Transfer Gossip

TONY McGILL: AN APOLOGY
On 13 April 2007, this column published an article which was based on an article in the Scottish Daily Record of the same date about a visit by Celtic goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, to Villa Park, Birmingham, to watch Aston Villa play a Premier League game. We are advised that the article in The Daily Record, insofar as it related to Tony McGill, was untrue. We now accept that:-

1. Tony McGill has at no time tried to tap up Artur Boruc or to induce Artur Boruc to leave Celtic in breach of his contract and accordingly he did not breach FIFA or FA regulations in relation to Artur Boruc.

2. He did not instigate the visit by Artur Boruc to Villa Park.

3. He did not set up the transfers that took Stilian Petrov and Shaun Maloney from Celtic to Villa Park.

We apologise to Tony McGill for any distress this article has caused him and confirm that we have agreed to pay him compensation and his legal costs.


NASRI SIGNS FOR ARSENAL
Arsenal are reported to have finally completed the signing of Samir Nasri.

Claiming that the £12.5m transfer was finalised last night, The Daily Telegraph reports: 'The French international's arrival at the Emirates is likely to hasten the departure of Alexander Hleb, who has been interesting Barcelona. Nasri can operate wide on the left of midfield, where Hleb has been playing, or through the middle, where Arsenal have just lost Mathieu Flamini to AC Milan. Nasri has been hailed in French circles, slightly prematurely, as the "new Zidane", although this has partly to do with his Algerian roots.'

For more on this story, click here


RAMSEY TO PROVE COSTLY
Both Liverpool and Arsenal are understood to have had bids for Cardiff City youngster Aaron Ramsey rejected.

According to The Guardian, 'the offers, both believed to be worth close to £5m, were turned down because Cardiff are seeking a more substantial sum up front, with the Championship club reluctant to agree a deal in which the bulk of the fee is linked closely to the teenager's development.'

For more on this story, click here


BARRY DOESN'T WANT TO BE KEPT AT VILLA
Gareth Barry has made absolutely no attempt to deny that he wants to leave Aston Villa.

Cornered by the press after England's win over the United States, Barry's waffle about being focused on the ever-so-exciting friendly in Trinidad this weekend was telling in what it did not include. Such as a pledge of a loyalty.

Here are the quotes that matter:

"Will I be at Villa next season? That is something I've been speaking to the manager and chairman about. We've already had one meeting.

"My idea was to get these two games out of the way and I am sure we will be speaking again soon.

"Any sort of interest by a big club is flattering but I am still an Aston Villa player, I've got two years left of my contract and until some sort of bid is accepted, or the manager tells me otherwise, there is no decision to make.

"No decision has been made because no bid has been accepted."

All those Villa fans considering hijacking the blog at the bottom of this page with a link to the 'Keep Barry At Villa' website should first consider whether that declaration is tantamount to supporting slavery.


ALONSO FOR £16M? ERM...
The Daily Mirror claims that Xabi Alonso is on the verge of joining Juventus for £16m.

Well, that's what the opening sentence of their report declares. The rest of their four-paragraph repotr suggests otherwise however. For instance, try and spot the problem with these concluding lines:

'The only sticking point is Liverpool's £16m asking price for the Spanish international, bought from Real Sociedad for £10m four years ago as manager Rafa Benitez's first signing.

'Juventus protest they want to go no higher than £12m, otherwise they will turn to Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani.'

The way they try to dismiss the small matter of the actual fee being merely the 'only' sticking point is truly marvellous.


CHELSEA TO FIGHT FOR LAMPARD
There's been plenty of talk about Inter Milan making a bid for Frank Lampard once Jose Mourinho is confirmed as their new manager and now The Times is in on the act as well.

The newspaper describes Chelsea 'as bracing themselves for an official bid', although they will make no attempt to rebuff any offer Didier Drogba having 'circulated his name to European clubs last week.'

But they are determined to keep Lampard.

'Lampard has been talking to Chelsea about a new contract for more than two years with little progress, but the club will make a concerted effort to secure his future next week. The 29-year-old has been excused from travelling to Trinidad for England's friendly international on Sunday and Chelsea hope to take advantage by inviting him to Stamford Bridge for talks,' says the newspaper.


POMPEY WANT SWP
£10m for Shaun Wright-Phillips? Well that's what The Sun reckons Harry Redknapp is willing to spend on the Chelsea reserve.

'Pompey boss Harry Redknapp wants to capitalise on his side's FA Cup success by strengthening his squad. And he believes he can persuade Chelsea to take a loss on out-of-favour Wright-Phillips,' the newspaper declares.

Transfer Gossip is declaring that Redknapp won't have much of a problem persuading Chelsea to sell if he hands over £10m.

One interesting sidenote in the story is the claim that 'Redknapp, whose side are in the UEFA Cup for the first time next term, had planned to sign Wright-Phillips and Jermain Defoe for Newcastle had he taken the Toon job in January.'


AND THE REST
Arsenal head a number of Premier League clubs chasing Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey...Aston Villa want to sign Atletico Madrid right-back Giourkas Seitaridis...Birmingham are trying to bring Stephen Clemence back to the club from Leicester...Nottingham Forest are set to make a bid for Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham...Derby want to sign Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse...Middlesbrough are going to make a £2million bid for Sheffield United midfielder Stephen Quinn...QPR are interested in Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson...Hull will make Derby forward Craig Fagan their first signing of the summer...Wolves have made a £1million bid for Peterborough striker Aaron McLean...Norwich want to sign Arsenal youngster Gavin Hoyte on loan.

Dean Ashton has agreed a new five-year deal to stay at West Ham which will almost treble his salary...Aston Villa are launching a £8million bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart...Andre Ooijer is looking to secure a move away from Blackburn this summer...Mark Beevers has turned down a move to Chelsea in favour of pledging his long-term future to Sheffield Wednesday...Sheffield United have told Wigan to drop their price tag for striker David Cotterill...Coventry want to sign Derby defender Dean Leacock..Burnley have had a £500,000 bid for Hearts winger Andrew Driver rejected...Crystal Palace and Charlton will battle it out to sign Blackpool playmaker Wes Hoolahan...Tottenham are closing in on deals to sign Barcelona youngster Giovani dos Santos and Sevilla winger Diego Capel...Marseille are set to make move for Bolton forward El-Hadji Diouf.