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Holland Says No to Spurs
Holland Says No to Spurs
Friday, 28th Jan 2000 13:31

Town skipper Matt Holland has reacted quickly to dismiss talk of a move to Spurs.

He said today: "I'm staying put. I've seen the stories, it's all news to me. I don't know anything about it.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm happy where I am and I'll be signing the new deal they have offered me.

"We're very close to agreeing everything and I would be very surprised if the club was planning to sell anyone at such an important stage of the season. I think the plan is to bring people in."

Holland has been offered a deal with Town which will keep him at Portman Road until the summer of 2004. As for Spurs David Pleat is quoted as saying: "We have made no enquiry regarding this player." Phew.

The First Division's Mr Transfer Martin Smith is not after all going to Forest for £300,000 as reported earlier. The man who decided he didn't want to live in Suffolk who went to Sheffield United before deciding he didn't really like it there much either has now chosen to go to Huddersfield. Not sure whether the deal is done and dusted so expect a new twist from football's Mr Loyalty later this afternoon.

David Sheepshanks has made his first comments on the bid for Marcus Stewart.

The Town chairman said: "Huddersfield have now confirmed that we made a bid, as indeed we did, of a very substantial figure in excess of £2 million.

"This is a measure of our determination to recruit the added skills that we would like to augment our promotion drive.

"We are not far apart financially, however we have to accept Huddersfield's reluctance to part with a player prior to lining up their own replacement.

"I still believe there is a chance that the deal may go through in a few days' time. However we wish to strengthen now and for that reason cannot leave our offer on the table.

"Indeed, we are actively progressing other leads this weekend. There are obvious reasons why we don't disclose the names of players who are under contract for whom we may make approaches.

"All too often the approaches come to nothing and it is best to avoid anything that might unsettle players, clubs and fans."

With Smith coming in at Huddersfield the deal may be looking ever more likely.

With all this speculation about I though I'd remind everyone that we have a football match tomorrow with Sheffield United. Town team news is that Tagmeister Gary Croft will start in place of the increasingly frustrating Fabian Wilnis.

Both Richard Naylor and Jim Magilton should have recovered from their groin injuries which kept them out last week, although Magilton is still a bit of a worry.

Full squad: R Wright, Salmon, Wilnis, Stockwell, Clapham, Croft, Mowbray, McGreal, Venus, Brown, Holland, Magilton, J Wright, Scowcroft, Johnson, Naylor, Axeldal, Midgley and Logan

George Burley is looking to make French trialist Patrice Maurel a member of the squad at least until the end of the season.

Maurel, seen more as one for the future than anything else, is contracted to Toulouse who are not asking for a fee for his services, but Burley would like initially to take him on loan for the rest of the season. The Frenchman is an attacking midfielder.


Photo: Action Images



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