Schwarzer to force move by handing in transfer request

• zocoss

  12 Aug 10, 10:47

  Mark Schwarzer showdown: Keeper flies in to confront Mark Hughes over Arsenal transfer

  Now Arsenal doing a Barce to Fulham over Schwarzer
  

   

  

  Eyeing the exit: Schwarzer hopes Hughes will be sympathetic to his ambition

   

   

  Mark Schwarzer has rescheduled his flight home from Australia’s friendly in Slovenia in order to confront Fulham boss Mark Hughes about his future.

  Schwarzer submitted a transfer request via email this week in an effort to force through a move to Arsenal but yesterday Fulham insisted they had no record of any such request.

  The Aussie goalkeeper, who held talks with Hughes last week, is aware that the Gunners have been back in touch to confirm they are still interested in signing him despite having their initial bid of £2million rejected last month.

  Schwarzer, 37, has one year left on his contract and views a potential move to the Emirates Stadium as his last chance to play in the Champions League and compete for major honours.

  He had hoped Hughes would be sympathetic to his personal ambition and was disappointed to learn Fulham would continue to resist Arsenal’s approaches when he discussed his situation with the new manager at Craven Cottage.

  The goalkeeper will return early from Ljubljana today and head straight for the training ground to speak to Hughes and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh about his future and state of mind, just two days before their Barclays Premier League campaign starts at Bolton.

   

   

  

  Major test: The Cottager's new boss has a fight on his hands to keep best players

   

   

  Fulham’s success under Roy Hodgson was built on the spirit and togetherness inside the dressing room but Schwarzer’s row threatens to disturb the equilibrium.

  It represents a major test for Hughes, who fears central defender Philippe Senderos, a summer recruit on a free from Arsenal, may be out for six months after rupturing an achilles tendon in training.

  Hughes also has seven senior players in the final year of their contracts, including Paul Konchesky, who finds himself in a similar position to Schwarzer because Hodgson is understood to be interested in taking him to Liverpool.

  John Pantsil, Chris Baird, Simon Davies, Zoltan Gera and Dickson Etuhu are also out of contract at the end of this season.

  Bobby Zamora, who was on England duty against Hungary at Wembley last night, has two years left on his current deal but is seeking improved terms amid interest from Birmingham.

  As such, the core of the team which established itself in the top half of the Premier League and reached last season’s Europa League final is unsettled on the eve of the season.

  Schwarzer’s situation has echoes of Joleon Lescott’s move this time last year. The centre half was an Everton player wanted by Manchester City, who tempted him with the promise of an enormous pay rise and the idea of challenging for the title.

  Everton resisted City’s offer and manager David Moyes picked Lescott for the opening game of the season, only for his team to lose 6-1 at home to Arsenal with the 27-year-old playing poorly.

  Although Fulham have every right contractually to demand loyalty from the goalkeeper they signed on a free from Middlesbrough in 2008, the Lescott episode highlights the problems of keeping a player against his will.

  Wenger has earmarked Schwarzer as the ideal man to replace Manuel Almunia as Arsenal’s No 1 for a couple of years, until highly rated 20-year-old Wojciech Szczesny is considered ready to step up to the first team.

   

• reyes

  12 Aug 10, 16:20

  37 years old for 2million not a bad business.

  fulham should let go.

   

• zocoss

  12 Aug 10, 16:41

   

  Villa move for Manuel Almunia as keeper merry-go-round cranks up

  

  
  
  
  

   

   

  Aston Villa are preparing a shock move to bring Manuel Almunia to Villa Park as the goalkeeping merry go-round takes another twist.

  A triangle of moves is set start with Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer joining Arsenal and Villa's Brad Friedel moving down to Craven Cottage to replace him.

  That would leave managerless Villa without a keeper, but they are keen to sign Almunia, even though he struggled last season and made a number of crucial blunders.

  The Spanish keeper has played little in pre-season as Wenger opted to have a look at Polish keeper Lukasz Fabianski, while talented youngster Wojciech Szczesny is also being talked about as a future Arsenal number one.

  Even though Martin O'Neill has left the Midlands club, they are still looking to sign a big name replacement if Friedel leaves and are hoping that a new challenge will get the best out of Almunia.

  Despite last season's let-down, Almunia was still one of the best keepers in the Premier League when it came to the number of clean sheets.

  Villa are expected to name their new manager before the Premier League game against Newcastle on August 22 and the deal for Almunia could be finalised next week.

• Poignant

  12 Aug 10, 17:15

  uh villa want almunia for what

• reyes

  12 Aug 10, 17:20

  sometimes flop can be a success at another club.

  brad friedel wasnt doing too well at liverpool but success at blackburn

  david james wasnt doing too well at liverpool but doing reasonable well at another club.

   

• zocoss

  12 Aug 10, 23:01

  Tim Howard too and perhaps Ben Foster as well...

  At smaller clubs, expectations isn't as much. Even the pressure is not as great...

  It's like if City is silly enough to get rid of Given and go with Heart, the pressure will build and one blunder could do long term demage to his confidence... Given is a more safer choice with his experience...

• Poignant

  13 Aug 10, 15:13

  imo, tim did okay at utd. but okay is nvr enough at a big club. you've to be at the point where it's nearest to perfection.

  city should give hart another chance to go out on loan, he's good imo. a very reliable gk.

  schwarzer is good, but abit too old leh. i believe if arsenal are willing to pay, they can get buffon. if the report on reina is true, that arsenal bid 23m, then a couple of millions more should be able to get them buffon.

• zocoss

  14 Aug 10, 16:26

  SCHWARZER REQUESTS FULHAM EXIT

  

   

   

  Mark Schwarzer has attempted to force through a move to Arsenal by handing in a transfer request, Fulham manager Mark Hughes has revealed.

  Schwarzer's impressive performances between the posts for the Cottagers throughout last season brought him to the attention of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who had a £2million bid for the Australian rejected in May.

  The Frenchman has since hinted that he would be willing to make a second bid for the 37-year-old, who would provide competition for the inconsistent Manuel Almunia and unproven Lukasz Fabianksi.

  Schwarzer is keen for a taste of Champions League football before the end of his career, which has led him to hand in the request.

  "My understanding is that he has handed in a transfer request," said Hughes.

  "He has indicated that he would like the opportunity to leave. Obviously we haven't encouraged Arsenal to come back to the table because they haven't been back since May.

  "If they do come back and talk to me or my chief executive, then further conversations will be had but at the moment there is no point because we are not talking to anybody because they have not come back to us."

  Hughes warned Schwarzer that he would not necessarily be guaranteed first-team football at Arsenal and even admitted that he would be willing to offer the Australian an extension to his current contract, which expires next summer, in order to persuade the star to stay.

  "Sometimes it is not always greener on the other side," Hughes said.

  "I understand that at certain times of their careers players feel that when an opportunity presents itself, they feel they have to consider it very carefully.

  "I think that is the case with Mark so I fully understand where he is coming from in that respect."

  When asked about the prospect of offering Schwarzer a new contract, Hughes said: "I am sure that is something that will be discussed. I haven't been part of that process.

  "We certainly don't want Mark to leave. We want him to be happy here. We will try and ensure he will be."

  Hughes, who takes his side to Bolton for his first competitive game in charge tomorrow, also confirmed he is interested in signing Manchester City's want-away striker Craig Bellamy.

  Bellamy's exit from Eastlands moved a step closer today when City boss Roberto Mancini confirmed a rift between the pair before admitting the 31-year-old would be excluded from his 25-man squad for the season.

  Hughes feels he can bring out the best in the fiery striker, who he has coached previously with Wales, City and Blackburn.

  "I'm sure I'd bring out the best in him," said Hughes.

  "He is one of the top players in the Premier League and the league would be weaker if he left.

  "Last year I think he came second to Carlos Tevez in the player of the year so I think that tells you about the affection in which he is held in the hearts of the Manchester City fans.

  "It seems he is not in the current manager's plans suddenly and it looks like he is going to move on.

  "I don't think he should be embarrassed by the work he has done at Manchester City. In fact I think he should hold his head high and stick his chest out and be very proud of what he achieved there."

  Hughes also confirmed that he is interested in a move for Benfica defender Rafik Halliche.

  "We are trying to get him over on Sunday to get him into training," said the Welshman.

  "We are hoping he is going to be a player that will enhance us but it's not a deal that has been concluded to any great stage yet so we have to wait until we get him over. It's likely to be a permanent signing."

  Hughes also hopes to conclude a deal for AZ Alkmaar striker Moussa Dembele in the next 24 hours.