Football transfer news

Sam Allardyce has revealed he can do nothing to prevent Mohamed Diame leaving West Ham due to a contract clause allowing the midfielder to move in a cut-price deal, with Arsenal interested in the star performer.

The Senegal international has been a revelation since moving to Upton Park in the summer on a free transfer, but Goal.com exclusively revealed Arsenal will move for him in January as his release clause is “close to £4 million.”

And while the Hammers’ boss would love to keep the combative player in his side, the clause means a host of clubs may attempt to snap up Diame in the approaching transfer window.

“There is ­always a situation where you are powerless to keep a ­player. Because of the size of the fee, you can’t turn it down and the chairman says, ‘We can’t say no, we’ve got to move him on’. But I won’t be ­disclosing a player’s contract,” he told reporters.

Allardyce suggested the contract was one of the main reasons why Diame joined the east London club – and also revealed the player could well have joined Liverpool had Kenny Dalglish not been sacked.

He continued: “I didn’t really ever have to ­convince Mohamed to join West Ham, it was all about the contract. In the end, it took a bit of time, but we came to a financial agreement that was suitable for the club and the player.

“I spoke to Kenny about signing Mo. For me, it just made me feel so much better than I already felt about signing him, to have Kenny saying ‘Yeah, we were going to take him’.”

The 58-year-old suggested Diame’s contract stand-off with Wigan coupled with their fine late-season form meant the midfielder did not feature heavily at the DW Stadium, but has now found a new home: “Last year, at Wigan, Mohamed didn’t play as often. In the beginning, it was the refusal to sign a new contract and wanting to see it out.

“Then, at the latter end of the season, Wigan did very well and didn’t need him. In the end, that worked to our ­benefit.”

And Allardyce stated the January transfer window always brings uncertainty as clubs look to cherry-pick the best performers of the season so far, with Diame clearly a target for other Premier League clubs: “There is always a chance you will lose football ­players when they start getting ­attention, because everybody is ­searching for better players.

“I am listening to Michael Laudrup trying to keep Michu at Swansea ­because January is nearly here and all the agents are ringing him up.

“All that distraction starts now and doesn’t finish until January 31, when the transfer window is closed. That’s why we should all have a break,” he added.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he has not been contacted by PSG about joining them, as stories in France suggest the club’s owners are losing patience with current manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The Paris-based team spent lavishly in the summer transfer window to bring in stars such as Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but trail Ligue 1 leaders Lyon by two points having played a game more.

And while rumours persist that the Qatari owners are keen to replace the Italian boss with Jose Mourinho or Wenger, the Gunners’ manager states the club must stick with Ancelotti.

“They haven’t contacted me, and I think they must support Ancelotti,” he told French TV station TF1.

PSG won 4-0 against Evian on Saturday, but have lost to Nice, Rennes and Saint-Etienne since November, and only have two wins from six league games.

The Ligue 1 side qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League top of their group, but the owners of the club are looking at the likes of Mourinho and Wenger in order to turn PSG into a European powerhouse.

However, the 63-year-old stated the presence of rumours merely confirms that the club are unsettled, suggesting he is unlikely to be tempted to take over an unpredictable side: “When a club is surrounded by rumours, it’s because they are not strong enough and aren’t in control of things,” he added.

Wenger, who famously insists he will never break a contract, is under contract with the Gunners until 2014 – but currently also under pressure himself as Arsenal have made a poor start to the season. However, a 2-0 win against West Brom on Saturday eased concerns and saw the north London side rise to sixth in the Premier League table.

Neil Lennon has played down talk of Georgios Samaras joining Liverpool as mere speculation, with the Celtic boss confident he can keep all of his players together in January in light of their recent performances in the league and in Europe.

The defending Scottish Premier League champions are through to the knockout phase of the Champions League after an impressive performance in the group stages of the competition which included an incredible 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Celtic Park, and Lennon feels that in itself should keep everyone at the club, including Samaras.

“It’s just speculation, someone taking a flyer,” Lennon told reporters when questioned about reported interest from Anfield. “I’m not sure if anyone will want to leave just now, the way things are going. Samaras has been a huge player for the club. He’s been through a lot and has come out the other side and you can see what the fans think of him.

“I don’t think he’d be wanting to leave in too much of a hurry.The fact we’re through [to the Champions League last 16] is the difference,” he said.

Celtic are three points clear at the top of the SPL after a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock, and Lennon puts his side’s recent form down to hard work and focus, concentrating on every game rather than just the Champions League.

“The players aren’t looking a week or two down the line for the next Champions League game and maybe saving a bit for it. They know what’s at stake, they know our consistency hasn’t been all there,” added Lennon.

Marouane Fellaini has given Everton fans a massive boost by declaring his future lies at Goodison Park after fine performances this season have alerted some of Europe’s top clubs.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder has scored eight goals and provided four assists to lead the Toffees to seventh in the table, and a win over Tottenham on Sunday would send them into a Champions League qualification spot.

And despite the Belgium international turning heads with eye-catching displays, he insists he is only thinking about his current club – but warned they must maintain their focus and drive all season.

“My head is exclusively with Everton – I’m saying nothing about all the rumours,” he told The Sun.

“Although I’m happy to be praised for my performances, my future is with Everton.”

David Moyes’ side have started the season well with 23 points from 15 games, but have drawn their last three matches 1-1 – and Fellaini wants to keep his own fine record going to defeat Andre Villas-Boas’ side on Sunday: “I’m on a good run and I want that to continue against Spurs.

“We are playing well enough to fight for a European place, even the Champions League, but we must retain this rhythm all season.

“It won’t be easy but we want to do it – our fans deserve to have some more big European nights.”

Some observers have been surprised at Fellaini’s success in front of goal this season after being moved into a more advanced position by Moyes, yet the player suggested he has worked hard for his recent success.

He continued: “I am pleased with my current form. There’s no secret to it – it’s a combination of luck, work and good positioning in the penalty area.

“I do what the forwards do, and score goals.”

Roberto Mancini has revealed he may be planning to bolster his Manchester City squad in the January transfer window in a bid to retain their Premier League title after crashing out of Europe once again.

The league champions are three points behind rivals Manchester United but finished bottom of a Champions League group which included Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, failing to record a single victory.

And while the 48-year-old accepted it is “difficult” to improve the team at this point, he suggested the presence of new director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano will help the club to “move quickly” for targets.

“In January it’s difficult to find the players to improve our team a lot. We have the support from our chairman always and maybe we will talk about it. But it’s difficult to change the team in January,” he told reporters.

Mancini has expressed his frustration at missing out on transfer targets in the past, laying the blame at the previous chief executive Brian Marwood – but now feels the club are in a position to acquire their targets: “I think that now we have people who know the market and can move quickly. Also in the past – three years ago we did well. But sometimes you have to work harder and more quickly than other teams.”

The appointment of the former Barcelona duo has raised the possibility of Manchester City’s owners making an approach for Pep Guardiola at some point, but Mancini laughed it off when asked if he had a good relationship with Berigistain, saying: “Yes, him, me and Guardiola: I’m joking. He’s a good guy and he knows the market very well and we have the same ideas about football.”

And although some fans and pundits have questioned whether Mancini will be given another chance to win the Champions League for City after falling at the group stage twice, he is only looking ahead to the future.

He continued: “I’m disappointed about Europe but we can’t cry about this. I’m disappointed not for me as a manager but I’m sorry for the club, the owner and the supporters, for them.

“Now we can’t do anything more to improve this and I’m sure that we’ll do better next year. I understand because we went out of the Champions League and we made some mistakes and I accept all the criticism.

“But I think in two years we did a good job because we won three trophies in two years and for us that is important and we have the chance to win more trophies this year. I think in the last two years not many managers won three trophies,” he added.