Latest Transfer Update at 20-02-2012

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Ched Evans: Hoping to stay at Sheffield United

EVANS WANTS BLADES STAY


Sheffield United striker Ched Evans says he does not want to leave the club in the summer and is hoping to agree a new contract.
Evans' present deal expires at the end of the season and the 23-year-old is eager to help the Blades win promotion back to the Championship.
He scored a brace in Saturday's 2-1 home win over Preston, after earlier missing a penalty, to take his tally for the season to 21 goals in all competitions.
The former Manchester City youngster is enjoying playing for Danny Wilson's side and he is focused on staying at Bramall Lane.
"My contract is up at the end of the season and what happens then is out of my hands to a large extent," said Evans in The Sun.
"But I would really like to stay. There is no point in leaving somewhere when you are enjoying your football as much as I am.


"We are playing great football, scoring goals, we're second in the league and everyone is buzzing. It is a brilliant place to be. Everyone knows this is a huge club.
"I have also got so much respect for the gaffer Danny Wilson and I appreciate the faith he has in me.
"I am in the best form of my career and that is down to the manager, the kind of football we play and the fact I have got players of great quality all around me."

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Dante: Bayern talk looks premature

GLADBACH KEEN TO KEEP DANTE

Borussia Monchengladbach have not given up hope of keeping Dante despite reports that the defender has agreed a move to Bayern Munich next season.
The Foals, who currently lie second in the Bundesliga, have already lost Marco Reus to Borussia Dortmund and Roman Neustadter to Schalke.
Dante, who has been a commanding figure in the club's transformation from relegation candidates to title challengers, is the latest to attract interest, but director of sport Max Eberl remains hopeful.


"I can report from our talks with Dante and his advisors and we have been in close contact for a long time now," he told Kicker magazine.
"We want to extend Dante's contract and we are heading in the right direction to achieve something big and therefore be able to offer Dante sporting potential.


"Dante is an important player in our side."
Gladbach are on course for a place in the Champions League next season with 10 points separating them from fifth-placed Werder Bremen with 12 games of the season remaining.
Dante's contract still has over two years left to run on it and he has made it clear that money does not play a role in his future planning.
"If it was only down to money, then I would move to Russia," he told the Express newspaper.
"I have good contacts over there. But now is not the time to talk about what happens in the summer."

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Demba Ba: Prolific form for Newcastle

SULLIVAN ISSUES TOON BA WARNING

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has warned Newcastle they could lose star striker Demba Ba for a pittance if they do not tie him to a new deal.
Sullivan knows from bitter experience just how painful that could prove after seeing the Senegal international leave Upton Park for nothing during the summer in the wake of the club's relegation from the Premier League.


Now he is predicting that the Magpies, for whom Ba has scored 16 goals so far this season, could suffer a similar fate if they do not address the issue of the much-publicised release-clause in his contract.
Speaking to the website West Ham Till I Die, Sullivan said: "I'm told he's got a £7million get-out at Newcastle and he gets half the money over that.
"They keep denying it, but I think you'll see in the summer he will leave Newcastle, or he'll get a monstrous rise to stay there.
"If they get about £4million, half will go to him, so if they sell him for £7million, they'll only net about three because they paid his agent £2million to get him out of here.
"Getting £3million is not bad, but for a player of his quality, it's not fantastic."
Ba joined the Hammers from German club Hoffenheim on a three-and-a-half-year deal in January last year after failing a medical at Stoke, with the Londoners agreeing to pay an appearance-related fee after an initial down-payment of 500,000 euros.
The club negotiated a clause under which his wages would be reduced by half if they were relegated, and he in turn secured an agreement that he could leave if they dropped out of the top flight.
Sullivan said: "It's one of those mistakes that happen, but it's probably one of the worst mistakes I have ever made in my life.
"It just didn't enter our heads. It didn't enter anybody's head that he'd score enough goals that we'd want to give him £40k a week and his old club £15-20k an appearance and we'd still be relegated.


"In reality, that's exactly what happened. The agent just threw it in at the last minute.
"He said, 'Obviously if his salary is cut by 50%, you've got to let him walk'. We thought, 'Okay, if we get relegated, do we really want a £40k-a-week striker in the Championship?'.
"Well, we would have because he was devastating. If he was with us now and his knee had held up - because remember, he did have a very, very bad knee - I think we'd be 15 points clear, I really do.
"He'd be cutting through those defences. You live and you learn."
Ba, who scored seven times in 12 league appearances for the Hammers, has been a huge hit on Tyneside.
After a slow start to his career in the north-east - manager Alan Pardew put that down to the effects of his observance of Ramadan - he announced himself in style with a hat-trick against Blackburn in September and has never looked back since.


He departed for the African Nations Cup early last month having added a further 12 goals to his account and marked his return after a disastrous campaign for his country in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon with the opener in a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on February 5.
However in the meantime, talk of the release-clause had led to speculation that one of the Premier League's big boys could come calling, and that will inevitably resurface as the summer transfer window approaches.
Newcastle were relaxed at the time and with Ba having insisted since his return that he is happy at the club, which signed international team-mate Papiss Cisse last month, they will hope they can fend off any interest.
However, it would be no surprise if there was an attempt to renegotiate his contract in an effort to take the uncertainty out of the situation.

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Sir Alex Ferguson: No immediate plans to retire

FERGUSON WANTS FINAL FLOURISH

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson feels he has another two or three years left in the job but would only retire on the back of a success.
The 70-year-old Scot had been due to step down a decade ago but has justified his change of heart by winning five more Premier League titles to complement the seven he already had and adding a second Champions League triumph.


He has also won the FA Cup and three League Cups during that time and although he knows the end is approaching he is determined to end on a high.
"I think you always want to go out on a winning note," said Ferguson.
"Hopefully we can do that. I don't know how long I can last now but if my health stays up I don't think another two or three years would harm me any."
And, while he insists there is no other role for him directly involved in football after he leaves his Old Trafford post, he has no plans to fade into the background.
"I would definitely finish - but I would remain active," he added.
"I think there would be a role at United after I finish."


In a lengthy interview with Radio 5, Ferguson reflects on many aspects of his life and career.
The United boss revealed he missed out on the chance to sign Joe Hart, leading the way in clean sheets this season for title rivals and near-neighbours Manchester City and now England's first-choice goalkeeper.
And he believes the 24-year-old is set to enjoy a lengthy spell as the national team's number one.
"I could have bought Joe Hart for £100,000 so we all make mistakes," he admitted.
"I've no doubt [Hart will be England goalkeeper for the next 10 years].
"If you look at the England goalkeeper situation for the last 20 years, I would think he's easily the best."

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Drogba: No Chelsea revolt

DROGBA DISMISSES TALK OF REVOLT

Didier Drogba rubbished suggestions he had sought to undermine Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas by giving a half-time teamtalk during the club's FA Cup clash with Birmingham.
The aftermath of Saturday's 1-1 fifth-round draw saw Blues boss Villas-Boas react furiously to the insinuation star striker Drogba had circumvented his authority before coming off the bench at Stamford Bridge.
Drogba sought to clarify the matter ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League game at Napoli, explaining he was merely delivering a pep talk in the tunnel on top of Villas-Boas' usual half-time duties.
The 33-year-old, who is set for a recall in Italy, said: "I want to make things clear - the manager made a speech at half-time, and after that, I think he's got some leaders in the team, in the squad. We're here to help him.
"We were just trying to bring the team up. We did what the manager wanted us to do and tried to apply what he was saying. Nothing more.
"People are making a big thing out of nothing."
Villas-Boas' post-match eruption was not surprising considering he had admitted two days earlier that some of his players no longer backed his project.
Previous Chelsea managers have cited player power as being partly behind their sackings but Drogba insisted the squad took collective responsibility for results.


He said: "Chelsea Football Club is responsible for the results, and I think we all have to play our game. The players have to play their game."
Drogba admitted he and his team-mates could feel nobody else believed in them amid what is their worst campaign since the Ivorian joined the club.
But he was adamant Chelsea could turn things around in a difficult Champions League game, just as they did three months ago.
Tuesday's last-16 first leg may be their first official knockout European tie of the season but Chelsea have already faced one do-or-die clash, December's final Group E game against Valencia.
Drogba inspired them to victory that day in what was his and the club's best performance under Villas-Boas.
He said: "We've been in a difficult situation the last few weeks, few months, but in the past we always found the strength to play these games and to win them.
"Like when we were in trouble against Valencia but won the game and qualified.
"Tomorrow we have to do a good game, a big game, and make a good result because there's a second leg at Stamford Bridge."
He added: "I think we can feel that nobody really believes in us.
"We are used to this competition and, tomorrow, we're going to have to show we deserve to be here.
"This is a cup game and, tomorrow, we are going to have to get a good result.
"We'll have to be clever tomorrow and we're going to do what the manager is going to ask us to do.
"Like always, of course!"