Post by sahahaha on May 12, 2006 8:30:56 GMT
Chelsea's forgotten man seeks a way out
By James Ducker
THE clamour among his family for him to leave Chelsea gathered momentum yesterday, but Shaun Wright-Phillips should be put out of his misery at Stamford Bridge, temporarily at least, before the end of the summer.
Manchester City are expected to lead the chase to sign Wright-Phillips, who they sold to Chelsea for £21 million last summer, on a season-long loan, although having accrued enormous losses on Juan Sebastián Verón and Adrian Mutu, and with Hernán Crespo now worth only a fraction of the £16.8 million they paid for him, the Barclays Premiership champions are not open to the idea of selling another player for a huge shortfall.
Martin Jol was keen to lure Wright-Phillips to White Hart Lane, but the emergence of Aaron Lennon in the same position has weakened the Tottenham Hotspur head coach’s resolve, if not signalled the end of his interest in securing a temporary deal.
Liverpool are also rumoured to be interested, although Rafael Benítez, the manager, is understood to hold little hope of prising such a player away from a main title rival, something City hope to capitalise on.
While initially opposed to the idea, Chelsea have come to accept that it may be in their and the player’s best interests to allow him to spend next season on loan at another Premiership club and then to review the situation in 12 months’ time, although it may take some prompting on Wright-Phillips’s behalf.
José Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, had hoped that a good showing in the World Cup finals in Germany would benefit a player whose confidence has ebbed, and value plummeted after a poor season spent mostly on the sidelines, but Wright-Phillips’s omission from the England squad has put paid to that.
A free summer will, however, give the 24-year-old time to contemplate his future, and since Mourinho has long maintained that he will not stand in the way of players who are unhappy, any admission of unrest on Wright-Phillips’s part is likely to be greeted with sympathy from the manager.
Ian Wright, the former Arsenal striker and Wright-Phillips’s father, has already urged his adopted son to leave Stamford Bridge and yesterday, the winger’s brother was appealing to him to do the same and return to City.
“I’d love to see my brother back at City, at the very least on loan,” Bradley Wright- Phillips, a forward at City, said. “I try to persuade him all the time. I try to get him in the office to sign him up. I’m sure he’d like to come back but it’s not up to him.”
Stuart Pearce, the City manager, has made no secret of his admiration for Wright-Phillips, who was spotted watching his former team-mates at the City of Manchester Stadium several times this season, and made a tentative inquiry about taking him on loan in January.
Chelsea are believed to have cast covetous glances at Daniel Sturridge, City’s highly-rated young striker, but a swap deal plus cash for Wright-Phillips would appear to be out of the question.
Pearce has a massive task on his hands this summer, and having announced yesterday that the club had released ten players, including Kiki Musampa, Albert Riera, both loan signings, and David Sommeil, time is of the essence as he bids to rebuild his squad.
Joey Barton, meanwhile, has intimated that he may yet sign a new contract with City. The controversial midfield player has been stalling on signing a new deal, claiming he deserves more money than the £28,750 a week City are offering, since submitting a transfer request in January.
“The ball is in their court,” Barton said. “City are a massive club so there’s no reason why I’d want to go. I’ll sit down in the summer and see what direction the club’s going and what direction my own career is going.”
Source www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-2176850,00.html
By James Ducker
THE clamour among his family for him to leave Chelsea gathered momentum yesterday, but Shaun Wright-Phillips should be put out of his misery at Stamford Bridge, temporarily at least, before the end of the summer.
Manchester City are expected to lead the chase to sign Wright-Phillips, who they sold to Chelsea for £21 million last summer, on a season-long loan, although having accrued enormous losses on Juan Sebastián Verón and Adrian Mutu, and with Hernán Crespo now worth only a fraction of the £16.8 million they paid for him, the Barclays Premiership champions are not open to the idea of selling another player for a huge shortfall.
Martin Jol was keen to lure Wright-Phillips to White Hart Lane, but the emergence of Aaron Lennon in the same position has weakened the Tottenham Hotspur head coach’s resolve, if not signalled the end of his interest in securing a temporary deal.
Liverpool are also rumoured to be interested, although Rafael Benítez, the manager, is understood to hold little hope of prising such a player away from a main title rival, something City hope to capitalise on.
While initially opposed to the idea, Chelsea have come to accept that it may be in their and the player’s best interests to allow him to spend next season on loan at another Premiership club and then to review the situation in 12 months’ time, although it may take some prompting on Wright-Phillips’s behalf.
José Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, had hoped that a good showing in the World Cup finals in Germany would benefit a player whose confidence has ebbed, and value plummeted after a poor season spent mostly on the sidelines, but Wright-Phillips’s omission from the England squad has put paid to that.
A free summer will, however, give the 24-year-old time to contemplate his future, and since Mourinho has long maintained that he will not stand in the way of players who are unhappy, any admission of unrest on Wright-Phillips’s part is likely to be greeted with sympathy from the manager.
Ian Wright, the former Arsenal striker and Wright-Phillips’s father, has already urged his adopted son to leave Stamford Bridge and yesterday, the winger’s brother was appealing to him to do the same and return to City.
“I’d love to see my brother back at City, at the very least on loan,” Bradley Wright- Phillips, a forward at City, said. “I try to persuade him all the time. I try to get him in the office to sign him up. I’m sure he’d like to come back but it’s not up to him.”
Stuart Pearce, the City manager, has made no secret of his admiration for Wright-Phillips, who was spotted watching his former team-mates at the City of Manchester Stadium several times this season, and made a tentative inquiry about taking him on loan in January.
Chelsea are believed to have cast covetous glances at Daniel Sturridge, City’s highly-rated young striker, but a swap deal plus cash for Wright-Phillips would appear to be out of the question.
Pearce has a massive task on his hands this summer, and having announced yesterday that the club had released ten players, including Kiki Musampa, Albert Riera, both loan signings, and David Sommeil, time is of the essence as he bids to rebuild his squad.
Joey Barton, meanwhile, has intimated that he may yet sign a new contract with City. The controversial midfield player has been stalling on signing a new deal, claiming he deserves more money than the £28,750 a week City are offering, since submitting a transfer request in January.
“The ball is in their court,” Barton said. “City are a massive club so there’s no reason why I’d want to go. I’ll sit down in the summer and see what direction the club’s going and what direction my own career is going.”
Source www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-2176850,00.html
