Latest Transfer Update at 04-04-2012

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Latest Transfer Update at 04-04-2012

Maradona: Wants Aguero to join Madrid

MARADONA WANTS AGUERO AT REAL

Diego Maradona has backed the idea of Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero moving back to Spain with Real Madrid.
Recent weeks have seen the Spanish league leaders linked with a sensational summer move for the former Atletico man.
The Argentine was on Real's radar before he joined City and now they are said to be stepping up their interest again with fellow countryman Gonzalo Higuain linked as part of a potential swap deal.


Aguero himself was quick to deny the suggestions that he could leave City when Real were linked last month and Jose Mourinho hit out at the ongoing rumours during a press conference on Tuesday.
But Maradona's quotes have again stoked up the flames of speculation.
Speaking to Argentine radio station La Red, Maradona said of his son-in-law: "Kun has to play for Real Madrid.
"Even though he is flying at City, the best thing would have been to sign for Madrid. He made a mistake.


"Now, as he is doing so well, it will be difficult to get him from City. However, if Madrid want someone, they get them."
Maradona insists that Real will pay the money needed to land Aguero.
"(President) Florentino (Perez) has no limits. It's a question of convincing City - but not with money because they have plenty of that," he added.

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Jacob Mellis: Parted company with Chelsea

QPR TRIAL FOR JACOB MELLIS

QPR have handed a trial to Jacob Mellis, who recently parted company with Chelsea after setting off a smoke grenade at their training ground.
The midfielder, 21, played and scored in Rangers' 2-1 reserve defeat against West Ham on Tuesday.


Mellis, who spent last week training with npower Championship side Burnley, left Chelsea "by mutual consent" last month after admitting to the smoke-grenade prank.
Tuesday's friendly also witnessed the return of QPR strikers Heidar Helguson and DJ Campbell from injuries that have sidelined them for more than two months.

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Rod Petrie: Thanked Hyland for his contribution

FIFE HYLAND TO LEAVE HIBS

Hibernian have confirmed managing director Fife Hyland will leave the club at the end of the season.
Hyland - who joined the board in 2008 - informed chairman Rod Petrie last year of his intention to quit.
Scott Lindsay will return to the post of chief executive - which he previously held from 2008-2010 - and will take over responsibility for the commercial and communications operations from Hyland in the next few weeks.


Hibs have also announced the appointment of Brian Houston as a non-executive director.
Chairman Rod Petrie said: "I should like to thank Fife for the experience, flair and acumen he has brought to the club's commercial and communications operations.
"We understand his decision and wish him every success in the future. I am grateful too, that Scott Lindsay has agreed to return to his role as chief executive of the club."


Hyland said: "I have enjoyed the privilege of serving on the board over the past four seasons, and will deeply miss not being part of the club day-to-day and working with such dedicated people.
"Being commercial director, then managing director of Hibernian, was a true honour and the time is now right for me to move on to other projects.


"I'd like to thank both Rod and Scott in particular for their support and counsel, and the board and supporters of Hibernian for the opportunity to represent the club.
"I'll be fully committed to helping the team succeed to the end of the season."

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Steven Caulker: Has impressed at Swansea

RODGERS KEEN TO EXTEND CAULKER DEAL

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has spoken with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp over potentially bringing on-loan centre-half Steven Caulker back to the Liberty Stadium next season.
Caulker, 20, has made a big impression in south Wales, and has fitted in seamlessly to Swansea's style of play while also providing a robust presence alongside Ashley Williams in the centre of defence.


He has helped to keep eight clean sheets from his 19 Premier League appearances and Rodgers has tipped the England Under-21 international for a bright future.
The Northern Irishman has previously said he believes Tottenham are unlikely to sell the defender, but is hopeful he may get the chance to engineer another loan deal come the summer, depending on Spurs' plans for the player next term.
Rodgers said: "I spoke to Harry at length (following last weekend's 3-1 defeat at White Hart Lane), and just generally he understands Steven has had a fantastic season and it will be between now and the end of the season before they determine where he will go, it will depend on the club and where they are at.
"He has made a massive jump in his career through playing games here, and it's down to where they see him fitting in there next season.
"He will be going back to Tottenham for pre-season, it will then depend on whether he is seen as one who will be part of their squad, whether he is going to play or whether he needs more games.


"For me he is a young player, he is 20 years of age, who the more he can play the better he will become, and he will become a great asset for Tottenham I am sure.
"He could well come back on loan next season whether it will be here will be another question, but that will be nothing that will be answered until they bring him back in, have a look at the squad they have got and take it from there."
Rodgers has spent the last weekend fielding questions over his future after being linked with the Tottenham job should Redknapp be offered the chance to manage England.
But the 39-year-old, who signed a new three-and-a-half year contract in February, re-iterated that his only focus is on helping the 10th-placed Swans to finish an excellent maiden Premier League campaign on a high.


"It (speculation) is just a by product of the club's success," he said.
"I cannot sit here and say I will be here forever, whether it's through leaving or getting the sack.
"As much as I would love to be here for the longer period you never know what is around the corner but until then my only focus is on doing my best for Swansea, it's been a wonderful journey we are on and we want to continue that."
Swansea face Newcastle on Friday following back-to-back defeats against Everton and Tottenham.
The Welsh club have not lost three straight league games all season and Rodgers hopes the response against the Magpies will be similar to that when Swansea last suffered consecutive league defeats.


Those setbacks against Norwich and Stoke were followed by a run of three wins that launched Swansea into the top 10.
Rodgers said: "We have had two difficult games against Everton, who played very well, and we have been to White Hart Lane and given Tottenham a real game, and the game was in the balance until the final 10 minutes.
"We know we have seven tough games to go but we are motivated to finish as high as we can.
"What's most important to us are the points, we have never got too down when we lost games and we hope we can continue what we did last time we lost two games, when we won our next three."

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Salif Diao: Set to move on in the summer

SALIF DIAO SET FOR STOKE EXIT

Salif Diao is preparing to leave Stoke at the end of the season after five-and-a-half years at the club.
The 35-year-old midfielder has been offered a coaching role for next season by boss Tony Pulis but will instead look elsewhere for a new playing deal.
Diao, who has played 106 times for Stoke, told The Sentinel: "I had a discussion with the gaffer but it doesn't look like I will be offered a new contract as a player, so I will be looking to move.


"They offered me an assistant coaching role, or coaching the U21s next season. But I think it is too early, because I haven't earned my coaching badges yet.

"In my head, I want to carry on playing for one or two more years. Hopefully, I will get something somewhere else.


"The family are settled here, so the priority is to stay in England, but if I get an offer from abroad worth looking at, then I will check it out."
Diao is hoping to earn at least one last outing in a Stoke shirt, but is up to three weeks away from full fitness after minor knee surgery.

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Kenny Dalglish: Under pressure of late

EVANS WANTS FANS TO BACK DALGLISH

Former Liverpool boss Roy Evans has urged Reds fans to get behind Kenny Dalglish and his faltering team over the closing weeks of the season.
Defeat by Newcastle on Sunday made it six losses from seven Barclays Premier League matches and left Dalglish's side in eighth place, 16 points off the top four and 34 points behind leaders Manchester United.
Liverpool have already secured a Europa League spot courtesy of their Carling Cup triumph and are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, but their poor league form has seen Dalglish come under pressure for the first time since he returned to the hotseat.
Evans, manager between 1994 and 1998, told the Liverpool Echo: "You have to be positive. You have to stick together in times like this, from the players, to the manager, the backroom staff and the supporters.


"It is always a difficult time when you go through periods like this as a manager. Especially as, being manager of a club like Liverpool, you know what it means to the fans. They are suffering at the moment, and having a hard time of it.
"And they have every right to be critical. That is part of being a fan. But at the end of the day, Liverpool still have a chance of winning the FA Cup, to go alongside the Carling Cup.
"Kenny is not stupid, he knows that his team have not performed to their capabilities of late.
"The league position is not what anyone at the club wants it to be, make no mistake, but my message to the supporters would be to stick together, and try to stay behind the team for the rest of the season.


"Because the team, the players, the manager, they need fans' support at times like this."

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Manchester City have got their man

MAN CITY DEAL FOR ANDERLECHT STARLET

Anderlecht starlet Mathias Bossaerts has confirmed that he has agreed a move to Manchester City.
The 15-year-old Belgian has long been linked with a switch to City, who have been following him for a number of years.
Now the highly-rated central defender has agreed a four-year deal with Roberto Mancini's men and will move to England this summer.
Manchester United and Liverpool were also understood to be keen, but he has now pledged his future to City.
"Manchester City has been following me for almost three years," he told Het Nieuwsblad.



"I always shunned them, but their scouts kept watching me and continued to follow me.
"Eventually I agreed a deal with them after extensive consultation between my agents and my parents.
"In July I move to Manchester, where I have already found a house for my family to live with me. It is important for my development that my mum and dad stay close to me."

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Steven Whittaker: Hoping to see out career at Ibrox

UNCERTAIN FUTURE FOR WHITTAKER

Steven Whittaker would relish the opportunity to end his playing career at Rangers, but admits he does not know if that will be possible.
The full-back penned a new year-five contract last summer but is among those to have taken a sizeable wage cut following their entry into administration.
With all at Ibrox now facing an uncertain future, any number of players could head for the exits when the transfer window reopens.
Whittaker would rather not be part of a mass exodus from Rangers, but concedes that he may be left with no choice.
"I could have gone elsewhere last summer or run down the last year of my contract but I want to play for Rangers," he told the Daily Record.
"I was delighted with the contract that takes me to my 32nd birthday. My thinking was if they then offered me another deal I'd finish my career at Ibrox.


"Now? I just don't know. Nobody knows and the uncertainty is the most unsettling aspect."
Whittaker added: "None of us know what is going to happen in the summer.
"There's a real bond between us. The core of the squad has been there since Walter Smith came in and we've been successful. We've won championships and cups and got to a UEFA Cup final.
"It has been an amazing time but now we have had different things thrown at us. We agreed the wage cuts for the three months until the end of the season but after that we don't know what will happen.
"It's going to be a big summer for us all."

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Mario Gomez: Happy to stay put

MARIO GOMEZ COMMITS TO BAYERN

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has extended his contract with the Bundesliga club until 2016.
The Germany international, who has scored 37 goals in 42 games this season, put pen to paper on a new contract the day after Bayern qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League, and he said he is looking forward to a bright future in Bavaria.
"I have always said that FC Bayern are a fantastic club and I am happy here," he told the club's website.


"I see the best sporting prospects here and so I am delighted that the new contract has now been signed.
"I am convinced that we are going to achieve a lot in the coming years and I want to make my contribution."
Gomez has already made a major contribution to Bayern's recent triumphs with 61 Bundesliga goals in only 88 appearances since arriving from Stuttgart in 2009.


He is on course to win the Bundesliga's golden boot award for the second year running with 23 goals, the same as Schalke striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, and Bayern are pleased to have one of Europe's best among their ranks.
"He has become one fo the best strikers in Europe in recent years," said Bayern's director of sport Christian Nerlinger.
"We are delighted that he is going to keep scoring his goals for FC Bayern.
"With this new contract for Mario and those with the other Germany internationals, we have now laid a long-standing foundation for the coming years at FC Bayern."

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Sebastian Giovinco: Barcelona target
BARCELONA WANT GIOVINCO - AGENT

Parma striker Sebastian Giovinco is a target of Barcelona, according to the player's agent.
The Italy international is part-owned by Juventus and has been strongly linked with a move away from Parma this summer.
"I know that Barcelona has followed Giovinco for some time," Giovinco's agent Antonio D'Amico told Sportal.it.
"That a club like Barcelona shows an interest in him gives us great pleasure.
"Giovinco is an important player, he is talented, technically gifted and it's normal that clubs are interested in him."
Giovinco has scored 10 goals in 28 league appearances for Parma this season.


"He is doing really well and he will play at Euro 2012," D'Amico said.
"As (Italy coach Cesare) Prandelli has stated, he is one of the most talented players in Italy and the European Championship will give him an opportunity to showcase his talent."