Transfer Clockwatch

Follow the deals and speculation during the January window

20120120

Top seed Ferrer will now face Andujar in the last eight

Top seed David Ferrer was in complete control as he eased past Lukasz Kubot in straight sets at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

The Spaniard won 82 per cent of points on first serve and did not face a break point as he claimed a 6-3 6-3 win in 75 minutes.

Ferrer's quarter-final opponent will be compatriot Pablo Andujar, who upset fifth seed Florian Meyer 4-6 7-5 6-4.

Second seed Nicolas Almagro also advance with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over Benoit Paire.

Two-time champion Almagro goes through to another all-Spanish quarter final against Fernando Verdasco, the eighth seed, who beat Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4 6-2.

Fourth seed Kei Nishikori was defeated in three sets by Jeremy Chardy.

The Japanese player appeared to be cruising to victory when he took the first set for the loss of just one game, but Chardy stormed back to claim a 1-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-0 win.

Seventh seed Marcel Granollers was also ousted as Santiago Giraldo claimed a 6-4 6-3 win, while Carlos Berlocq beat Potito Starace 6-1 6-4 and Stanislas Wawrinka beat Albert Ramos 6-3 3-6 6-3.

FA director says coach could take over just days before Euro 2012

Sir Trevor Brooking, one of the four men in charge of finding England's next coach, insists there is 'no rush' over the appointment.

Caretaker boss Stuart Pearce oversaw a 3-2 friendly defeat to Holland in the Three Lions' first game since former manager Fabio Capello resigned.

Pearce has made it clear he would be happy to stay in charge for the European Championship this summer, but admits he is not the man 'long-term'.

But, with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp favourite for the position as Spurs battle for a UEFA Champions League place, it seems likely the Three Lions will not know who will be at the helm for some time.

Brooking, one of four Football Association officials in charge of making the appointment, does not envisage that being a problem though, because of the thorough preparations being made for the tournament.

"Everything will be in place," he is quoted by The Independent.

"The backroom staff is very good. Whoever comes in will be really happy with that.

"The issue is the timing, that is why we don't think we are in any rush.

"I think you could get somebody parachuted in a few days before it, though I'm sure there are some people in our group who don't want that."

Back-burner

Brooking added that discussions about the new man had been on the back-burner ahead of the Dutch game.

"We've been concentrating on the Holland game," he said.

"Now we'll sit down in the next few days and see what the timeframe is.

"We will take our time. I don't see anything happening soon. We obviously want to be aware of all the sensitivities before taking it forward. There are sensitivities."

Bayern keeping tabs on Guidetti

Bayern Munich are monitoring the availability of Manchester City's young striker John Guidetti after his impressive form on loan at Feyenoord this season.

The German giants sent a delegation to watch the Swede score his third hat-trick in five games against Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday, taking his goal tally for the season to 17 in 15 appearances.

The 19-year-old nevertheless faces a tough task to establish himself at the Etihad Stadium given the presence of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko and possibly even the return of Carlos Tevez to manager Roberto Mancini's attacking ranks.

And Bayern's youth coach and scout Bjorn Andersson, quoted in De Telegraaf, said: "We are looking at him and a striker at Montpellier, (Olivier) Giroud, very closely."

Giroud has scored 21 goals in 27 appearances this season for Montpellier who sit second in Ligue 1, just a point behind big-spending leaders Paris St Germain.

Dortmund chose Reus over Lamela

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has revealed the club passed on the chance to sign Argentinean youngster Erik Lamela last season.

Instead, Dortmund chose to wait for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marco Reus to become available, a move which was finalised in January and will be completed at the end of the season.

Lamela, one of the brightest prospects to emerge from Argentina in recent years, was linked to many European clubs last season while he was still playing for River Plate.

La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid were said to be extremely keen on him, but in the end it was Roma who secured his services in a €12million deal.

However, Zorc has since revealed BVB were very much in the running for Lamela as well, but ultimately opted against signing him as they were unsure how well he would adapt to the Bundesliga.

"There were too many uncertainties [with Lamela]," Zorc told Kicker. "With Marco Reus, we knew what we would get."

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp echoed Zorc's opinion that Reus represented a safer investment.

"In Marco, we had a character we could 100% evaluate," Klopp said. "That is very important.

"With Lamela, we could not do that."

Lamela has established himself as a key player for Roma despite still being only 19, already making 17 appearances in Serie A this season, while Reus has starred for Gladbach this term, scoring 13 goals in 19 league games.

Nuremberg confirm Kiyotake interest

Nuremberg chairman Martin Bader has confirmed his club are looking to reignite their interest in Cerezo Osaka star Hiroshi Kiyotake.

The Bundesliga outfit reportedly failed in an earlier bid to sign 22-year-old Kiyotake, who scored four goals in nine appearances for Cerezo in last year's AFC Champions League.

Nonethless, Nuremberg are said to be undeterred by their rejected bid for the attacking midfielder, and are ready to test Cerezo's resolve once again.

"We will cooperate and have talks with both Kiyotake and his club," Bader said, according to Kicker.

Nuremberg will reportedly have to shell out €1million for the Japan international, a fee they are said to be willing to pay considering Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart have also been linked with the player.

German football has seen an influx of Japanese players in recent years, with Shinji Kagawa, originally from Cerezo, currently starring for defending league champions Borussia Dortmund.

Hajime Hosogai has also established himself as a key member for Augsburg, where he is currently on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, although 19-year-old Takashi Usami has struggled to establish himself at Bayern Munich and is said to be seriously considering his future at the Allianz Arena.

Agent: Barca not an option for Silva

Agent of AC Milan defender Thiago Silva has declared that the 27-year-old Brazilian is happy with life at San Siro and not thinking of a transfer.

Silva joined Milan from Fluminense in the summer of 2009, and has since developed into a key player at the Rossoneri, helping the club to the Scudetto last season.

His performances for the Milan haven't gone unnoticed as Barcelona have been reported to make a bid for Silva at the end of the season.

Silva's agent Paulo Fernando Tonietto made it clear that the player is happy with life in Italy and will only leave Milan only if the club decides so.

Tonietto told calciomercato.com: "Thiago is happy at Milan. He is a calm person and realises that he is playing for a great club.

"If he does not stay at Milan, it will be because the club decides otherwise.

''He is the best player in the world in his position, so it's easy to link his name to Barcelona. But neither Barcelona, nor Milan or Thiago has called to discuss this option. It is just speculation.

"Could he end his career with Milan? He is 27 years old and has a four-year contract, so that could happen," the agent stated.

Silva was named Best Defender in the Serie A for 2011 after his excellent performances for AC Milan last year.

Boateng back for Arsenal game

Kevin Prince-Boateng returned to training on Monday alongside Alessandro Nesta, Alexandre Pato and Christian Abbiati as they seek to overcome their British jinx.

The Rossoneri have failed to beat English sides at this stage of the competition in the past four years. 

The Italian side meet Arsenal at the San Siro on Wednesday with painful memories of the corresponding fixture in 2008. Former Arsenal players Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor had scored then in the last 12 minutes of the 2nd leg knocking out AC Milan, who were also the reigning champions at the time.

The club website reports that Kevin Prince-Boateng has returned to light training after recovering from a thigh strain and he carried out tactical training alongside the rest of the squad. 

Alexandre Pato also returned to training but it is uncertain if he will be ready for the Champions League encounter. La Gazetto delo Sport reported that Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri may not wish to risk the fitness of the Brazilian striker and would instead prefer to keep him in reserve for the title clash against Juventus on 25 February. 

Pato was the subject of a bid by Paris St Germain in January but he refused to agree personal terms opting instead to stay with Milan. 

AC Milan lead Juventus by two points in the Serie A but the latter have two games in hand. AC Milan, seeking to win back-to-back championships for the first time since 1994, have 15 games remaining till the end of the season.  

Siena 1-0 Roma

Siena climbed five points clear of the Serie A relegation zone with a narrow home win over Roma.

Emanuele Calaio converted a penalty early in the second half after Simon Kjaer brought down Mattia Destro to settle the game.

The win at the Artemio Franchi stadium was Siena's first since January 4 and lifted the Tuscan outfit into 16th place.

For Roma it was a seventh defeat of the campaign and saw them miss the chance to leapfrog Inter Milan into fifth in the standings.

The visitors dominated possession, but Siena looked more dangerous and almost went in front in the ninth minute.

Luca Rossetini fed Destro in the box and his right-footed shot went over the bar.

Siena missed another good chance when Franco Brienza found Calaio in the heart of the area and his effort went wide.

Roma almost made Siena pay for their misses in the 20th minute when Erik Lamela's goal-bound volley from outside the area forced Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo into a diving save.

Midway through the first half Destro sent his right-footed attempt over the bar as another opportunity went begging for the hosts.

Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg then came off his line to clear a dangerous ball with an unmarked Calaio in pursuit and early in the second half denied Destro from 10 yards.

The referee then pointed to the spot after Destro went down under Kjaer's challenge.

Calaio sent his penalty towards the left corner and, even though Stekelenburg guessed correctly he could not get a touch to keep the ball out.

Roma coach Luis Enrique brought on his team's leading scorer Daniel Osvaldo on the hour mark for his first appearance of the year after injury.

However, Siena defended deeply and the closest the visitors got to equalising was eight minutes from time when Fabio Borini's volley from 12 yards was kept out by Pegolo.

Di Natale, Isla injured in Milan game

Udinese have suffered a double blow ahead of Thursday's Europa League last 32 encounter against PAOK Salonika with midfielder Mauricio Isla and striker Antonio Di Natale out injured.

Both players got hurt during Saturday's 2-1 league loss to AC Milan.

Tests done today revealed Isla has ligament damage in his right knee, while Di Natale, who is Serie A's top scorer with 17 goals netted so far, has fractured a toe in his right foot.

The club has not confirmed how long the two players will be absent but they are likely to be sidelined for at least three weeks. 

The Udine-based club are one point behind Lazio in fourth place with both clubs in the hunt for a Champions League position.

Napoli 2-0 Chievo

Napoli won their first Serie A game since January 8 by defeating Chievo at the Stadio San Paolo.

Miguel Britos and Edinson Cavani scored the goals for Walter Mazzarri's men in the first half and Chievo were unable to respond.

The result takes Napoli up to within a point of sixth-placed Roma, giving them a three-point cushion over Palermo, while Chievo missed the chance to pull 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

Napoli took the lead after quarter of an hour with Britos meeting a corner with a powerful header which left Stefano Sorrentino no chance in the Chievo goal.

Chievo's best chance of the first half arrived after half an hour when Sergio Pellissier's shot was saved well by Morgan de Sanctis.

Salvatore Aronica was lucky that the referee did not see him lash out with his elbow and strike Alberto Paloschi in the face as the pair jostled for the ball near the sideline in the 33rd minute.

Five minutes later, Napoli were given a penalty when Sorrentino resorted to desperate measures to prevent Cavani from scoring in open play.

The Chievo custodian had no chance of preventing Cavani from scoring from the spot either as the Uruguayan doubled Napoli's advantage.

Napoli appeared to take the foot off the accelerator in the second half and they were almost punished when Cyril Thereau went close to bringing Chievo back into the game in the 66th minute.

The miss seemed to demoralise the visitors, though, and they appeared more and more resigned to defeat as the minutes passed.

Napoli played down the clock without wasting too much energy to pick up all three points at the San Paolo for the first time since they demolished Genoa before Christmas.

Enrique: We couldn't control the ball

Roma manager Luis Enrique says his team's failure to control the ball resulted in their 1-0 defeat at Siena on Monday.

Siena climbed five points clear of the Serie A relegation zone with the narrow win over a Roma side which set out to take the game to the home team.

However, the visitors struggled at times to break down the home defence and then fell behind to a goal after Emanuele Calaio converted a penalty early in the second half.

Calaio's spot kick turned out to be the match winner in the end as Roma were held scoreless by Siena.

"This was not our night, we made too many mistakes," Enrique told Sky Sport Italia.

"Many of our players were below their usual level.

"We always tried to attack, but if we do not control the ball it leaves us in trouble. It is clear we are still far from having the consistency that we are looking for.

"Siena were great in defence and they closed down very well."

The defeat was Roma's seventh of the campaign and leaves them in sixth position and one point behind Inter Milan who also lost 1-0 in their game with Novara at the weekend.

Ranieri calm on Sneijder future

Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri claims Wesley Sneijder has given no indication that he is planning to leave the club.

The Holland international was strongly linked with a move to England last summer, with Manchester United reported to be keen on him.

And speculation now suggests that ambitious Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala are readying a big-money raid for the Dutchman.

Their transfer window does not close until the end of February and club officials are said to have been sent to Italy in an effort to thrash out a deal.

They were successful in their efforts to lure Samuel Eto'o away from Inter in August 2011, but Ranieri says there is little chance of Sneijder making a similar switch.

"Could he be on his way to Anzhi? As far as I'm concerned, and I hope the player too, no," Ranieri told Inter's official website.

"I asked him: 'Do you feel you are important for this team? Because you are important for us,' and he replied 'Yes, I'm happy here'.

"He's a champion, he just has to find his rhythm again and we have to work out again how to keep him supplied with the ball, just as he has to work out how to feed our strikers.

"He has told me he is happy here at Inter, so I'm pretty calm."

Lopez delighted by 'dream' Milan goal

Argentinean striker Maxi Lopez has admitted scoring in AC Milan's 2-1 win over Udinese felt like a dream to him.

Milan looked headed for defeat on Saturday after Antonio Di Natale had given Udinese an early lead, but Lopez, on loan from Catania till the end of the season, came off the bench to net the equaliser, before setting up Stephan El Shaarawy's 85th-minute winner.

While he admitted he was happy with his personal contribution, Lopez also emphasised how important Saturday's victory was, especially as it came against one of their title rivals.

"I'm not just content, I'm really happy because scoring for this team has always been my dream," Lopez said on the club's official website.

"This win is important because it gives the team confidence to push forward.

"We have to continue to find momentum and to get the three points one game at a time."

Lopez also paid credit to El Shaarawy, who was a capable replacement for the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Saturday.

"El Shaarawy is young but he's growing a lot," Lopez said. "And this group is strong. Everyone gives their all when they get on the pitch."

Milan are next in action on Wednesday when they take on Arsenal in the Champions League, before they return to Serie A action on Sunday against Cesena.

Parma vs Juventus Preview

Juventus midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini has called on his team-mates to make Wednesday's rescheduled clash at Parma count as they look to go back to the top of Serie A.

The match at the Ennio Tardini stadium was originally due to be played last month, but was postponed due to bad weather in Parma.

Juve go into the encounter unbeaten and fully rested after their game at Bologna on Sunday was called off because of heavy snow.

Juve sit two points behind league leaders AC Milan, who beat Udinese 2-1 at the weekend.

However, the Turin giants have two games in hand.

"This is a testing period for us," Giaccherini said. "We have two games to recover while we will also be competing in the Coppa Italia this month.

"We will be playing so many games in a short space of time this month and this could be crucial.

"We are ready. We have a good squad and I'm sure everyone will give their all to help the team succeed.

"It's true that Milan are playing a great campaign, but we are only focusing on ourselves and not on others."

Winger Simone Pepe has been rested for the clash with a minor knock, but Juventus coach Antonio Conte welcomes back strikers Alessandro Matri and Mirco Vucinic from injury.

Opponents Parma go into the game on the back of a 2-1 triumph at Chievo.

The Ducale club, coached by Roberto Donadoni, have lost just one of their last nine league games and lie 13th in the standings.

"We are ready to face Juventus," Parma defender Massimo Gobbi said. "They are a fantastic team who are battling for the scudetto.

"But we are doing well and gaining confidence week by week.

"We will need to use the same tactics Juventus will use against us to try to stop them.

"We need to play at a high tempo, fully concentrated and showing plenty of determination."

Real Sociedad 2-0 Sevilla

Carlos Vela starred for Real Sociedad as they ensured Michel's tenure as Sevilla coach began as Marcelino Garcia's ended.

Michel was appointed last week after Garcia was sacked following their 2-1 loss to Villarreal, and he saw his new charges fall behind to Vela's 64th-minute strike.

The on-loan Arsenal man then set up Ruben Pardo for his side's second four minutes later as they leapt above their opponents in La Liga.

Former Real Madrid star Michel must now ponder a relegation battle with Sevilla three points above the drop zone following three straight defeats.

Vela gave warning of what was to come in the 13th minute when he hit the post from inside the area.

And it was Sociedad making much of the running as Xabi Prieto nodded Pardo's corner wide from six yards and Imanol Agirretxe's header was held by Andres Palop.

Pardo fired wide, before Alvaro Negredo sent a rare Sevilla chance over the bar from 12 yards on the half-hour mark.

Manu was also wasteful for the visitors, but it was Vela who again had them worried when Palop produced an excellent save four minutes before the break to keep out the Mexican's close-range strike.

Sevilla came out looking livelier after the break, perhaps after some choice words from their new boss, with Jesus Navas and Negredo both missing chances.

But Sociedad deservedly went ahead just after the hour when Vela latched on to Prieto's cross from the left and fired home.

Vela then turned provider as his pass found Pardo to finish from 20 yards.

That all but killed Sevilla off and, indeed, it was Sociedad who went closest to adding to their tally when Antoine Griezmann's strike was saved by the feet of Palop.

Tevez rejects talk of Messi rift

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has hit out at rumours suggesting he has a poor relationship with Argentinean team-mate Lionel Messi.

Media reports in Argentina had claimed that the City player does not get along with the Barcelona star because of their differing personalities.

"Here people say that it is either Tevez or Messi and it does not have to be like that, because I get on great with the dwarf", Tevez told Fox Sports.

"Those people are wrong, he is a kid who does not talk much and I do not like when people say that we do not get on. I have a good relationship with him.

"It is easy to play with him. How could it be any different? If he has the ball, he has three players marking him. He is the greatest."

Tevez is on his way back to England after his self-imposed exile from Manchester following his well documented fallout with club manager Roberto Mancini at the end of September. Tevez is no stranger to controversy though and he revealed that he almost did not play in the Copa America last summer because of a bust-up with then Argentina coach Sergio Batista.

"I called Messi to ask him for a shirt for my charity foundation," Tevez said.

"Then he asked me why I was not called up. I told him that when Batista travelled to Manchester, he did so to speak with [Pablo] Zabaleta, and not me.

"Messi then told me to speak with the Argentine FA, and that is what I did. I spoke with Jose Luis Brown and Alberto Rodriguez and they told me that I was not going to play the Copa America and that I should keep working for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"I told them that if I was not going to play the Copa America, I was not going to play the World Cup either. Then Batista called me and we solved everything."

The Argentinian Football Association terminated the contract of the Albicelestes' coach Sergio Batista at the end of July after a disappointing Copa America campaign.

Hosts Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Uruguay.

Sporting chance for Clemente

Sporting Gijon have appointed former Spain boss Javier Clemente as their coach until the end of the season.

Clemente takes over from Inaki Tejada, who was placed in temporary charge of the relegation-threatened Primera Division side following the departure of Manuel Preciado.

A brief statement on the Sporting website read: "Javier Clemente is the new coach of Sporting until June 30. He will be presented on Tuesday."

Clemente was in charge of Spain between 1992 and 1998, but his last role was as coach of Cameroon.

Sporting lie second bottom of the table, six points from safety, and lost 4-0 at Valencia in their last game.

Enrique: We must pick up home form

Liverpool defender Jose Enrique believes home form and particularly results against their nearest rivals for a Champions League spot remains the key to a top-four finish.

The impact of defeat to Manchester United at the weekend was lessened by losses suffered by Chelsea and Newcastle, with only Arsenal winning.

But even though the Gunners moved into fourth it was only by virtue of goals scored and the gap between Liverpool, in seventh, and Champions League qualification remains four points.

With both Arsenal, next month, and Chelsea, in the Reds' final home match of the season, still to visit, Enrique believes addressing poor form at Anfield will be key in the race to return to Europe's elite.

"We lost (against United) but the truth is that we have to win more games at home," he said.

"We are still in the race to be in the Champions League next season.

"It's hard but Chelsea and Arsenal have lost many points too. Chelsea lost this weekend and we can't forget Newcastle.

"It's really important that we have to play these teams at home and we'll have another man - you play with 12 with our fans."

Liverpool are unbeaten at Anfield this season but have won just four of 12 matches, having drawn against Sunderland, Norwich, Swansea, Blackburn, Stoke, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

"It is hard to beat Manchester United at home but against teams like Blackburn and Swansea (both draws) at home we need to win the points," the Spaniard told liverpoolfc.tv.

"There are many games left and we have to beat many teams to try and be there.

"You never know in football - that's why everyone likes it. But we're still in the race."

Olsson wants Hodgson to stay

Defender Jonas Olsson believes it is vital for West Brom to retain the services of manager Roy Hodgson if they are to become a potent Premier League force.

Hodgson is out of contract with the Baggies in the summer and is in no rush to make a decision on his future.

Olsson can understand why Hodgson is being viewed as a possible candidate to replace Fabio Capello as England coach but knows how crucial he is to Albion's future.

The central defender said: "I think it is important for the club's development that Roy Hodgson stays.

"I am not surprised he is in the frame as one of the England candidates.

"He is a top manager and has done really well in the Premier League with Fulham and now us.

"I'm not surprised he has been mentioned but I hope he stays here. Everyone at the club is very happy with him.

"I'm thinking he's enjoying himself and hopefully he will come to an agreement with the club."

Olsson believes Hodgson's organisational skills have been a key factor in keeping Albion in the top flight last season and building on that platform this term.

West Brom are currently 14th in the standings following their 5-1 mauling of Wolves on Saturday, eight points above the relegation zone.

He said: "In all the years I've been here, people have seen we can play some really good football.

"But what we were lacking before the current gaffer came was organisation and the shape of the team.

"He is a top coach at bringing that together, maybe the best in England I think, the best I have worked with from that perspective, definitely."

Striker Peter Odemwingie, who scored a hat-trick against Wolves, knows losing Hodgson will disrupt the continuity at the Hawthorns.

He said: "Roy is a big manager and it depends on what he wants to do.

"He has had success here and he has already built relationships with people in the club so he would be welcome (to stay).

"We are getting to know each other and understanding each other collectively as a squad and that is important.

"Everybody knows what to expect from each other and that is a big plus.

"When someone new comes in, you have to start from the beginning so, if we can all get what we're looking for this year, then why change when things are going fine? I hope he stays."

Odemwingie insists his personal working relationship with Hodgson is fine after an exchange of views earlier in the campaign when the player was sidelined with injury problems.

He said: "We are fine and we always were. If we weren't, I would have been talking about leaving the club or something else.

"But he told me that whatever he says can be out of frustrating and not anger.

"He is an experienced person and I have to respect him, my manager.

"Sometimes I felt it was a bit harsh on me, and I said that to him, but he said I shouldn't take it in a bad way.

"He said he was frustrated that I wasn't available (because of injury) and that was it."