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Fulham manager Mark Hughes: Mark Schwarzer was never going to be allowed to leave for Arsenal
Zamora key to club's future, says boss
1 Sep 2010 01:45:00
By Adithya Ananth
Fulham boss Mark Hughes insists that there was "no chance" that the club would have allowed goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to join Arsenal.
The Craven Cottage custodian had attracted interest from the Gunners, with the north London club offering him a player-coach deal to ply his trade at Ashburton Grove, as Goal.com UK exclusively revealed.
The Cottagers remained resolute throughout the transfer window, and eventually managed to hold on to their prised asset as the summer transfer period came to a halt on Tuesday.
Now the ex-Manchester City boss believes that there was never really any chance that the Australian would have been allowed to leave the club under the current circumstances.
"We talked about Mark's situation on a number of occasions and ideally we wanted him to stay," Hughes told reporters. "We understood that there was an interest from Arsenal but given our current goalkeeping situation there was no chance of him leaving."
There were suggestions that the Gunners may have come in with a last gasp £4 million bid to sign the shot-stopper on the deadline day, but Hughes confirmed that no bid had been lodged to sign the 37-year-old.
"There were two real strong enquiries but there was never a bid today," he added.
It was thought that striker Bobby Zamora had been subject to interest from a clutch of clubs following his performances last season, which eventually earned him a place in the England national squad.
But the Welshman maintained that the former West Ham United forward remains key to his plans for the future of the club, insisting that any interest shown by other clubs was quickly nipped in the bud.
"I think there are always enquiries about good players, but very quickly we dismissed any interest anybody had in Bobby because he's key to what we're trying to do," said Hughes.
The former Blackburn Rovers boss admitted to have been interested in City outcast Roque Santa Cruz, but failed to land the Paraguay international as the transfer widow came to a close.
"We enquired about that but it wasn't able to be taken over the line," he said.
However, Hughes still believes that the club have had a largely successful summer with regard to the transfer market.
"There were a number of targets we hoped to bring to the club," he added. "We feel we have had a decent window, we have brought some good players to the club. We haven't been able to do anything on the last day but that doesn't mean you haven't had a good window."
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The Craven Cottage custodian had attracted interest from the Gunners, with the north London club offering him a player-coach deal to ply his trade at Ashburton Grove, as Goal.com UK exclusively revealed.
The Cottagers remained resolute throughout the transfer window, and eventually managed to hold on to their prised asset as the summer transfer period came to a halt on Tuesday.
Now the ex-Manchester City boss believes that there was never really any chance that the Australian would have been allowed to leave the club under the current circumstances.
"We talked about Mark's situation on a number of occasions and ideally we wanted him to stay," Hughes told reporters. "We understood that there was an interest from Arsenal but given our current goalkeeping situation there was no chance of him leaving."
There were suggestions that the Gunners may have come in with a last gasp £4 million bid to sign the shot-stopper on the deadline day, but Hughes confirmed that no bid had been lodged to sign the 37-year-old.
"There were two real strong enquiries but there was never a bid today," he added.
It was thought that striker Bobby Zamora had been subject to interest from a clutch of clubs following his performances last season, which eventually earned him a place in the England national squad.
But the Welshman maintained that the former West Ham United forward remains key to his plans for the future of the club, insisting that any interest shown by other clubs was quickly nipped in the bud.
"I think there are always enquiries about good players, but very quickly we dismissed any interest anybody had in Bobby because he's key to what we're trying to do," said Hughes.
The former Blackburn Rovers boss admitted to have been interested in City outcast Roque Santa Cruz, but failed to land the Paraguay international as the transfer widow came to a close.
"We enquired about that but it wasn't able to be taken over the line," he said.
However, Hughes still believes that the club have had a largely successful summer with regard to the transfer market.
"There were a number of targets we hoped to bring to the club," he added. "We feel we have had a decent window, we have brought some good players to the club. We haven't been able to do anything on the last day but that doesn't mean you haven't had a good window."
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