Latest Transfer Update at 09-03-2012

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Redknapp: Denies being offered a new deal

HARRY REDKNAPP DENIES CONTRACT OFFER

Harry Redknapp insists he has not been offered a new contract by Tottenham.
Redknapp is the odds-on favourite to become next England manager, but having transformed Tottenham from relegation candidates in to a side capable of challenging for the Barclays Premier League title, chairman Daniel Levy is keen to hang on to the 65-year-old.
Despite admitting the England job would be the "ultimate" for any manager, Redknapp concedes that it would be difficult to leave Spurs after bringing them so far since taking over in 2008.


His contract expires next year and reports have suggested that Levy had offered Redknapp a bumper new pay deal and a hefty transfer kitty this summer in an attempt to make him stay, but the former West Ham manager denied that today, saying: "That's not the case.
"I speak to Daniel every day and he wants me to stay, which is fantastic, but at the moment he has not made me a contract offer, and I haven't pushed for one either."
Tottenham have become frustrated at other top-fight managers tipping Redknapp to take over the England job and contacted the Premier League to ask them to intervene.
The Premier League responded by circulating a letter to all managers reminding them that they are not allowed to talk about the possibility of managers or players moving to another club while they are under contract.
Redknapp said he was unaware of the letter.


"I haven't received a letter, no. I haven't looked. Maybe there is one," he said.
It seems that Levy is not the only man keen on Redknapp snubbing England.
Cockney duo Chas and Dave written a song calling on the Spurs manager to remain at White Hart Lane and Redknapp is a big fan of the tune, which he plans to play on his 250-mile round trip from Dorset to Chigwell with assistant manager Kevin Bond.
"It sounds OK. I will get it in the car in the morning," Redknapp said with a smile.
"Kevin will be pleased with that one. I will put that on instead of Max Bygraves. I used to love Chas and Dave. They were great characters. It's my type of music - proper good old East End music."
Having kept pace with Manchester United and Manchester City for most of the campaign, Tottenham now find themselves 13 points off the summit and just four ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal.
Redknapp has always maintained his team are good enough to win the league but admits those dreams are over.
"Unless there is a miracle, you can't really see (Tottenham winning the league)," Redknapp said.
"It's not impossible if we go on a fantastic run, but if we are honest about it you would have to fancy the top two."
After successive defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United, Spurs face a big test of their top-four credentials when they take on David Moyes' Everton on Saturday.


The Scot has been mentioned as a possible successor to Redknapp if he leaves and the Spurs boss has no doubt that he could do the job.
"David could manage anywhere, there is no doubt about that," he said.
"I remember him being at Preston and doing a great job there. He has done a fantastic job at Everton as well."
Redknapp has a huge dilemma about who to play up front in tomorrow 's clash at Goodison Park, where they have not won since 2007.
Former Evertonian Louis Saha is in good form and has struck up a sound partnership with Emmanuel Adebayor, but Rafael van der Vaart is fit again and Jermain Defoe scored twice against Stevenage in midweek to take his tally to three in two games.
"Jermain was outstanding on Wednesday," Redknapp said.
"He has been unlucky but Louis has come in and got three goals and Adebayor came on the other night and changed the game. Rafa is back. It's a nice problem to have."


Redknapp insists Saha can play tomorrow despite Everton claiming a gentleman's agreement is in place that prevents the Frenchman lining up against the club he left in January.
"He is available. He is looking forward to going back there. He certainly wants to play."

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Roberto Di Matteo talks to the press on Friday.

DI MATTEO COMFORTABLE WITH PRESSURE

Roberto Di Matteo insists he can cope with the pressure of managing Chelsea under the gaze of owner Roman Abramovich.
Di Matteo, who took over as interim boss when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked last weekend, is the eighth manager at Stamford Bridge since Abramovich took over in 2004.
But as he looked forward to Saturday's match against Stoke when captain John Terry is likely to return to the starting line-up following knee surgery, Di Matteo said: "How am I going to cope? I will still get up in the morning. Have a coffee. Still have my lunch, my dinner, and get on with my life as normal.
"At any club, there's pressure to achieve certain targets. It's always there. Even if you're working at another club. If you can't handle it, don't want it, you shouldn't be in this job.
"We are in a results driven business. It's very simple. At any club where you work, you'll have targets and the pressure is there. Everywhere. That's the common aspect for any manager, in League One, League Two, Championship or Premier League."


Chelsea beat Birmingham to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals in midweek and Di Matteo revealed he had held talks with the big characters in Chelsea's dressing room, some of whom had a strained relationship with Villas-Boas.
Di Matteo was confident there was a winning mood among the squad.
He said: "I feel I have everyone on-side. I have spoken individually to all of them now over the five days. It's a team effort and we needed to get everybody pulling in the right direction.
"We've spoken now and everyone is together. They all know what the task is for the last two months of the season. They're all on board. You saw that in the reaction on Tuesday. We have to just carry this on until the end of the season.
"It's a collective responsibility when things are not going well. It touches everybody: management, players, everyone who works at the club."
Di Matteo insisted he would stick by Fernando Torres, the striker who has not scored for five months and 25 matches.


"He's a tremendous player, a fantastic guy too," Di Matteo said. "A team player who we value very much. He plays hard and tries hard; he had a great game on Tuesday and the only thing missing was a goal, but I don't really care about that. As long as the team win.
"It will come (for him). I'm sure you've had some bad moments in your life when things didn't go the way you wanted. It's part of life. He's fine."
Terry's return will bring solidity to the defence and Ashley Cole has also recovered from the heel injury he suffered against West Brom. In fact, Di Matteo reported a full squad available, which is paramount with the midweek Champions League second leg tie against Napoli coming up at Stamford Bridge.
Di Matteo said: "It's great for the team if he's (Terry) available because he's our leader, our skipper, and a very important player. Going forward with these very important games coming up, it's important I have everyone available. It's great news."


Asked whether he had ambitions to take the role on full-time, Di Matteo said: "I know you're going to ask me this question every time, but it's not important. The club will make their decision when the right time is for them. That's fine.
"There's a lot of speculation and it's not for me to comment on what's going to happen in the future. I have to win the game against Stoke.
"I have enough on my plate thinking about tomorrow. I want to try and keep it as simple as possible, trying to win the next game."
Di Matteo refused to comment on the exit of Villas-Boas and the reasons for Chelsea's struggling season. They lie fifth, three points behind Arsenal.
He said: "I don't want to spend time on that. I want to look to the future. I have two months here to achieve our aim and that's what I'm going to put my energy in. We can't change the past.
"I have to make sure the players are in the right frame of mind. That's what I have to do. We know we are fifth and we've made mistakes, but we're strong, we have a good team, and we want to show we are better than where we are at the moment."
Striker Didier Drogba rubbished suggestions managing Chelsea was an impossible job, telling the Premier League Show: "I don't think it is an impossible job.
"Most of the managers who came won a trophy. They all achieved something no matter how difficult it was."

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Bolo Zenden: Could join Blackburn

BLACKBURN EYE ZENDEN MOVE

Steve Kean is hopeful of adding Bolo Zenden to his Blackburn squad for the end-of-season run-in after meeting with the former Holland international this week.
Thirty-five-year-old Zenden, who lists the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool amongst his old clubs, has been a free agent since leaving Sunderland last summer.
Family matters meant the midfielder did not pursue an immediate move but, now that he is back on the market, Kean is eager to add him to a group of players desperately trying to pull away from the relegation zone.
"We spoke with Bolo when he came in, he had a look at us and had a look about the training ground. We spoke at length and I think it was important for him to understand where we wanted him to play," Kean said.


"He has a wealth of experience and if you look at our side at the moment, if it's not the youngest then it's one of the youngest in the Barclays Premier League, and Bolo brings a lot of experience.
"We've lost experience with some of the lads that have left the club, and if we can get him in that will be great. But he has a lot of offers, we hope he will consider ours and if we can move it forward, that will be great."
Zenden, who won 54 caps for his country and a Primera Division title with Barcelona, has been linked with moves to a number of Championship clubs, with Doncaster and Leeds among those mentioned.
Kean, though, hopes that with his family settled, Zenden will now opt to continue his record of having never played outside the top flight.
"He just wants to make sure the family side of things is okay as his wife has had a baby, and that's all moved on," he added ahead of Saturday's meeting with fellow relegation candidates Wolves.


"He's spent time with his new baby, he's ready to go, he's very fit, and from our point of view, he'd bring experience.
"He's only ever played at the top level, when he was at Marseille, Barcelona and so on.
"He's had plenty of offers to go a level down in this and other countries, but he wants to finish his career at the top end and that's important for him.
"We're confident we've made a good case for what we want to do, where he would fit in, play him and what the dynamic is. I'm sure he left much more positive that when he came and that was important from our point of view."

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Paul Murray: Rangers offer

MURRAY AND FANS JOIN WITH TICKETUS

Former director Paul Murray has confirmed that his Blue Knights consortium are finalising an offer for Rangers in partnership with supporters groups and Ticketus.
The London-based financial firm emerged as a surprise backer for the consortium, who are one of several interested parties holding talks with the club's administrators Duff and Phelps.
Ticketus also had a key role to play in current owner Craig Whyte's takeover of the Scottish champions last May.
A statement issued on behalf of the company on Friday confirmed: "The 'Blue Knights', led by Paul Murray, today confirm that they are finalising an offer for Rangers Football Club in partnership with fans' representatives (from the Rangers Supporters Assembly, the Rangers Supporters Association and the Rangers Supporters Trust) and Ticketus."
The consortium are aiming for a situation whereby Rangers can emerge from administration via a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) rather than see the club face the prospect of liquidation.
Administrators have already confirmed there is no realistic chance of European football next season because the club's finances would have to be in order by March 31 to gain a UEFA licence.


The Blue Knights want to avoid further exile from continental competition and are also determined to preserve the club's 140-year history - both of which mean avoiding liquidation.
The statement continued: "The members of the consortium are united in their belief that a collaborative approach is essential in securing the club's future through a CVA, thereby achieving a fair and fast resolution that will put the club on a secure financial footing.
"Through a CVA rather than liquidation, the club will benefit from being able to qualify for future European competition and access the significant revenues associated with this. Preserving this revenue stream, and the club's 140-year-old legacy, is paramount and in the best interests of all parties."
Murray said: "I believe that the Blue Knights, working in collaboration with the fans and Ticketus, are able to deliver an attractive solution that will see the club emerge from administration with a clear plan for the future that will bring the financial stability that the club needs.
"We firmly believe that a CVA is the best way forward and we are working hard to offer a solution that will enable this to happen.
"As the Administrators have stated, the alternative route of putting the club into liquidation is much less attractive for creditors, supporters and players, with its capacity to destroy value.
"Under current UEFA rules, a football club is banned from European competition for three years in the event of liquidation.
"Taking this route would have a significant impact on Rangers' future revenues and the overall financial viability of the club, so it is something we want to avoid."


Ticketus paid £24million last year to secure the right to sell the club's future season tickets, with part of the cash used by Whyte to complete his takeover.
Administrators confirmed money from the deal was used by Whyte to pay the club's £18million debt to Lloyds Banking Group when he purchased Sir David Murray's majority shareholding.
The revelation came several days after Rangers were forced to call in the administrators on February 14 over an unpaid tax bill of £9million accrued during Whyte's tenure.
A statement from Ticketus tonight read: "We believe that the Blue Knights understand very clearly what needs to be done to stabilise the club, and represent the most attractive long-term solution to Rangers' financial situation.
"We are therefore backing their bid and will be an active partner, contributing to a successful outcome.
"We believe working alongside the Blue Knights and fans' representatives offers the best chance of the club surviving and becoming a viable business."
The consortium say they are "confident that the club can achieve financial stability through appropriate restructuring and the appointment of a new and experienced board with a sensible business plan."
They will meet with administrators on Monday to discuss the proposed deal in detail and told Duff and Phelps today that they will be working together to buy the club out of the CVA process.

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Chris Hughton: Former Newcastle boss

LLAMBIAS: HUGHTON HAD TO GO

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias has revealed why former manager Chris Hughton lost his job.
The former Republic of Ireland international took over the reins, initially on a temporary basis, after the Magpies had slipped out of the Barclays Premier League at the end of the 2008-09 season, and steered them back into the big time as champions at the first attempt.
However, in December 2010 and to the fury of many fans, he was replaced by incumbent Alan Pardew.
Llambias told the Evening Chronicle: "Chris was a really good guy - look what he's doing with Birmingham. He's done an incredible job with a club in crisis, and he's pushed it through.


"He's got the skill factors. I wish him good luck for the future.
"We had a different view of where we wanted to be and what sort of character we needed to push this dressing room further.
"That was the decision. It wasn't a question of skill fits or somebody doing a bad job. We needed to kick on - that's what happened.
"Alan, we felt, had all the ingredients for what we needed for us personally."


That decision by Llambias and owner Mike Ashley has worked well for the club despite the ill-feeling it caused with the Magpies currently sitting in sixth place in the table and still in with a shout of European qualification.
However, Pardew was recruited in part because he would fight his own corner, and Llambias has revealed he does just that.
He said: "We fall out, don't worry! Then we have a little hug and we are OK again. If you are all lovey-dovey all the time, it just won't work."