On The Move? - Latest Transfer Talk.
Who? - David Bentley - Speculation Where is he? - Blackburn Rovers Who is he linked with? - The exit door
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes insists David Bentley will still be at Ewood Park next season even if the England international refuses to sign the new Rovers contract he has been offered. The 23-year-old former Arsenal star has enjoyed a scintillating season with Rovers alerting several other clubs to his availability, with Tottenham the latest to express an interest in him. However, Hughes is adamant that one of his hottest properties will not be allowed to leave the club this summer, telling the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "We've offered David a new contract to reward him for the season he's just had. If he doesn't sign it then it's not a problem, we'll just stay as we are and move forward. We'll probably have to put up with a lot of speculation about David's situation over the summer, but I've said it so many times now that I'm sure everyone is clear about my view on it. We haven't put a price on his head, and we aren't going to. Some people in the papers are trying to say that we've actually stated a price that we'd accept, but that isn't the case - it's inaccurate. I need to add to the quality here, not take quality away. Okay, I might be able to get a certain amount of money for any given player in the squad, but are you able to replace that quality with similar quality for the same price? It's difficult. I'd rather keep what I know, and keep the players that I've worked with, because they understand what I want and you don't have to start the process from a low point again, and build up to the point where you've had players with you for two or three years, which is where we are now. So it doesn't make sense to let players go, certainly when I don't have to." Bentley has scored 21 goals in 133 appearances for Rovers since joining the club three years ago.
Who? - Dean Ashton - Speculation Where is he? - West Ham United Who is he linked with? - The exit door
West Ham United are keen to tie Dean Ashton down to a new long-term contract and will hold talks with the former Crewe Alexandra and Norwich City striker on Friday. The 25-year-old has endured two injury-ravaged seasons at Upton Park but was back to his best in the closing weeks of the campaign just ended. Ashton has scored 17 times in 51 first-team appearances for the club with 11 of those coming this season, including five in his last eight matches. The former England Under-21 international still has two years left on his current contract, but the Hammers' chief executive Scott Duxbury told the club's official website: "The end of the season was the appropriate time to discuss such matters and to meet Dean Ashton and his representatives. "We will sit down on Friday with a view to agreeing a new long-term contract to keep Dean Ashton at Upton Park. Everyone at West Ham United is committed to taking the club forward."
Who? - Mauro Zarate - Quite likely Where is he? - Birmingham City Who is he linked with? - The exit door
Birmingham City's loan striker Mauro Zarate is a target for several other Premier League clubs, following the Blues' relegation from the top-flight. The 21-year-old Argentinian scored four times in 14 appearances for the Blues following his arrival from Qatari side Al Sadd, impressing with both his skill and commitment. Zarate's agent, Christian Otero, told BBC Sport: "He's in discussions with two top English sides at the moment. "Al Sadd had quoted about 20million for him but I think he will go for about 10million. I expect to have more details regarding Mauro's future next week." Birmingham manager Alex McLeish had earlier admitted that he was disappointed to see his chances of signing Zarate on a permanent basis ended by his side's demotion. He told the Birmingham Mail: "Mauro's going to be an attractive proposition to Premier League clubs, in fact I know he is. "I would like to thank him for his spell here and he made an impact, which was never going to be easy. It was a little bit of a risk bringing him in from a league where you can get away with things, be lazy and still look like a world-class star. I applaud his spirit, his heart and he will be a good asset to one of the big clubs, if not here then abroad. He's a real talent and it's just a shame that our situation counted against us."
