Football transfer news

Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen took 10 seconds to reject an approach from Manchester City, according to the player’s agent.

The Premier League champions, along with Zenit St Petersburg and an unnamed German club, were interested in signing the 20-year-old during the summer transfer window in 2011, while the Denmark international was also asked to meet Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini in Sardinia.

But Eriksen snubbed the interest to stay in the Eredivisie, and the midfielder’s agent, Martin Schoot, has revealed the decision was based his progression at Ajax.

“He’s not interested in money,” Schoot told De Telegraff.

“He choose [to stay] for his development and because of that he’s at Ajax. He’s got a excellent relationship with Frank de Boer and he’s enjoying himself in Amsterdam.”

“Christian didn’t think about it [the offer from Manchester City] for longer then 10 seconds.”

Eriksen will come face to face with the Premier League champions, when they travel to Amsterdam to face Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Andy Carroll has aired his dissatisfaction with the way he feels he has been treated by Liverpool, revealing that his dearth of prospects at the club prompted him to accept a loan move to Premier League rivals West Ham.

As things stand, Carroll remains a Liverpool player, but the 23-year-old disclosed how West Ham manager Sam Allardyce offered him the regular first team football that was not on the cards for him at Anfield.

“I haven’t really had a fair chance at Liverpool,” Carroll told ESPN.
 

“I was really told that I should move on to keep playing regular football, and obviously then Sam wanted me here and told me I would be playing regular games. So, for me it was a no-brainer coming here and to play.

“Obviously, I didn’t really get a chance there.”

Despite holding the title of Liverpool’s record signing at £35 million, the former Newcastle icon was never able to hold down a regular starting spot on Merseyside, a situation that was exacerbated by the arrival of Brendan Rodgers in the summer.

“A new manager came in and I wasn’t part of his plans,” Carroll claimed. “For me to play football, that was my chance to do that. That is why I am here at Upton Park.

“I think I could fit into every system. I believe in what I can do. Obviously [Rodgers] has his beliefs and he didn’t think that.

“But for me, obviously, it was better to move on instead of waiting for my chance – which he told me might not come.”

Carroll also spoke of his happiness at scoring for Roy Hodgson’s England at Euro 2012, and of his determination to use his chance at Upton Park to prove himself as a striker of international pedigree.

He said: “The work I put in over the season, I deserved that goal. I kept my head a lot when I could have lost it at Liverpool. I got my chance at the Euros and I took it.

“Coming here, I have got a great chance to start games and score goals, which I haven’t really had many of last season.

“I don’t think I have got a point to prove, that is the wrong way to put it. I know what I can do and the ability I have got. I know what I am capable of.

“If other people don’t believe it, that is fine. I just get on with it. But at the end of the day, I know what I can do.”

Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian has revealed he had offers in the summer to move to Tottenham or Chelsea.

Tuesday’s Champions League fixtures see Shakhtar play host to holders the Blues, with the Brazilian likely to be central to Shakhtar’s chances of getting a result. The playmaker has disclosed, though, how he could easily be lining up for the away team.

“There were two offers in the summer,” he told Lancenet.

“One from Chelsea and one from Tottenham. Choosing between the two clubs would be difficult. I don’t know.”

Roberto Di Matteo’s club spent big in the summer transfer market in the wake of their Champions’ League win, with Willian’s compatriot Oscar and Belgian winger Eden Hazard amongst the more high-profile of the signatures that were secured.

Willian’s club manager, Mircea Lucescu, also revealed Chelsea’s coveting of his playmaker in the summer, claiming the London club had made a “big mistake” in missing out on the Brazilian.

The 24-year-old also spoke of the attraction of joining Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Tottenham and specifically their newly-appointed manager.

“I mean, Tottenham is a big club and it has a good person in charge. Andre Villas-Boas wanted to bring me to Chelsea and also tried at Tottenham,” Willian added.

“He always sends me messages. We are always in touch, and he has become a friend, for sure. And Chelsea is Chelsea. They are a great team, with amazing players and are the champions of Europe.”

Despite his contentment in his current situation, where Willian is one of a large Brazilian contingent at Shakhtar, the attacker hinted that a move to one of Europe’s more high-profile leagues could well boost his chances for the Brazilian national team.

He said: “Everybody knows what my goal is. I’ve clearly stated that I would like to play in a bigger stage, whether it be England, Spain or Italy.

“I want to come back to the national team, and being in a bigger spotlight would help me get noticed.”

Former Brazil coach Dunga has told Neymar to resist the allure of moving to a European club for now and instead concentrate on gaining more experience in his homeland.

The Santos striker is widely expected to continue his career on the continent in the near future, with the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea reportedly registering an interest in the 20-year-old, who has 25 international caps to his name.

But at a press event organised in Kolkata to announce an exhibition friendly between the Brazilian Masters and Sports Ministers Legends on December 8, Dunga, who will feature in the match, took the opportunity to warn the forward against a transfer.

“He should not play in Europe now,” he said. “He can take a call after three years. He is currently the best player in Brazil but he needs to gain more experience. He is Brazil’s best asset to win trophies.

“For now I feel he should stay in Brazil. If he moves to Europe now, he will have to adapt to a new environment and that could affect his form.

“His target should be to do well in World Cup 2014 and for that it’s best if he remains in Brazil.”

Dunga coached the Selecao for a four-year period between 2006 and 2010 and led the nation to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa before his dismissal, with Mano Menezes taking over the reins.

And the former midfielder is desperate for the next generation to mature and begin a march up the world rankings – something he believes they are capable of doing.

“We don’t want our team there [14th in the world],” he added. “We know [Spain] are the best. The team is growing up.

“We need time. We need to keep playing and we will get there. We have good enough players. The team is getting strong. I’m sure we are going to bounce back soon.”

Some supporters booed Menezes’ youngsters following their Olympic final defeat to Mexico, but the 48-year-old does not believe there is a sizeable gap between the current crop of Brazilians and previous generations.

“There is not much of a difference in the standard of football. In the past, the winning margin would be three or four goals, while these days we are winning by only one or two,” he continued.

“We have home advantage and so we have a chance [to win the World Cup]. We have plenty of talent in the team like Neymar, Ganso, Oscar and Lucas [Moura].

“Kaka is a very important member of the Brazil national team even though he is not a regular at his club [Real Madrid], while with Ronaldinho it only depends on him.

“If he plays the way he does for Barcelona, then it would be a welcome sign. [As for Mano Menezes], he is very new. It’s too early to say anything about him. We have to see how he does in the future.”