Hands Off Oba!!

[Skirge]

Keegan issues hands-off warning on Martins

 

KEVIN KEEGAN has issued a firm warning to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over Obafemi Martins.

May 14 2008  by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle

Wenger has been a big admirer of Martins since the Nigerian striker first burst on to the scene as a teenager with Inter Milan and all the talk in London is that he is ready to slap in a £15m bid to Newcastle United.

 

But, with a squad that is already paper-thin, instructions from his bosses to reduce the wage bill and uncertainty as to how much he has to spend in the close season, Keegan has made it clear that he wants to keep all his top men.

 

When I asked Keegan if he had received a bid for Martins he told me: “I haven’t, no, but I want to keep all my players and add to them if I can.

 

“Anyone that goes will be a bit of a blow, especially if something like that happens late on in the summer.

 

“However, Arsenal have definitely not approached me.”

 

Glenn Roeder paid £10m for Martins in the summer of 2006, but United managed to do a deal with Inter Milan that saw the transfer fee spread over five seasons. As a result they still owe £6m for him.

 

Roeder’s successor Sam Allardyce contacted Martins’ agent at the end of last July and told him United were prepared to unload the Nigerian international, but there were no takers at the time.

 

Martins was aware of this and, after at first playing second fiddle to Michael Owen, it is to his credit that he kept his head down and chipped in with 10 goals this season.

 

He still has three years left on his contract and, while there was talk that the clause that allowed him to leave if anyone bid £13m was going to be renegotiated, there has been no word from United that it actually was.

 

And, to their credit, United’s top brass of Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez have been scouring Europe in case they lose Martins or Owen.

 

The Chronicle revealed on March 8 that the United pair had been in France having a look at St Etienne striker Bafetimbi Gomis in the goalless draw with Nice – a player dubbed the new Didier Drogba.

 

United were back on Saturday night, this time with Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott, to have another look at the French Under-21 international, who is of Senegalese descent.

 

But, as in the case of the game with Nice, Gomis did not have one of his better nights and his comments that he would prefer Italy to the Premier League are not encouraging for the United hierarchy.

[Guest NorthernSoul]

TBH I couldn't see Wenger wanting him?

He's too 'head down' (if that makes sense?)

[Dave]

So where exactly is the 'warning' Alan, you utter pleb?

[colinmk]

What a shit article.

[TRon]

Oliver trawling the pig swill for non-stories again I see. Good to see his standards are as low as ever

 

 

[Skirge]

Anel not getting any inside info again, you know he has to sensationalize everything anyway.

[James]

Translation:

 

Hello, my name is Alan Oliver, I need to appease those Martins worshippers, but I don't want anymore of those Frenchies around here, they never give me interviews, down with the Frenchies, they are all rubbish lets stick to people I know more like Paul Dickov and Brett Emerton.

[Willow]

hey I did my best writing that article