Morning:
13°c
Arsenal and Man City target Hammers stars
Ken Dyer06.01.09
West Ham insisted today they will reject any bid from Arsenal for England defender Matthew Upson as they come under increasing pressure to sell their top players in the transfer window.
It is thought the Gunners are preparing a move for Upson with striker Nicklas Bendtner being offered to Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola as part of the deal.
West Ham have denied they are planning a fire-sale of their most valuable players but, with Manchester City manager Mark Hughes expected to complete the signing of Scott Parker later today before upping his bid for Craig Bellamy, teams are preparing to test their resolve.
Upson, who missed West Ham's 3-0 FA Cup win over Barnsley with a virus, is also rumoured to be wanted by Aston Villa but, despite the club's financial problems, chief executive Scott Duxbury is adamant that Upson will not be leaving during this month's transfer window.
Duxbury has maintained that he is under no pressure to sell any of his star players although he has said that "each approach will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career".
Duxbury, though, has had talks with both Upson and his agent, during which the former Arsenal and Birmingham defender has made it clear he is enjoying his football and is happy to stay.
Zola is also keen to keep Upson, who has been West Ham's most consistent performer this season. The club, who are up for sale and attracting interest from potential investors, are expected to sell Parker to City for around £12million and Hughes may also try his luck by offering £20m for Bellamy.
Tottenham are keen to sign the Wales striker but can't compete with City. Hughes, desperate to bolster his under-achieving squad after their FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest, has already had an earlier bid of £15m rejected for Bellamy and Parker.
West Ham, though, have also made it clear that none of their players will leave without first a replacement being lined up.
Zola and assistant manager Steve Clarke, meanwhile, will see the long-awaited return of Kieron Dyer against Barnsley as akin to signing a new player.
Dyer, who has been out for 18 months after breaking a leg, came on for the last 20 minutes of the third-round win and Clarke said: "You saw against Barnsley when Kieron came on that he has quality but that he was struggling because he is lacking condition.
"We knew he was not fully match fit and we knew it would be a little gamble putting him on the bench."
Reader views (12)
Paxton N17 - Hopefully you are not an accountant either! Arsenal have a loan to cover the cost of the stadium, unlike other clubs who have huge debts for purchasing players & paying their salaries. The cost of the loan is financed by the increase in revenue obtained as a result of increasing their capacity to 60,000, together with the additional hospitality & other add ons. In addition the money is coming in fast from the sale of the properties developed from Highbury & those surrounding the Emirates stadium. Indeed Arsenal are one of the most profitable football clubs in the world.
- Rob Gooner, North London
Paxton, I think Rob means Arsenal are in a strong position because their income far exceeds their expenditure.
The debt you refer to is effectively a mortgage for the new stadium, the new stadium almost doubling match day revenues and thus being a sound financial investment.
Aren't Tottenham on the verge of building a new stadium?
How do you think that will be paid for, with marshmallows?
Anyway, as Clive said, the reason Upson left was because there were other Englishmen already in place blocking his path.
- John, London
Rob the Crooner , Arsenal are quite a lot in debt, you seem to be a man of means, why not help your club out in these hard financial times, pay off Wenger, get a decent manager, then buy a few players who are used to the premiership, I can see Fabrigas being one of the first to go at the end of the season.
These personal questions that you are asking me, I am getting a bit worried about you, I am very happy with my wife and no way do I want to be the next Mr Rob the Gonner.
At least if they get Upson he can sit next to Pat Rice on the team coach on the way to matches and give him someone to talk to other than the coach driver, and have a few beers with after the match, bet them Africans and Frenchman are bundles of fun in the bar and very shy to but a drink.
- Terry, London
Rob Gooner, Arsenal, strong financial position you say, with 318 Million pound of debt ??? Glad you are not my accountant
- Paxton, N17
Terry - Wrong again I own my own substaltial house, without a mortgage & Mrs G lives there happily with me. No I wouldnt gamble my home on anything. In respect of Arsene Wenger, he has brought success to Arsenal while restructuring the club. We now have superb training facillities & an amazing stadium. We are in a strong financial position, unlike most clubs & have a superb crop of young players in the 1st team & in the pipeline. Wenger made a decision to develop young players as it became impossible to compete with clubs that are either in huge debt or are 'fincially doped'. The fruit of this being seen as we have collected substantial fees for players that have been nurtured at Arsenal, but not made the grade. Hopefully, we can reclaim 4th place & qualify for the champions again next season. Who do you support Terry? Do you have a Mrs & a mortgage?
- Rob Gooner, North London
Rob The 'Gonner' a couple of years ago what you are hoping Arsenal achieve this season would be considered a failure, don't re mortgage your house (that you supposedly live in with Mrs Rob The Gonner) betting on your team finishing in the top four, you are dropping too many points to teams that you should be beating. There are 4 tropies to play for every season, when was it that 'Whinger' last won one of them? face it mate you are on the way down the league, plenty more mercenaries will be jumping ship at the end of the season.
- Terry, London
Terry, Hopefully Arsenal will finish in the top four & qualify for the Champions league once again. Winning the 2 major trophies are extremely difficult these days as the competition is fierce. However, Wenger is building an exciting young side with the emergence of your beloved English players now evident. As stated by Wenger English/British players tend to be extremely dear & in many cases simply not up to the standard of those he was able to purchase overseas. Watch out for Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs, Randall, Lansbury, Simpson & Hoyte. Together with Walcott these could possibly be the future backbone of Arsenal's first team. In any event quite frankly I couldnt care where they come from as long as they are good enough.
- Rob Gooner, North London
It was Upson's decision to leave Arsenal not Wenger's. At the time we had Sol Campbell and Martin Keown ahead of Upson. If he had been patient, Upson would be a first teamer at Arsenal.
- Clive, London
Wenger is too arrogant and too hard headed to accept his mistake to let Upsin go in the first place.
Arsenal need Upson very much. Wenger is too proud to fall for Upson and will defy everybody and sign some unknown player.
A.Messina
- A.Messina, Malta
I am shocked, 'Whinger' after an Englishman, can't be true, hope Upson buys a French phrase book for the pre match team talk, mind you when Arsenal had Dixon, Keown, Adams and Winterburn at the back they looked 10 times better than the collection of mercenaries he uses now, even Rob the Gonner has to admit that, another season without silverwear on the cards i'm afraid, just deserts for fielding a London side without English lads, wonder what this end of season excuse will be?
- Terry, London
we musy buy upson even if it costs us 18mil, but we must also keep bendtner this lad is gooner be world class. as for ramsey he will 100% be world class but we should have patience with him, hes only 17 give him a year as a squad player then a year on loan to another prem club and buy the time he is 20 he will be a cross between giggs and mark hughes at their best.
- Simon, wales
I would be extremely shocked to see Wenger sign Upson, as he has never during all his years at Arsenal re-signed a player he has let go.
- Rob Gooner, North London
