Category: Transfer news

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is confident star player Wilfried Zaha will still be at Selhurst Park when the transfer window closes at the end of January.

Arsenal have been the England international’s main admirers and had begun neghotiations with the Eagles, in the hope of securing a €14.8 million deal this month.

However, Parish has insisted they will only sell talented forward if the south London club receive an offer they can’t refuse.

He told talkSPORT: “Right now we’re concentrating on trying to get out of this league and the best way of doing that is adding to what we’ve got, not losing players.

“I think he will be a Palace player until the summer. He has said himself that he really wants to help us get promoted. You can see on the pitch how hard he is trying to achieve that.

“I think he will be a Palace player until the summer and then we will look at it. Obviously, we will look at anything that anybody offers us because we will be mad not to.

“If we feel we can move the club forward from doing certain things, then we will. So, never say never. But right now we are focused on trying to keep everyone in the squad.”

Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker is determined to win his place back in the Spurs’ side after missing the start of the season with an Achilles injury.

The 32-year-old is yet to start for Andre Villas-Boas’ side in this campaign since his return from the sidelines in December due to the form of Sandro and Mousa Dembele.

Parker admits he endured a frustrating five months out of first-team action and is now focused on regaining match fitness to challenge for his place in the side once again.

He told The Sun: “When you’re out injured, it’s the worst time you can have as a footballer.

“I didn’t expect to be out for as long as I was. But I always thought I’d get back to where I need to be and it’s about hard work now.

“It’s obviously been a while since I have been involved, so the last few weeks have been pleasing, getting back amongst it. It was a bad injury but I never thought I wouldn’t come back from it. My Achilles is fine now. I just need to get match fit.”

The England international also feels Spurs must keep performing and concentrating on their own performances in the race for the Champions League places.

He added: “The league is tight. I think all we need to do is keep worrying about ourselves.”

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard insists Daniel Sturridge has the talent to be a star for the club, following his €14.8 million move from Chelsea.

The England striker was in attendance as the Reds beat Sunderland 3-0 at Anfield on Wednesday evening, and the Liverpool skipper is looking forward to linking up with the 23-year-old.

“Daniel has the quality,” Gerrard told Sky Sports. “I know he’s got it – I’ve seen it.

“He has said he wants to play football for a big club, the stage is set for him.

“He’s at an age now where he should be performing week in week out. There will be no excuses for him. He will be playing with good players at a great club.

“It’s all there for him. He just has to go and grasp it with both hands.

“I think he’s at the age now when he needs to settle down, get a settled club and show consistently what qualities he’s got.

“Daniel’s arrival will help the club. He’s got power, pace, strength – he has got huge potential.

“He’s another attacking option and if you look at the bigger picture from the beginning of the season up until now, we have been a little bit short in the final third.”

Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun has completed his loan spell with West Ham and has returned to the west London club.

The 32-year-old suffered a knee injury that reduced his involvement with Sam Allardyce’s Hammers leaving the Israeli to only make six appearances for the Upton Park outfit this campaign.

West Ham’s official Twitter account added the following statement following the Israeli’s return to his parent club.

“West Ham United can confirm that the loan of @YossiBenayoun15 has ended and he has returned to @chelseafc.

“The club would like to thank Yossi for his efforts during his second spell with the Hammers and wish him the best of luck for his future career.”

Benayoun, who has featured just 11 times for Chelsea since joining from Liverpool in July 2010 for a reported fee of £5 million, revealed the news on Twitter on December 27: “Recovering slowly from the injury..loan with west ham will be finish in few days so disappointed that I didn’t took part in the last games.”

Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena would only leave the club if “one of the two Manchester clubs” wanted to sign him according to his agent Christophe Hutteau.

The 28-year-old has established himself for both club and country and has appeared keen to extend his current deal to 2017 but his agent admitted he could be tempted away from Ligue 1.

“If Mathieu has given a lot to the club, he is also aware the club has given him a lot too,” Hutteau told L’Equipe 21.

“For him, you don’t leave OM to go to Newcastle. If, one day, it’s one of the two Manchester clubs who come in for him, we’ll think about it, but so will the OM board.”

The Frenchman’s current deal expires in 2015 but the player is committed to the club and keen to help them return to the Champions League, after last season’s mid-table finish saw them miss out.

“Neither Mathieu nor myself are talking about leaving. He has the club under his skin,” Hutteau added.

“The non-qualification [for the Champions League] was merely a workplace accident. He wants to be one of the players who bring the club back into the Champions League.”