton's bid for Premier League survival after selling Gary Cahill to Chelsea and has already signed USA international Tim Ream.
Sky Sports< revealed on Friday that the Trotters had made an approach for Zaha, who has been linked with a string of Premier League clubs in the past.
Speaking after Bolton's 2-1 FA Cup win over Swansea City on Saturday, Coyle acknowledged that the 19-year-old is the type of player who could improve his squad.
"I think there's players out there, and Zaha is certainly one of them, that I think would enhance our club for years to come on a permanent basis, and there are one or two on a loan capacity I'd love to bring in before the deadline on Tuesday," said Coyle.
"If it transpires then great, but it won't stop me targeting good, young players to bring to this football club that I think I can develop and make better, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Zaha only signed a new five-and-a-half year contract at Selhurst Park in December and Palace boss Dougie Freedman is determined not to sell during the transfer window.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United have also been mooted as admirers of Zaha, but Bolton are reportedly ready to pay £5million to secure his signature.

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Kevin Doyle: Being linked with Everton

EVERTON LINKED WITH DOYLE SWOOP

Sky Sports sources understand Everton are weighing up a shock move to sign Wolves striker Kevin Doyle before the close of the transfer window.
Doyle is no longer first choice at Molineux due to the impressive form of Steven Fletcher this season and has started only one of the last six Premier League matches.
The Republic of Ireland international has also scored just twice in the League this term and has been linked with a January move away.
He was mooted as a target for Everton last summer, but Wolves boss Mick McCarthy insisted the 28-year-old was not for sale.
The Toffees were also rumoured to be interested in signing Doyle from Reading before the forward joined Wolves in a big-money deal in 2009.
Everton boss David Moyes is keen to bring in a striker before Tuesday's transfer deadline, with his side having scored 22 goals in as many league games this season.

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Ryan Stevenson: Ipswich move

IPSWICH AGREE RYAN STEVENSON DEAL

Ipswich have agreed a deal to sign Hearts midfielder Ryan Stevenson.
Stevenson is set to sign an 18-month deal at Portman Road after Hearts accepted a fee in the region of £50,000 for the 27-year-old.
Stevenson has not played for Hearts since December due to a wage dispute at Tynecastle and the club rejected a bid from Crawley Town for his services.
Town boss Paul Jewell has moved to bring in the former Ayr United man as he looks to bolster his squad before the close of the transfer window and Stevenson is delighted to make the move to Ipswich
"I had a few other teams interested but when a club of the statue of Ipswich comes in for you, you take it," Stevenson told the club's official website.
"It's a massive opportunity for me, too big to turn down and I can't wait to get going.
"I'm looking forward to training with the lads tomorrow and I want to hit the ground running, impress the manager and force my way into the side.
"Playing in England has always been a big ambition of mine and to have a chance of playing for such a big club and alongside so many top players is fantastic."

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O'Neill: Could try to sign Davies

O'NEILL CONFIRMS INTEREST IN DAVIES

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has confirmed his interest in Bolton striker Kevin Davies.
Wanderers boss Owen Coyle had earlier revealed the Black Cats had made an enquiry over the 34-year-old, whose current contract expires at the end of the season.
Sunderland are yet to make a formal offer, but O'Neill admitted he could firm up his interest during the remaining two days of the winter transfer window after Sunday afternoon's 1-1 FA Cup fourth round draw with Middlesbrough.
O'Neill said: "I did make an enquiry and Owen would obviously want to try to keep him.
"I may well follow that up tomorrow morning."
Sunderland's need is pressing with loan signing Nicklas Bendtner expected to be out of action until the middle of next month with a broken nose.
However, Fraizer Campbell eased their worries to a degree when he scored against the Teessiders on his return to senior action after 17 months on the sidelines following two serious knee injuries.
Bolton are understood to be unwilling to agree a loan deal, but could be persuaded to part with their experienced frontman for around £500,000.

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Nikica Jelavic: Attracting interest

EVERTON IN BID FOR JELAVIC - REPORT

Everton have reportedly made an offer to sign Rangers' in-demand striker Nikica Jelavic.
Everton boss David Moyes is eager to boost his attacking options before the close of the transfer window and has been linked with Wolves forward Kevin Doyle.
He is also a fan of Jelavic and Sky Sports sources understand he's now launched a raid for the Croatia international ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline.
Jelavic missed Rangers' 4-0 win over Hibernian on Saturday through illness after attracting interest from West Ham United earlier in the transfer window.
The 26-year-old has also been linked with Everton's local rivals Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers, as Gers boss Ally McCoist seeks to hang on to his leading scorer.
McCoist revealed before the weekend that he was hopeful of keeping Jelavic at Ibrox, but subsequently commented that the victory over Hibs proved Rangers could cope without him.
However, Everton are now in pole position to snap up Jelavic and are locked in talks with Rangers in the hope of finalising an agreement before the window shuts.
Sources close to the player say that Jelavic is eager to move to the English Premier League and it would be a dream come true to play in the division.
Everton have money to improve their squad after selling Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to Spartak Moscow for an undisclosed fee.

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Alan Smith: Joins MK Dons on loan

ALAN SMITH MAKES DONS LOAN MOVE

Alan Smith has joined MK Dons on loan from Newcastle for the rest of the season.
The 31-year-old former Leeds and Manchester United midfielder has made just two substitute appearances for the Magpies this season and has now joined the promotion-chasing npower League One club.
Newcastle confirmed in a statement that Smith would be available to make his debut when the Dons face Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night.
The loan arrangement also contains a provision for Smith to play for the Dons in the play-offs. They are currently fifth in the League One table.