O'Neill rules out Petrov exit
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill today issued a firm ‘hands-off’ warning to Everton or any other clubs who might be preparing a bid to prise away Stilian Petrov.
The Merseysiders have been strongly rumoured to be keen on making a bid this month, with manager David Moyes having taken in Celtic’s 2-1 Tennent’s Scottish Cup victory over Rangers.
The speculation is set to intensify following the departure of Thomas Gravesen to Real Madrid, a deal which was being finalised today.
But the Parkhead boss was adamant that the Bulgarian international skipper was not for sale.
“I’ve not heard a thing about it – nothing at all,” said O’Neill. “It just gets drummed up. I’m sure that Everton are looking for players but there’s absolutely no possibility of Stilian Petrov leaving.
“You have to counter that by saying that if a player wants to leave the club then that’s a different issue but Stan has never intimated to me about leaving the club at all. I assume this story is nothing and has gathered momentum so I will cut it off at this stage.”
Petrov’s agent, Latchezar Tanev, told Everton’s club website yesterday that no movement was imminent, but he hinted at a possible summer departure.
O’Neill maintained today: “There is nothing in it and I am hoping Stan is around here for a while. We would discourage it if there was.”
The Celtic chief is not interested in losing any of his players as he continues to work hard on making January signings.
O’Neill added: “We are working on a few things and I am hoping something will materialise. But if not it wouldn’t be through lack of trying.”
Another player who has been linked with a move away is Juninho but O’Neill insists that he is going nowhere unless he demands a move away from the Scottish champions.
The Brazilian World Cup winner is frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities but his manager has reiterated a desire to keep him and for him to fight for his place.
O’Neill continued: “I would like to keep all these players at the football club but if some person is unhappy then that might be a different issue.
“We need more players here and we are looking to try and do something about it and we might be able to do a little bit of wheeling and dealing. But I’d be happy for him to stay. We bought Juninho from Middlesbrough and took his contract over and we were hoping that he would be absolutely wonderful for us.
“That’s not to say he has played one game and has been discarded because he has played quite a number of games and been involved in at least half of them. But nobody has a divine right – as every single player at the football club - to start in the side and they have to work to get into the team but he is doing okay.”
Contract talks with Neil Lennon, Bobo Balde, Jackie McNamara and Robert Douglas continue ahead of Sunday’s testing Bank of Scotland Premier League trip to Aberdeen.
