Latest Transfer Update at 20-06-2012

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Latest Transfer Update at 20-06-2012

Van Persie: Will stay at the club, according to Wenger

WENGER - VAN PERSIE WILL STAY

Arsene Wenger has reiterated that Robin van Persie will stay at Arsenal and sees no reason why the striker would want to join Juventus.
Van Persie only has 12 months remaining on his contract and Wenger had previously been hoping to resolve his captain's future before Euro 2012.
An agreement was not reached before Van Persie headed off on Netherlands duty and there is continued speculation that he will leave Emirates Stadium this summer.


Premier League champions Manchester City have been linked with last season's top scorer, but the 28-year-old's father recently stated it is 'impossible' for him to join one of Arsenal's domestic rivals.
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been mooted as admirers of Van Persie, but reports have claimed Juventus hold the strongest interest in the player.


The Serie A champions are aiming to sign a high-profile striker ahead of next season, but Wenger does not expect Van Persie to head to Italy.
"He will stay at Arsenal," Wenger told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
"There is no reason why a top player, a big champion would want a move to Serie A - in terms of the prestige of the league, the level of play or financial considerations.


"If he moves there, I will buy you a caramello."

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Nigel de Jong: Feels he is in a good position

NIGEL DE JONG HAPPY AT MAN CITY

Nigel de Jong insists he wants to stay at Manchester City next season and feels he is a in a 'good position' regarding his contract.
The Netherlands international has 12 months remaining on his current deal at the Etihad Stadium and reports have claimed that talks over an extension have broken down.
However, the 27-year-old is not concerned by the situation and is enjoying being part of the Premier League champions' squad.
"My contract runs for another year, so I'm in a pretty good position," De Jong told NU Sport.
"I want to stay. I've been at the club more than three years and I'm feeling really well.
"I have won the FA Cup and the league title, which are the biggest trophies in England."


De Jong started only 11 games in the league last season en route to City's title success, but he understands the need for Roberto Mancini to rotate his players.
He added: "I saw the club change from complete mayhem at the training facilities into a real top club.
"It's part of the job I occasionally warm the bench. We have a squad rotation system.
"I prefer to play but it's all about the team and we won the title, so it was worth it."

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Tomasz Kuszczak: Two-year Brighton deal

BRIGHTON SIGN TOMASZ KUSZCZAK

Brighton have signed former Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak on a two-year deal.
The 30-year-old former Poland international made more than 50 appearances for the Red Devils following his move from West Brom in 2007.
But with a succession of goalkeepers including Edwin van der Sar and David de Gea keeping Kuszczak out of the team, he became increasingly frustrated with life at Old Trafford.


He enjoyed a spell on loan with npower Championship side Watford last season, and following his release by the Barclays Premier League runners-up, he will continue to play in the second tier with Gus Poyet's Seagulls.
The Uruguyan manager told the club's official website, www.seagulls.co.uk: "There were clubs in England and abroad interested in Tomasz, but it says a lot for the ambition of this club that he wanted to sign for Brighton.


"We had been tracking his progress for some time and he will provide real competition to both Casper Ankergren and Peter Brezovan for the goalkeeper's jersey this coming season. That can only be a good thing for the team moving forward."

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Walter Smith's consortium have withdrawn

SMITH CONSORTIUM WITHDRAWS GERS BID

A consortium led by former Rangers manager Walter Smith have withdrawn their bid to buy the club from Charles Green.
Smith said an offer of £6million to the Green consortium through Zeus Capital had been rejected, and confirmed his group have now pulled out of attempts to own the newco club in order to allow the new owners to proceed in their own way.
A statement from Smith read: "Our offer has been rejected and they have made a counter-offer inviting us to join their consortium.
"However, the current business plan is not in accord with our understanding of the present circumstances of the Club and the way forward, but we would prefer to leave them to proceed in their own way and we wish them good luck in their endeavours."
The Smith-led consortium revealed a dramatic 11th hour bid for Rangers on Thursday, as failure to secure a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) consigned the club to liquidation.


Green and his investors subsequently completed the purchase of the business and assets of Rangers as a newco for £5.5million and were urged to consider a quick sale by the veteran boss.
However, Smith - who stressed their initial offer to administrators Duff and Phelps was made before Green's acquisition was completed - is now prepared to step aside following "verbal assurances" provided by the new regime.
A statement from the two-time Rangers manager read: "I would like to clarify the background to the offer of £6million for the assets of the club which I announced on Thursday 14th June 2012.
"The offer was made to the administrators before the Charles Green consortium had concluded their transaction to acquire the assets at £5.5million from the administrators.
"We felt it necessary to have a fall-back position to secure the club's future.
"We have since made the same offer of £6million to the Green consortium through Zeus Capital.
"Our offer has been rejected and they have made a counter-offer inviting us to join their consortium.
"However, the current business plan is not in accord with our understanding of the present circumstances of the club and the way forward, but we would prefer to leave them to proceed in their own way and we wish them good luck in their endeavours.


"Members of our consortium had met with Charles Green and Zeus Capital prior to the CVA meeting and it had been agreed that we would be provided with significant information which would give us comfort as to the identity of the consortium members, their strategy and their funding capacity.
"This information had not been forthcoming by the date of our offer.
"We are therefore withdrawing completely from the process to enable Charles Green and his consortium to move forward.
"We very much hope the verbal assurances they provided to us - and the public statements made - are adhered to and that the club will therefore be financed and managed with appropriate governance and can go forward in a sustainable manner.
"We wish the new Rangers Football Club every good fortune."

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Ben Foster: Spent last season at West Brom

WEST BROM START FOSTER TALKS

West Brom have opened talks with Birmingham aimed at signing goalkeeper Ben Foster on a permanent basis, the Baggies' sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth has confirmed.
Foster spent last season on loan from Blues to Albion and was named their player of the year after helping them finish 10th in the Barclays Premier League.


The former England player has also been linked with QPR and Tottenham but has often admitted he was happy with life at the Hawthorns.
Ashworth told the Wolverhampton Express and Star: "We've started discussions with Birmingham and we hope we can find a solution that suits them and suits us.


"If we can't, then no problem - we'll have to move on. But it's down to discussions with them.
"As with every transfer, the selling club has 'X' in mind and the buying club only value at 'Y' so you hope that you find a tipping point that suits both parties."
Ashworth has also played down speculation that Swedish defender Jonas Olsson, who has one year left of his contract, is close to completing a move to West Ham.


He said: "Jonas is still under contract and nobody has contacted me or anybody else at West Bromwich Albion about a transfer.
"He is one of our most important players and we would like to keep him like we did last year with Youssouf Mulumbu and Peter Odemwingie last year.
"We're trying to build a squad not sell our best players."

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Sebastian Giovinco: Returns to Juventus

GIOVINCO RETURNS TO JUVENTUS

Parma have announced they have sold the sporting rights of Italian striker Sebastian Giovinco to his former club Juventus for an undisclosed fee.
The Italy international was part-owned by Juve and had been strongly linked with a return to the Turin giants this summer.
Giovinco started his career at Juventus but has spent last two years at Parma.
A statement from the club read: "We have resolved in favour of Juventus the co-ownership of Sebastian Giovinco.
"After two season with Parma, in which he scored 22 league goals in 66 appearances, Giovinco returns to be a Bianconero player.
"Parma wishes to thank Giovinco for his contribution to the team and wishes him the best of luck with the national team and with his career."


Reports in Italy claim the Turin giants have paid 11million euros to acquire the full rights of Giovinco, who was also a reported target of Barcelona, Manchester City and Inter Milan this summer.
The 25-year-old had scored 15 league goals to help Parma defend their Serie A status this season.
Giovinco is currently on international duty with Italy at the European Championship.

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Drury: Will join Leeds on July 1

DRURY LEAVES CANARIES FOR LEEDS

Adam Drury's 11-year spell at Norwich City is to end with the defender agreeing a two-year deal to join npower Championship side Leeds United at the start of next month
The Barclays Premier club have confirmed 33-year-old Drury, who joined Norwich in 2001 and stayed with them during their plunge into League One and their triumphant return last year to the Premier League, would b leaving the Carrow Road.
He made a total of 362 appearances for the club, scoring four goals.


Norwich City Manager Chris Hughton told Canaries.co.uk: "I would like to wish Adam all the best for the coming season and in his future career.
"He has been an outstanding servant to Norwich City, and I was very aware of what he had done for the club before I arrived here.
"For a player to be at a club for 11 years, and to play so many games in that time is a very rare thing and a truly outstanding achievement."
The club played a testimonial for Drury against Celtic last month.

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James McPake: Impressed on loan last season

PAT FENLON RATES JAMES McPAKE

Hibernian manager Pat Fenlon wants to secure James McPake's return to Easter Road ahead of the new season after claiming the player is a perfect fit for the club.
The Coventry defender impressed while on loan last term and was even handed the captain's armband.
Hibs were linked with a permanent move for the 27-year-old - who has a year left on his current deal - earlier this month in a deal reported to be worth £100,000.
And, if unable to seal McPake's return to the Edinburgh club, Fenlon is keen to recruit players in a similar mould.
He told Hibernian TV: "He was fantastic for me and for the club in the short time he was here.


"I would love to have him back - what he brought to the place is what we're looking for.
"While he was here, he was fabulous for us - both on and off the pitch. I think that's important as well.
"That's the type of player we're looking for. James fits that bill perfectly and hopefully we can now recruit a few more like him."
On summer signings, Fenlon added: "It's been hectic since the end of the season.


"A lot of players have left the club and we've been busy trying to get in some new players.
"These things take time. I know the supporters want names quickly, but it takes time to get things done.
"We're working very hard to try to bring in the right type of player.
"We're not going out to sign players just for the sake of signing someone.
"We want to bring in the right type of character and change what's been happening at the club."

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Didier Drogba: Signs two-year Shanghai deal

DROGBA COMPLETES SHANGHAI MOVE

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has confirmed his long-expected move to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
The 34-year-old, who confirmed his intention to leave Stamford Bridge following Chelsea's Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich, has signed a two-and-a-half year deal reportedly worth £200,000 a week with the Chinese Super League side.
He will join up with former Chelsea colleague Nicolas Anelka, who joined the club in January.

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Mohamed Diame: Recruited by West Ham on a free transfer

MOHAMED DIAME SET FOR HAMMERS

West Ham have confirmed a deal to sign Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diame on a free transfer from Wigan.
The 25-year-old has agreed a three-year deal at Upton Park and will make the move on July 1 after the expiry of his Wigan contract.
"I'm very happy and very excited to have joined the club and I'm looking forward to the start of the season," Diame told the club's website.
"I know the fans here get behind the team all the time and I'm looking forward to showing everybody what I can do on the pitch."

Diame will meet his new team-mates on the first day of pre-season training on July 1 before flying out with the team to Austria.


He is the third new signing of the summer for the newly-promoted Hammers, joining Stephen Henderson and Jussi Jaaskelainen in Sam Allardyce's squad.
Allardyce said: "His potential is really good and he's ready to go and compete in the first team straight away as he's had three years in the Premier League already.
"He's 25 and can only get better and I hope he can go on to prove that to me and all of the West Ham United fans. He will be a very exciting addition to the squad."
Diame joined Wigan in 2009 from Spanish club Rayo Vallecano, having previously played for Lens and Linares.