Latest Football Transfer News 07-09-2012

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Latest Football Transfer News 07-09-2012

Fabregas happy at Barca

Barca midfielder admits it will take time to be a success

Cesc Fabregas: Believes it will take time to succeed at Barcelona

Cesc Fabregas has moved to defuse a potential row at Barcelona after suggesting he was unhappy with life on the bench.
The former Arsenal midfielder spoke out earlier this week to reveal his disappointment at receiving limited opportunities this season at the Catalan club.
But the 25-year-old now claims reports have exaggerated the problem and he still intends to see out is career at Barca.
"This whole situation is exaggerated," he told Catalunya Radio.


"I am happy. I am at the club I wanted to be at for many years. Currently I am very calm.
"I'm doing my job and working as anyone else to make life difficult for my coach (to leave me out).
"I want to retire at the Camp Nou."
Fabregas continues to play second fiddle to Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in the Barcelona midfield but points to history as a source of encouragement that his day will come.


"When Guardiola retired it was not easy for Xavi," Fabregas added.
"People did not understand his game and he was criticised. Now he is one of the best players in the history of Barca.
"People take time to get used to you. With Iniesta it also went something like this."
New stadium

With Fabregas eyeing a long-term stay that opens up the possibility of him being with the club if they move to a new stadium as has been tentatively proposed.
That would be the second time Fabregas has witnessed such a change close up having been at Arsenal when they moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium.
And Fabregas admits to having mixed feelings about the change.


"It's a difficult question," added the Spain international.
"Changing it, I do not know. We feel very comfortable in the Camp Nou.
"The Highbury experience I have was very small but was so special.
"The Emirates is amazing - Very modern and it has everything. But..."

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Bentley makes Russian move

Spurs midfielder joins FC Rostov on loan until January

David Bentley: Joining Russian side FC Rostov on loan until January.

Tottenham midfielder David Bentley has joined Russian side FC Rostov on loan until January.
Spurs have allowed the 27-year-old to leave on loan as he is well down the pecking order at White Hart Lane.
The former Arsenal trainee, who joined Tottenham from Blackburn in a £15million deal in the summer of 2008, found first-team opportunities in short supply at White Hart Lane under then-manager Harry Redknapp over the last two campaigns and has not played for Spurs since November 2010.


Bentley had a spell on loan at West Ham last season before a serious knee injury curtailed his stay at Upton Park.
A number of clubs are thought to have expressed an interest in taking Bentley on loan, but the England international has decided to take up the opportunity to move to Russia with Rostov.
Bentley is the second new face at Rostov after former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama Pongolle joined the club on a free transfer earlier this week.

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Gudjohnsen accepts Seattle trial

Former Blues man open to MLS move

Eidur Gudjohnsen: Linking up with MLS side Seattle Sounders on trial

Former Chelsea and Barcelona star Eidur Gudjohnsen has linked up with MLS side Seattle Sounders on trial.
Gudjohnsen is available on a free transfer after leaving Greek side AEK Athens earlier this summer.
The 33-year-old admits he is open to the idea of moving to America as he looks to impress the Sounders coaching staff.
"I'm just looking at things at the club. I will be training there for a few days and see how I like things," Gudjohnsen told Icelandic football website 433.is


"This has been going on for a while so I decided to take a shot. I haven't promised anything to anyone, I'll just go there and meet people at the club.
"I have no idea how strong the MLS league is, I haven't watched it that much. It's been growing though, and players such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Rafael Marquez and Robbie Keane have arrived there. The league is getting bigger but it isn't concrete that I'll be playing there.
"I decided to accept the club's offer of coming over, they want to introduce themselves to me. They also want to see if my foot is okay. We decided not to discuss anything contract related."

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Potters plan to loan out players

Fringe players to be moved on in bid to balance books
Last Updated: September 7, 2012 9:01am

Danny Higginbotham: Could be loaned out by Stoke

Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes admits they plan to send out a number of fringe players on loan in a bid to balance the books.
Danny Higginbotham, Michael Tonge, Diego Arismendi and Mama Sidibe were all left out of the maximum 25-man Premier League squad following a busy reshuffling of the squad during the transfer window.


Michael Owen's arrival at the Britannia Stadium earlier this week brought the number of new faces to seven and Stoke are prepared to let a few move out on loan when the emergency window opens on Saturday.


"The fact we have made seven signings speaks for itself," Scholes told the Stoke Sentinel. "The backing that the Coates family has again given the club is incredible.
"Now we have to balance things and move some players out as well.
"It's fair to say we have ended up with more in the squad than is appropriate."

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Owen prepared to work hard

Michael Owen accepts he may have to work hard to win a place in the Stoke side.


Michael Owen: Not expecting an easy ride
The former England striker this week signed for the Potters having been available as a free agent following his release by Manchester United at the end of last season.
The 32-year-old endured three injury-blighted years at Old Trafford and now feels he has to prove himself at the Britannia Stadium despite his experiences with United and previously with Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and England.
Owen told Stoke City Player: "There are many strikers at the club, I'm not expecting it to be an easy ride.


"I'll have to work, obviously, to play any part. I'm prepared to do that.
"There are a lot of top players at the club, so I'm hopefully going to fit in well with the squad and have a good season."
Owen was strongly linked with Stoke throughout the summer and more recently with former club Liverpool, boyhood team Everton and Sunderland.
His move to Stoke was announced on Tuesday and was ratified by the Premier League, after confusion over whether he had been included in the club's 25-man squad for the competition, the following day.


Owen first held talks with Potters boss Tony Pulis earlier in the summer and is now keen to start working under him.
Owen said: "I met the manager two or three months ago. We were singing from the same hymn sheet in many ways.
"It is important to have a healthy respect for your manager and understand what he wants and different things. I feel as if I'll get that here with Tony Pulis.
"We had a good chat and it's just a shame it took a few months after that before I signed.


"But anyway, we're here now and I'm looking forward to it."
Stoke are next in action when champions Manchester City visit the Britannia Stadium in the Barclays Premier League on September 15.
Owen has worked on his fitness privately but is unsure he will be match-sharp by then.
He said: "I know how I feel but in many ways I'm unsure in terms of exactly what stage I'm at compared to the rest of the squad.
"They've had a long pre-season, so it might turn out when I do a few tests that I'm quite a bit behind or it might be that I'm further forward than I thought - I just don't know.


"I'll have some tests over the next few days and gauge where I am, and hopefully I'll be out there as soon as possible."
Stoke are now a well-established Premier League team in their fifth season in the top flight.
Owen said: "Looking from outside, Stoke have done particularly well since the introduction to the Premier League, regularly coming mid-table, give or take a few places.
"I think everyone's objectives at the start of the season - unless you are Man Utd, Chelsea etc - is to get 40 points as soon as you can and to secure your status, and then for a club on the up like this, to try to aim as high as possible."

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Rooney regrets transfer request
Last Updated: September 7 2012, 6:43 BST

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits handing in a transfer request two years ago was the biggest mistake of his career.


Wayne Rooney: 'United want the same as me'
Rooney issued a statement in September 2010 in which he questioned the Red Devils' ability to attract top players and indicated he wanted to leave because the club could not match his ambitions.
Two days later, though, the England international performed a dramatic U-turn and signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford.
He looks back on the whole affair now with a sense of regret.
In his latest autobiography, which is being serialised by the Daily Mirror, he recalls: "In September 2010 my ankle puts me on the sidelines.
"I get frustrated with myself, my game, my injury, and everything around me.


"I'm stuck in a cycle of bad form but I can't get out of it.
"And that's when I make the biggest mistake of my football career.
"In October, I release a statement which publicly questions my happiness at Old Trafford. Am I better off elsewhere?
"Everyone makes a fuss. There are discussions inside United to sort out the issue, people outside United chuck their opinions around, but the thing is, nobody really knows what's going on in my life.


"None of them understand where I am in my career. They don't know where my head's at.
"The only person who really knows what's going on in there is me, but even I'm not sure what I want."
He continues: "Then the manager has his say. 'Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it's a better cow than the one you have in your own field. And it never really works that way'.


"He's saying the grass isn't always greener, and he's right.
"I like what's in my field. I'm wrong. United want the same as me: trophies, success, to be the best."

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Zenit in Nani contract claim

Russians says winger's demands scuppered move
Last Updated: September 7, 2012 9:53am

Nani: Held talks about Russian move

Zenit St Petersburg claim that Nani's wage demands were the main reason for him not moving to Russia.
Zenit were not shy in splashing the cash this summer after they completed the €100million double swoop of Hulk and Axel Witsel.
The Russian champions admitted that Hulk and Witsel were their top priorities, but they were still keen on Manchester United winger Nani.


The 25-year-old currently has two-years remaining on his deal at Old Trafford, but talks are reported to have stalled over an extension.
Zenit director-general Maxim Mitrofanov has now admitted that if Nani had agreed terms, he could have made the move to Russia's Second City.
"If Hulk had demanded €8 million to €10 million a year, these conditions would have been unacceptable for Zenit," Mitrofanov said.
"The transfer of Nani failed mostly due to this reason, as he asked for an enormous salary and we would not pay him."
Priorities

Mitrofanov admitted that Nani and Tottenham target Joao Moutinho were not their 'top' targets.
"We really have been negotiating Nani and Moutinho, but Hulk and Witzel were top priorities," he said,
"It must be understood that any transfer campaign is based on the list of players, ranked by priority."
The club were also looking into bringing Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin back to St Petersburg, but the player is reported to have decided to remain in London.

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Ziegler leaves Juventus to join Lokomotiv in loan deal
Last Updated: September 7, 2012 10:23am

Reto Ziegler: Left Juventus to join Lokomotiv Moscow on loan

Swiss defender Reto Ziegler has joined Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow on loan from Juventus.
Swiss defender Reto Ziegler has joined Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow on loan from Juventus.
The 26-year-old full-back spent the whole of last season on loan with Fenerbahce of Turkey and has again been loaned out by the Turin club.
Juventus posted a statement on their official website which read: "Following his successful stint in Turkey last year, Reto Ziegler is now set to experience another foreign championship.


"The Swiss left-back will get a taste of the Russian Premier League while plying his trade at Lokomotiv Moscow. Juventus have reached an agreement with the Moscow outfit for the loan transfer of Ziegler until June 30, 2013."
The head of Lokomotiv's selection department Kirill Kotov told his club's official website: "We have been looking for a player to enhance our defence.
"Reto Ziegler is a left-footed player that meets our demands. It is also important that he can play both in defence and midfield. This will boost competition within the team."

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RVP regret for Juve

Serie A giants could not justify the cost of signing Dutch striker
Last Updated: September 7, 2012 10:22am

Robin van Persie: Was a target for Juventus, but ended up at Manchester United

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta admits to being disappointed at missing out on Robin van Persie, with the striker proving too expensive.
The reigning Italian champions were among those looking to add the Holland international to their ranks over the summer once it became apparent that he wanted out of Arsenal.


The Gunners were keen to sell him to a foreign club, ruling out the possibility of him coming back to haunt them in the future.
Juve, though, could not justify the outlay required to bring Van Persie on board, with Arsenal demanding £24million for a player that had just 12 months left to run on his contract.
Their reluctance to meet that asking price opened the door for Manchester United to snap up the deadly Dutchman and keep him in England.
Targets

"I have regrets about Van Perise, but it would have been a bad choice for the club if we had paid €30million for a player who would have seen his contract expire next year," Marotta told Tuttosport.
"We are happy with the business we were able to carry out.
"We hit our targets with the acquisition of good, young players with reasonable salaries - (Kwadwo) Asamoah, (Mauricio) Isla and (Sebastian) Giovinco.
"There is another fact which must not be overlooked, the fact that we kept (Claudio) Marchisio and (Arturo) Vidal, who were wanted by Bayern Munich."

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Huntelaar talks continue

Dutch striker remains locked in deal discussions with Schalke
Last Updated: September 7, 2012 11:37am

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: Will see his current contract at Schalke expire next summer

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar saw out the summer transfer window at Schalke and claims talks regarding a contract extension remain ongoing.
With the Holland international having failed to reach an agreement as deadline day approached, it was suggested that he could be lured away from the Bundesliga.
No bids were tabled, though, and the striker remains in Germany.


Huntelaar has no issue with that and remains open to the prospect of prolonging his stay at Schalke.
He claims an agreement is no closer to being reached at present, but insists he is happy to continue with discussions.
"I am not about to make any statement on my contract situation," Huntelaar told Sport-BILD.
"It's true that we have had one of two further chats, but nothing has happened. It will take more time."
Decision

Huntelaar's current deal is due to expire next summer, but Schalke remain optimistic regarding their chances of securing his services past that point.
"Maybe the case of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will take more time," said chairman Clemens Tonnies.
"I have no problem with that as long as he gives his all for Schalke in the meantime.
"Hopefully at the end there will be a decision reached which is similar to that of Jefferson Farfan."
Farfan saw contract talks drag on last season, as he entered the final year of his deal, but he eventually committed his long-term future to the club.