Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp on Friday all but ruled out a move to take Ruud van Nistelrooy to White Hart Lane because of the level of the Real Madrid striker’s wages.
West Ham United have reportedly made the Dutchman an offer of a short-term deal on £100,000 (US$160,000) a week, while Turkish side Galatasaray, German club Hamburg SV and Stoke City are also reported to be interested in signing the former Manchester United forward.
Redknapp admitted that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would be reluctant to shatter the club’s wage structure in order to land van Nistelrooy, who is keen to be playing regularly in the run-up to the World Cup.
“Daniel, the chairman here, runs a good business and wouldn’t be paying that sort of money,” Redknapp said. “It would break our wage structure by an awful long way. He’s probably worth it and is probably earning an awful lot more at Real Madrid. He’s been a great player and could still be that for someone.”
“It’s a gamble because he has been injured,” he said. “A fit Ruud van Nistelrooy is world class, but it’s a gamble as to whether he’s fit. If you have him for 18 months and he’s not fit, it’s a big problem to have a massive wage on your bill, but if he plays and scores he can take the club to another level. I’ve always been a big admirer of him, he’s a fantastic player, but that sort of basic wage wouldn’t be a possibility at Tottenham. Not a chance.”
In other transfer news, Steve Bruce has insisted he will not allow Kenwyne Jones to leave Sunderland on loan and voiced his frustration at persistent speculation linking the Trinidad and Tobago striker with a move to Liverpool.
“Kenwyne Jones is not going to go on loan to anybody, to help Liverpool or anybody else,” Bruce said on Friday. “I would be mad.”
Bruce did not rule out selling the striker, but questioned whether Liverpool had the funds to pay the “huge amount of money” it would take for Sunderland to let one of their prize assets leave.
The Sunderland boss added: “I haven’t even got a price because I don’t think Liverpool can go there. It’s like me asking for Steven Gerrard on loan — I’ll try, maybe. It’s hugely disrespectful.”
Burnley, meanwhile, have signed France under-21 striker Frederic Nimani from Monaco on an initial five-month loan.
The 21-year-old becomes new Clarets boss Brian Laws’ first signing since taking over at Turf Moor.
Manchester City have loaned Slovakia winger Vladimir Weiss to Bolton Wanderers until the end of the season.
Also See: Munster grab quarter-final spot
ADVANTAGE ATLETICO: Well off the pace in La Liga, the Copa del Rey represents Atletico Madrid’s best chance of silverware this season Atletico Madrid on Thursday hammered Copa del Rey holders Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of their semi-final. After an Eric Garcia own-goal sent Diego Simeone’s side ahead early on, Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez struck to give Atletico a landslide lead by halftime. Barca defender Garcia was sent off in the final stages, with Atletico maintaining their significant advantage on the record 32-time winners, which they take into the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 3. Both sides missed good chances in the second half, with Barca’s Pau Cubarsi having a goal disallowed before Garcia was sent off
Stade Rennais, four days after firing coach Habib Beye, stunned Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on Friday, snapping the defending champions’ seven-match winning run in French Ligue 1. Second-placed RC Lens could leapfrog the champions and retake top spot last night after press time if they beat Paris FC in the capital. PSG started brightly, with Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue carving openings to no avail. Rennes fired Beye on Monday and promoted his assistant Sebastien Tambouret, and the same players who had lost four games on the bounce seemed transformed. Jordanian forward Mousa al-Tamari bagged the opener, unleashing a fierce strike
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the cohosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the World Cup yesterday in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, for their second win in Group B. The 2014 champions piled up 225-5, the highest total of the tournament, before restricting an outclassed Oman to 120-9. The 43-year-old Mohammad Nadeem waged a lone battle for Oman, compiling an unbeaten 53 to become the oldest player to score a 50 in T20 World Cups. Having promoted himself up the order and under pressure to deliver, Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka smashed a 19-ball half-century. It has been
Manchester City FC halved Arsenal FC’s lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 home defeat of Fulham FC, and Aston Villa FC stayed in the frame with a late 1-0 victory at home to Brighton and Hove Albion FC on Wednesday. Nottingham Forest FC squandered a chance to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three as they drew 0-0 at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Second-from-bottom Burnley FC pulled off a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace FC to boost their slender survival hopes. City have little margin for error in their pursuit
RSS