Latest Transfer Update at 21-05-2012

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Latest Transfer Update at 21-05-2012

Frank de Boer: Wants to continue success at Ajax

DE BOER WON'T BE LIVERPOOL BOSS

Ajax boss Frank de Boer has ruled himself out of the running to take over as Liverpool manager, insisting he wants to stay in Amsterdam.
De Boer had been backed into second-favourite with some bookmakers as the Reds seek a successor to Kenny Dalglish, who was sacked after a disappointing season culminated in the Reds' worst league finish for 18 years.
But the 42-year-old Dutchman, who has guided Ajax to back-to-back Eredivisie titles, says he still has unfinished business in Amsterdam after taking over as coach in 2010.


"I am honoured by the request, but I am only just getting started with Ajax," De Boer told De Telegraaf.
"In Amsterdam we are on a new path and, along with the club and Wim Jonk and Dennis Bergkamp, my colleagues in the technical heart, I want to bring good things. That's why I will stay loyal to Ajax in the coming years."


De Boer's snub comes after Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers turned down an approach from Liverpool last week.
The Reds are thought to have several other candidates on their radar, including former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas and Wigan manager Roberto Martinez.

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Dimitar Berbatov: Looking for a move

BERBATOV: I HAVE TO LEAVE MAN UTD

Striker Dimitar Berbatov is resigned to leaving Manchester United.
The 31-year-old has had limited first-team opportunities over the last couple of seasons, and claims manager Sir Alex Ferguson did not make good on promises to give him more chances.
He told The Sun: "We talked 10 times, he told me there would be a place for me but I stayed on the bench.


"My time at Manchester United is running out. I no longer feel like a valuable part of this team.
"I think I did well in the few opportunities that I received.
"I am a little frustrated by the way this happened, I do not think I deserved it.
"But I have dignity and I stopped going to such meetings, it is clear that I'm leaving United. It's obvious that I have to leave.
"I'm looking for a new place now. I know I can still play at the highest level."

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Hazard: Expected to move to the Premier League

EDEN HAZARD YET TO DECIDE

Lille's Eden Hazard says he is still to decide which Premier League club he will join this summer.
The Belgian star signed off his Lille career in style with a stunning hat-trick as his side rounded off their Ligue 1 campaign with a 4-1 victory over Nancy on Sunday - and it was thought he would then reveal his likely destination this summer.
However, although Hazard admitted Chelsea had joined Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to sign him, he was giving little else away.


Speaking after the game, he told Canal+: "My agent has met with Manchester, and with Chelsea; they give good offers and are great clubs. I don't know. It's not been finalised yet.
"As long as I've not put pen to paper, I won't say where I'm going.
"Chelsea makes you hesitate. They've won the Champions League and they'll be in it next season.
"For now, nothing's been decided, but it will be soon. Now I want to join up with the national team and then go on holiday. It'll do me a lot of good."


Though United, City and Chelsea have been heavily linked, Lille managing director Frederic Paquet actually believes four teams will be chasing Hazard.
"I am not sure he knows (who he will sign for) himself or where he will go, so for the moment, we don't know," said Paquet.
"From my knowledge he has four teams interested in buying him. It is not up to us to tell to him (where to go).
"We have a very strong relationship with the player, we will work together and are waiting for him to make a choice between these four teams."

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Andre Villas-Boas: Won't rush into decision

VILLAS-BOAS PONDERS NEXT MOVE

Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is in no rush to decide on his next move.
The 34-year-old, whose old side won the Champions League on Saturday, is one of a number of managers who have been linked with the Liverpool job since Kenny Dalglish's departure.


Villas-Boas was quoted by The Independent as saying: "I'm still choosing the right project and that decision will take the necessary time."
The Portuguese also congratulated his successor at Chelsea, Roberto Di Matteo, who stepped into the breach when Villas-Boas was sacked and led them to European glory with victory over Bayern Munich.
"The biggest award is to win the Champions League," said Villas-Boas. "Congratulations to Di Matteo and the players."

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Sam Allardyce: In no hurry over new deal

ALLARDYCE CALM OVER FUTURE

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he does not need the security of a new deal at Upton Park after guiding the club back into the Premier League.
The Hammers clinched promotion to the top flight via the play-off final on Saturday as they beat Blackpool 2-1 at Wembley.
Allardyce, who arrived at the club last year, is out of contract next summer but is in no hurry to put pen to paper on a new deal.
The 57-year-old said: "I don't need the security of a contract to work in this game as far as I'm concerned. I'm my own man now. Somewhere down the line in the middle of next year, maybe, but not now."


Hammers co-owner David Gold is also happy for Allardyce to continue on his current contract when the new season gets underway.
"There are no talks planned but Sam's our manager for the foreseeable future," he said.
"It's not an issue. It's not like we've lost eight games in a row. He's won us promotion and he's a hero. There's no pressure, he's got a great contract."

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Di Matteo: Led Chelsea to Champions League glory

GOURLAY COY ON DI MATTEO TALK

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has again insisted that the club will take their time over the appointment of a permanent manager.
Interim boss Roberto Di Matteo, who replaced Andre Villas-Boas in March, is a popular contender among the players and supporters after guiding them to UEFA Champions League and FA Cup glory.
However, despite his exploits the Italian is by no means guaranteed the permanent job, with the likes of former England boss Fabio Capello also linked with the role.


Gourlay is full of praise for Di Matteo's efforts since taking over three months ago but stressed the club would not be rushed into making snap decisions.
Gourlay told Sky Sports News: "As we've said exactly from the day Robbie was given the job as interim coach, let's get through to the end of the season, we set ourselves goals and then when that season ends then we'll sit down and discuss things.
"Whilst we hoped to get to Munich we didn't know at the time we would get there so we just asked Robbie to give us his best and see where we went.
"So now we have to sit down over the next week or two, or however long it takes, because we've got to do what is right for the football club.
"We will look at the season, look what worked for us, look at the mistakes we made, put them right and then take it forward.


"I know the fans will be pushing for Robbie, but we're not jumping into anything rash.
"He has done fantastically well and I'm very proud of him and what he has achieved. But we will stick with what we said and sit down and talk things through and work things out."
Despite the Blues basking in the glory of becoming European champions for the first time, speculation has continued regarding the future of strikers Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres.
Drogba's contract expires next month and he has yet to agree an extension, although the players and fans have called for the Ivory Coast star to stay.
Torres, meanwhile, has expressed his frustration in the media about his lack of first-team action with the Londoners and his selection as a substitute against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Gourlay was quick to play down any talk of a disagreement with either player, stressing that an announcement regarding the future of Drogba would be made as soon as a satisfactory conclusion was reached.


"Everybody wants to play and I would be very surprised if Fernando, who has been awesome recently, didn't," he added.
"He wanted more games and I'm sure he wanted more time on the field as every professional does, but Robbie picks the team to start the game.
"When Fernando came on we were behind at that stage and he played a big part in helping us win the Champions League final.
"It must have been very difficult for Robbie and all the guys on the sidelines who were left out for such a big occasion."


Regarding Drogba, Gourlay said: "Conversations with Didier have been going on for months now and they're still on-going.

"Didier has made it clear that he loves Chelsea and has loved everything he has achieved here, this was the icing on the cake for him and for everybody else.
"When we are already to make an announcement then we

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Cole: Has impressed coach Rudi Garcia

LILLE KEEN TO KEEP JOE COLE

Lille coach Rudi Garcia says he would like to keep on-loan Joe Cole for another season.
Cole has returned to Liverpool after spending the 2011/12 campaign with the Ligue 1 side.
But Garcia is keen to strike a deal with whoever succeeds Kenny Dalglish at Anfield for the midfielder, who scored four goals in 27 appearance.

"From a sporting angle we would like to keep him," said Garcia, who is resigned to losing his Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard.

"But he does not belong to us and he has not discussed matters with Liverpool.



"It is a very fluid situation. The only certainty for the moment is that he is returning to Liverpool, the club to which he belongs."

Cole joined Liverpool on a four year contract in 2010 on a free transfer from Chelsea but failed to impress in his first season and was sent out on loan by then-manager Dalglish.

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Cahill: Hopes Chelsea veterans stay on at Blues

CAHILL KEEN TO LEARN FROM VETERANS

Gary Cahill has urged Chelsea to keep hold of their old masters - because he has not finished studying under them yet.
The last four months have seen Cahill subjected to a crash course in what it means to play for the Blues, whom he helped lead to Champions League glory on Saturday night.
Speculation has been rife all season about a summer clearout of the club's so-called 'old guard' and reports on Monday suggested Munich hero Didier Drogba had already agreed a deal to join Shanghai Shenhua.
Cahill insisted the performance of Drogba and fellow thirty-somethings Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole in Saturday's epic victory over Bayern Munich proved they still had plenty to offer - especially to him.


"I don't see it being the end," the England defender said.
"Frank Lampard was fantastic. Ashley Cole was amazing and he's probably been the best left-back in the world for many years.
"Didier, again, turned up, the big man for the big occasion.
"You just learn from these sorts of boys, especially myself.
"Hopefully, I can learn fast."
Cahill admitted he felt added pressure on Saturday in the absence of another Chelsea veteran, suspended captain John Terry.
"I felt pressure because, obviously, the skipper wasn't there," said the 26-year-old, who revealed he was not even fully fit after almost a month out with a hamstring injury.


"Because of the size of the game and what it meant to the club - obviously playing the Champions League next season - however much you want to try to play it down in your head and relax, you knew it was a massive, massive game."
He added: "You only get the experience by playing in the games and, now, these games, the Barcelona games, and even coming on in the Benfica game in the second half was a great experience for myself and will only improve me as a player."
Chelsea were planning 11th-hour talks with Drogba on Sunday in an attempt to reach an agreement on extending his contract.
The club refused to bow to the 34-year-old's demands for a new two-year deal earlier this season.
Reports on Monday claimed that even if a compromise was to be reached, the Blues may have to pay Shanghai compensation after he agreed to join the Chinese side on a wage said to be £250,000 a week.


Cahill said: "If you ask every player at the football club, you'd hope that he stays.
"But he's obviously got his own decision to make.
"It was just fitting that he took the penalty that won us the cup, he got us back in the game late doors.
"He just seems to turn up in these big games and that's the kind of player he is."
Chelsea were also set to discuss whether to appoint caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo on a permanent basis after he masterminded the greatest climax to a season in their history.
The Italian is already being heavily linked with the likes of Aston Villa - his family home is in the midlands - as well as former club Lazio and even Liverpool.
Di Matteo had been scheduled to play in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am golf tournament at Wentworth on Wednesday before flying to Barbados at the end of the week for the British Airways Football Legends Invitational on Saturday and Sunday.


He was then expected to take the family holiday he has craved ever since being handed the reins at Chelsea three months ago.
Di Matteo may want to know his fate before then, while the Blues definitely want their next manager in place for the start of their pre-season tour of America on July 18.


There is talk of Di Matteo being offered a one-year deal while owner Roman Abramovich waits for Pep Guardiola to complete his planned sabbatical.
Whether Di Matteo would be prepared to continue under such conditions - or even with the spectre of Guardiola looming over him were he to be offered a longer contract - remains to be seen.

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Shinji Kagawa: Will cost around 20 million euros

DORTMUND SET KAGAWA PRICE

Borussia Dortmund's highly-rated Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa will cost prospective buyers around 20 million euros (£16.17m).

The club's owner Hans-Joachim Watzke revealed the German champions want a 'princely sum' despite the 23-year-old having just a year remaining on his contract.


Kagawa, who netted 17 goals for Dortmund this season to help them secure a second consecutive title, has already met for talks with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, while he has also been linked to other high-profile clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan.
But Watzke told Sport Bild that the club would not be fooled into selling him for a derisory price.



"We all know the abilities of Shinji, his youth and the value he adds to this side," said Watzke.

"I also note what Bayern Munich paid for goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (22 million euros from Schalke last year).
"He also only had a year left on his contract. Given those facts we can certainly expect a princely sum for him."

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Emmanuel Adebayor: Hoping to stay at Tottenham

ADEBAYOR HAPPY AT TOTTENHAM

Emmanuel Adebayor is keen to make his loan move to Tottenham permanent.
The former Togo international, who spent the season on loan at White Hart Lane from Manchester City, made 37 appearances for Spurs in all competitions, scoring 18 goals.
And he tweeted on Monday: "Loved my spell at Tottenham. We are working hard with the chairman to make it permanent."
The 28-year-old is happy to stay in north London despite the club having their Champions League ticket snatched away from them following Chelsea's dramatic victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday.


Although Tottenham finished fourth in the table, they were relegated to the Europa League because the Blues take their place in Europe's premier club competition as defending champions.
Adebayor still has two years to run on his City contract, even though he has not played for the reigning English champions since December 2010.