Latest Football Transfer News 29-08-2012

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Latest Football Transfer News 29-08-2012

Arsenal 'ready to sell' Walcott

Gunners yet to agree new contract with England winger
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 8:03am

Theo Walcott: Arsenal are ready to sell the England winger if no new contract is agreed by Friday




Arsenal are understood to be willing to sell Theo Walcott before the close of the transfer window after talks over a new five-year contract broke down.
Walcott is in the final season of his current deal at Emirates Stadium and discussions regarding an extension have been ongoing for some time.
Arsene Wenger confirmed before the Gunners' opening game of the season against Sunderland earlier this month that the club are still trying to extend Walcott's deal.


However, the Arsenal manager also warned that 'when a player doesn't want to stay, you either force him or you let him go', with the club having already sold Robin van Persie and Alex Song this summer.
The future of Walcott is now set to be decided by Friday's deadline, with reports suggesting Arsenal will sell the England international for a fee between £12million and £15m if no new contract is agreed.


Manchester City are believed to be favourites to snap up the 23-year-old as Roberto Mancini tries to add to the solitary signing of Jack Rodwell.
Mancini is in the market for a new winger after Adam Johnson's sale to Sunderland and the failure to agree a fee with Swansea City for Scott Sinclair.
Liverpool, though, are also reported to be interested in Walcott, who has made over 220 appearances for Arsenal since joining from Southampton in January 2006.

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Round - Baines won't leave

Everton assistant praises the attitude of left-back
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 6:51am

Leighton Baines: Everton full-back is not expected to leave before the transfer window closes




Everton assistant manager Steve Round is not expecting any late departure for Leighton Baines and is confident the full-back is happy at Goodison Park.
Baines has established himself as one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League in recent seasons and had been linked with a move to Manchester United.


The England international admitted earlier in the summer that he was aware of interest from United, although no formal offer has been forthcoming.
The Red Devils have subsequently signed Alexander Buttner to provide competition for Patrice Evra, while the Toffees have not received any bids from other clubs.
Everton lost Mikel Arteta to Arsenal on transfer deadline day 12 months ago, but Round is not anticipating lightning to strike twice regarding Baines.
Impressive

"There are only a few days to go and I don't think anyone is leaving now that's for sure," said Round. "We have quite a strong 16 players.
"His heart is here definitely, he is a local boy. He loves the club, loves his team-mates and loves to go out there to play and perform."
Steve Round Quotes of the week
"His heart is here definitely, he is a local boy. He loves the club, loves his team-mates and loves to go out there to play and perform.
"He has never mooted anything else. Fortunately we have not had any bids. Leighton is here so long may it continue.


"Leighton is a top player, arguably the best or one of the best left-backs in the Premier League and Europe. I think he has shown that on a regular basis over the past two or three seasons.

"He is consistent and his assist making is always in the top 10 of the Premier League and for a left-back that is very impressive."
Baines' attitude as well as his performances on the pitch have caught Round's eye, and David Moyes' No.2 added: "He has really matured into a top-class player who is a very good professional as well.


"What you don't see is the amount of effort and time he puts in to keep in peak condition.
"And he is a very humble guy who is always willing to learn and wants to know that bit extra, always asking coaches what he can do to do that bit extra to improve, which is why he is where he is."

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Ipswich agree double Posh deal

Jewell also hoping to bring Murphy back to Portman Road
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 7:41am

Paul Taylor: Peterborough striker is set to hold talks with Ipswich Town, along with George Boyd




Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell has confirmed Peterborough United have accepted a double offer for George Boyd and Paul Taylor.
Boyd and Taylor were placed on the transfer list by Peterborough at the end of last season after failing to agree new contracts at London Road.
Taylor was the subject of a failed bid from an unnamed club at the start of August, and the striker has regularly been linked with a move to the Premier League.


However, Taylor and winger Boyd now look set to remain in the Championship after Ipswich agreed a deal with Posh for a reported £1.75million.
Speaking after Ipswich's Capital One Cup defeat by Carlisle United on Tuesday, Jewell said in the East Anglian Daily Times: "They (Peterborough) have accepted an offer from us, we're meeting them tomorrow and hopefully we can move forward with that."
Jewell is anxious to improve his squad before Friday's deadline and is also hoping to sign Daryl Murphy, who had a loan spell at Ipswich from Celtic last season.


He added: "We need some height in the team and we're hoping that could happen too.
"We're hoping it will be a busy few days because we certainly need them to be."

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Coyle admits Spearing battle

Bolton boss says deal for Liverpool midfielder is 'complicated'
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 7:59am

Jay Spearing: Liverpool midfielder is a target for Bolton Wanderers and other clubs




Owen Coyle has confirmed Bolton Wanderers are facing competition from 'bigger' clubs in the battle to sign Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing.
Sky Sports revealed on Tuesday that Bolton are one of five clubs keen on signing Spearing, who is considering his future at Liverpool following the recent captures of Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin.


A loan move or £3million permanent exit for Spearing has been mooted, with Premier League trio Aston Villa, Queens Park Rangers and Southampton also thought to be considering a bid for the 23-year-old.
Coyle remains hopeful of bringing the midfielder to the Reebok Stadium and is waiting to see if the Trotters will win the race before Friday's transfer deadline.
Huge interest

"It's more complicated than people think," said Coyle after Bolton's Capital One Cup defeat at Crawley. "It isn't just a case of going out and bringing him in.
"Jay Spearing is a very good player and there's a lot of competition for that lad's signature.
"All we can do is our very best, and we'll continue to do that.
"I can't say right now that he's going to sign tomorrow morning because there is huge interest in him from clubs much bigger than ourselves. We'll see what transpires."

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Rennes set to keep M'Vila

French club say there have been no bids for midfielder
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 8:20am

Yann M¿Vila: Linked with a move to the Premier League but Rennes do not want to lose midfielder




Rennes have insisted there has been no great interest in Yann M'Vila and they are under no pressure to sell at such a late stage of the transfer window.
France international M'Vila has been linked with a move away from Rennes for much of the summer and a number of Premier League clubs are understood to have been keeping tabs on his progress.


Arsenal and Tottenham are among those to have been connected with the midfielder and Rennes general manager Pierre Dreossi admits there have been enquiries.
However, Dreossi says no bids have been received and he does not expect the 22-year-old to go anywhere before Friday's deadline.
Stronger

"We have had some contact, but not much more than that," Dreossi is quoted as saying in The Guardian.
"The longer it drags on, the more we think he will (stay at the club).
"We are lucky to have a financial backer who has the means to wait another six months or a year (before selling).
"So if Yann has to stay, then good. We will be stronger with him."

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Everton in Kennedy talks

Shiels suggests teenage striker should stay at Kilmarnock
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 8:35am

Matthew Kennedy: Kilmarnock striker is a target for Everton




Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels has confirmed talks are taking place with Everton regarding a deal for teenage forward Matthew Kennedy.
Everton have reportedly made a £250,000 bid for Kennedy, who has impressed during the opening games of the SPL season.
Shiels says the 17-year-old's head has been 'pickled' by the prospect of moving to Goodison Park, but has suggested Kennedy would be better off staying at Kilmarnock.


"The boy's head has been pickled with talk of Everton," said Shiels in the Daily Record.
"There are negotiations taking place at the top end of each club.
"I have spoken to Matty's father and told him what I think is the best thing for his son's career. A young lad's career is the most important thing here, not finances."

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Henriksen opts for AZ

Norway international on his way to Holland
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 12:41pm

Markus Henriksen: Has decided to test himself in the Eredivisie




Markus Henriksen, who was a target for Celtic boss Neil Lennon, has left Rosenborg to sign for Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar.
The highly-rated midfielder was among those under consideration by Celtic's management as they look to strike before the summer transfer window slams shut.
They will, however, be forced to turn their attention elsewhere after seeing the 20-year-old opt to make a fresh start in Holland.
Henriksen will undergo a medical at AZ on Wednesday before putting the finishing touches to a switch.
He believes he has taken the best decision at this stage of his career and is looking forward to testing himself in the Eredivisie.
"It was not an easy decision to move," Henriksen told Adresseavisen.
Progress

"I am a homebody and, additionally, I have strong connections with Rosenborg.
"At the same time, I feel it is the right club for me and I have the chance to progress in my football career."
Rosenborg have also offered their take on the deal, with it the opinion of the Norwegian outfit that the agreement reached with AZ will be beneficial to all concerned.
"We would not have sold him if we were not happy with the offer," said sporting director Erik Hoftun.
"AZ is one of the top clubs in the Netherlands and play regularly in Europe. The league is good and it's a good step for Markus."

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Porto reject Zenit bid for Hulk

Portuguese club claim to have received €50million offer for forward
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 1:30pm

Hulk: Still waiting to hear what club he will be playing for by the time the transfer window shuts




Porto president Pinto da Costa has revealed that he has turned down a €50million (£39.5m) offer for Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg.
The Brazil international's agent has made no secret that he believes the time has come for the player to move on after spending the last four years of his career at the Estadio do Dragao.
Premier League duo Chelsea and Tottenham and Russian giants Zenit have all been linked with the 26-year-old forward.


Earlier in the week, a spokesman for Hulk admitted that the player's future will be decided in the next few days.

But with Zenit claiming to have withdrawn their offer, it appears Porto are taking a tough stance over the player in a bid to drive the price closer to the huge €100m (£79m) release clause in his contract.
"It was Porto who rejected €50million for Hulk from Zenit," Pinto da Costa told reporters.
"I think it is ridiculous to hear that Zenit's board did not sanction such an offer, when two of their chiefs were here to present that exact bid for the player."

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Whites improve Diouf offer

Warnock hoping Senegalese forward will agree Elland Road stay
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 1:51pm

El Hadji Diouf: Turning out for Leeds on a non-contract basis




Neil Warnock has revealed that Leeds are waiting to hear back from El Hadji Diouf's representative after putting an improved offer to the much-travelled 31-year-old.
The club increased their terms before Tuesday's Capital One Cup tie against Oxford as outside interest in the Senegalese forward continues to grow.


Diouf has been with the Whites on non-contract terms for more than two weeks now but their move to offer a fresh proposal could see an agreement reached in the next 24 hours.
"We've spoken to his man again and offered him an increased contract. Whether it's sufficient or not we'll find out," Warnock told the Yorkshire Evening Post.


"But that's why I brought him off. The crowd were fabulous when he left the pitch and I hoped that might just push him into signing.
"I've said to him, it's not about money. He's got enough of that. It's about playing in this stadium for a team like this. It's about realising what he can do for us."

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Barton hopes for Marseille move

Midfielder keen to link up with French side as talks are reopened
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 2:08pm

Joey Barton: Holding a second round of discussions with Marseille




Joey Barton is back in Marseille for further transfer talks with the Ligue 1 club and is hopeful that an agreement can be reached.
It appeared at one stage as if the midfielder, who has been frozen out at Queens Park Rangers, would be forced to look elsewhere for a summer switch, with discussions in France breaking down.


Barton has, however, returned to Stade Velodrome on Wednesday and is looking forward to hearing what Marseille have to offer.
The 29-year-old appears to have no future at Loftus Road, with QPR having turned their back on him after seeing the one-cap England international stung with a 12-match suspension.


Mark Hughes is open to the idea of moving Barton on, and the player is keen to make a fresh start following a disappointing 12 months in London.
He believes a switch to Marseille would be ideal and is hoping the latest round of discussions will produce a positive outcome.
Compromise

"It's not going exactly to plan at QPR, there is a difference of opinion. Hopefully we can find a compromise. "
Joey Barton Quotes of the week
"I'm going there with an open mind," Barton told Sky Sports News HD.


"I'll speak to Marseille and see what it's about. I would really like to join them, I've told people that before. It's a club that will suit me, that appeals to me for the sheer size of it.
"It's not going exactly to plan at QPR, there is a difference of opinion. Hopefully we can find a compromise.


"The alternative, which I have expressed to QPR, is that I go.
"I'm not really part of it and I've got the best union in the world protecting me. I would be well within my rights to sit for the next three years and pick my money up, but that isn't me."