Watford boss Gianfranco Zola says he wouldn't block Adrian Mariappa's return to the Premier League
2:22pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in Latest Football News
By Frank Smith, Deputy Group Sports Editor
Picture: Holly Cant
Watford have spoken to Adrian Mariappa's agent this week in the hope of persuading the player to stay at the club despite interest from the Premier League.
However, Mariappa's new manager Gianfranco Zola claims he will not stand in the player's way if he decides he wants to leave the club.
Last season was the best of Mariappa's career and his outstanding performances results in bids from Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Wigan Athletic in January.
Recently-promoted Reading also entered the picture in June and had a £2m offer for the 25-year-old rejected by the Hornets.
Both Wigan and Reading are understood to be interested in Mariappa and this summer is likely to be a crucial one for the club's vice captain, considering he only has 12 months left on his contract.
Zola said: "Adrian is a very good player and was one of the best last year. Obviously we want to keep him but we understand that it is not only our decision. It is also a decision for Adrian.
"I understand he has the possibility of going to the Premier League so I won't step in front of him and stop him from going."
"It is totally fair and understandable," Zola continued. "He is a young player and has done very well. He has the possibility of going to the Premier League so I understand and respect that completely."
The interest in Mariappa was brought up at Tuesday night's press conference and chief executive Scott Duxbury hopes the club's plans to reach the Premier League may persuade the defender to stay.
Duxbury said: "We actually met with his agent yesterday (Monday) and explained the project with Gianfranco and what we want to achieve and we will see where we get to.
"We want him to stay but there are Premier League clubs knocking on his door and we will see."
Duxbury confirmed there had been no bids from Wigan this summer, despite reports in the national media, and there had been no new enquiries since Reading's rejected offer before the club's takeover.
Reading manager Brian McDermott has said he hopes to tie up two new signings before his side leave for Portugal on Wednesday and it is unclear whether Mariappa is one of those.
A centre back and right back are McDermott's main priorities following the signings of striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, midfielder Danny Guthrie, winger Garath McCleary and left-back Nicky Shorey.
"We have two targets that we're going for at this moment in time," McDermott told the Reading Post.
"Watch this space, they will be what they will be."
Comments(25)
Colin West's mullet
says...
2:41pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Either have the rule that says clubs & their representatives may not approach other clubs' players & their representatives or don't - this current joke of a system has a rule like this in place yet agents are always talking about which clubs want are interested in their players.
None of the above is aimed at Mapps, it just irks me when our manager says "We understand he has the possibility of going to the Premier League.", although no bids are on the table - so that information has presumably come from his agent -who must have spoken to these clubs, which is supposed to be against the rules.
Not wishing to single this case out, as it just seems to be standard practice these days, however if we are going to have some transparency in football then we should either enforce this rule or do away with it.
a1derek
says...
3:10pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Colin West's mullet wrote:Well said that man! Money talks along with too much player power due to Bosman means the players hold all the cards.
at the risk of sounding terribly old-fashioned, isn't it time to do away with any pretence of football having anti- 'tapping up' rules?
Either have the rule that says clubs & their representatives may not approach other clubs' players & their representatives or don't - this current joke of a system has a rule like this in place yet agents are always talking about which clubs want are interested in their players.
None of the above is aimed at Mapps, it just irks me when our manager says "We understand he has the possibility of going to the Premier League.", although no bids are on the table - so that information has presumably come from his agent -who must have spoken to these clubs, which is supposed to be against the rules.
Not wishing to single this case out, as it just seems to be standard practice these days, however if we are going to have some transparency in football then we should either enforce this rule or do away with it.
McHornet
says...
3:10pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Colin West's mullet wrote:You make a good point!
at the risk of sounding terribly old-fashioned, isn't it time to do away with any pretence of football having anti- 'tapping up' rules?
Either have the rule that says clubs & their representatives may not approach other clubs' players & their representatives or don't - this current joke of a system has a rule like this in place yet agents are always talking about which clubs want are interested in their players.
None of the above is aimed at Mapps, it just irks me when our manager says "We understand he has the possibility of going to the Premier League.", although no bids are on the table - so that information has presumably come from his agent -who must have spoken to these clubs, which is supposed to be against the rules.
Not wishing to single this case out, as it just seems to be standard practice these days, however if we are going to have some transparency in football then we should either enforce this rule or do away with it.
Alternatively, do away with agents altogether... blood sucking leaches!
morrismac
says...
3:22pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Bringe
says...
3:34pm Thu 12 Jul 12
lockerbiehornet
says...
3:42pm Thu 12 Jul 12
READING FC manager Brian McDermott is confident of making two more signings within the next week.
Royals completed their fourth and fifth free transfers of the summer this week by re-signing former full-back Nicky Shorey and nabbing Irish teenager Pierce Sweeney from under Everton's noses.
The pair arrive at an exciting time for the club following the earlier capture of Pavel Pogrebnyak, Danny Guthrie and Garath McCleary.
But boss McDermott told the Chronicle he is close to completing two more deals that will bring another couple of fresh faces to Madejski Stadium.
The Chronicle understands those players are Newcastle United's Danny Simpson and Watford's Adrian Mariappa.
ralear49
says...
3:57pm Thu 12 Jul 12
mattymashup
says...
4:11pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Colin West's mullet wrote:I believe the system says the club agrees terms with the player and only after that has been done do they agree terms with the club who own that player, and yes it does seem a bit back to front to me too
at the risk of sounding terribly old-fashioned, isn't it time to do away with any pretence of football having anti- 'tapping up' rules?
Either have the rule that says clubs & their representatives may not approach other clubs' players & their representatives or don't - this current joke of a system has a rule like this in place yet agents are always talking about which clubs want are interested in their players.
None of the above is aimed at Mapps, it just irks me when our manager says "We understand he has the possibility of going to the Premier League.", although no bids are on the table - so that information has presumably come from his agent -who must have spoken to these clubs, which is supposed to be against the rules.
Not wishing to single this case out, as it just seems to be standard practice these days, however if we are going to have some transparency in football then we should either enforce this rule or do away with it.
peter10531089
says...
4:11pm Thu 12 Jul 12
ralear49 wrote:that depends on the quality of players they may have as replacements, if they say no then we get nothing for him next season, it may be that they believe it better to either get something for him now or him to sign a contract and become part of the project going forward. Either way the fact is that unlike two weeks ago - we dont HAVE to sell which as someone mentioned earlier this week puts us in a much stronger negotiating position.
Letting a Premiership quality player go without an apparent fight when the objective is to be promoted to that same league is disappointing.
Lets hope that if he does go there is a Junior "Cannavaro" or "Pique" waiting in the wings - or indeed one of our own academy prospects comes through and seizes the opportunity. The point is we have options whatever happens
petsoundsnick
says...
4:13pm Thu 12 Jul 12
ralear49 wrote:Enlighten me, please exactly how we are letting him go without an apparent fight?
Letting a Premiership quality player go without an apparent fight when the objective is to be promoted to that same league is disappointing.
Before GFZ had even spoken to the media he had a meeting with AM's agent on Monday morning (his first morning at the club!) to try and persuade him to stay. How much more quickly was he meant to do this?
By coming out in the press saying they want him to stay - he is the only individual player to have been discussed publicly as far as I can tell - again shows they would like him to stay.
But if AM has already said he wants to leave - or is entitled to under the terms of his contract or what he agreed in January in order to stay for the remaining part of the season - then what else can GFZ do? We would need to sell him to get the money as his contract runs out next year.
So I think they have done what can reasonably be expected. Thye have identified he is a quality player. They want him to stay. Its up to AM now....
lutondown
says...
4:14pm Thu 12 Jul 12
A decision he may live to regret when we pass by them them plastic paddys and their plastic stadium in their c rap hole town.
andyhooked
says...
4:22pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Eastsussexhornet
says...
4:53pm Thu 12 Jul 12
lutondown
says...
5:00pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Eastsussexhornet wrote:Agree with all, but the prospect of the prem may be clouding his judgement
If he wants to go then he should in my opinion although I may have takn a different view before the takeover. They say interest from the Premiership but only from the likes of Reading and Wigan. He'll end up on the bench for most of next season and then back in the Championship the season after that. Same pattern as loads of other players that have left us. Doesn't he want to play regular football? I can't believe he just wants to go for the money.............
Whose to say we haven't got something better waiting in the wings?
The great thing for me now is not if we get up there it's a case of when.
In Zola we trust
By the way don't Rodgers and MacPie sound rather dreary?
Bush Hornet
says...
5:46pm Thu 12 Jul 12
lutondown wrote:Right you are. Let him go if he wants to go but we're a better club. What came first, the happy egg or the supermarket?
if he wants to go, so be it
A decision he may live to regret when we pass by them them plastic paddys and their plastic stadium in their c rap hole town.
lutondown
says...
8:46pm Thu 12 Jul 12
Bush Hornet wrote:I'm sure that makes sense to you.
lutondown wrote:Right you are. Let him go if he wants to go but we're a better club. What came first, the happy egg or the supermarket?
if he wants to go, so be it
A decision he may live to regret when we pass by them them plastic paddys and their plastic stadium in their c rap hole town.
Tell you what come first, it was the Chicken of course who laid the happy egg that got sold in Asdas made lots of dosh, that made its way on to the Watford shirt.
What I'm saying is if he wants Togo let, cash in, or do we keep him against his wishes and let him go free? Personally I don't give a hoot and I don't think Zola does either.
COGGDAVE1
says...
10:03pm Thu 12 Jul 12
lutondown wrote:100% right mate ....
if he wants to go, so be it
A decision he may live to regret when we pass by them them plastic paddys and their plastic stadium in their c rap hole town.
stewbyhorn
says...
11:35pm Thu 12 Jul 12
FelixTheHorn
says...
12:22am Fri 13 Jul 12
Egg/ supermarket link = Happy Eggs/ Waitrose, I think.
COYH!
These_arms_are_snakes
says...
4:14am Fri 13 Jul 12
Forza Watford
SAHornet
says...
8:30am Fri 13 Jul 12
Edwardz22
says...
9:29am Fri 13 Jul 12
buckler
says...
9:45am Fri 13 Jul 12
lutondown
says...
11:37am Fri 13 Jul 12
SAHornet wrote:No, to quote Del boy
Do we have a wage structure anymore ?
We are millionaires!
McHornet says...
2:27pm Thu 12 Jul 12