The Wigan chairman Dave Whelan is adamant that Wilson Palacios will not leave the club on the cheap after rejecting a £10million (Dh53m) bid from Tottenham Hotspur for the midfielder. Palacios, 24, signed a three-and-a-half year deal at the JJB Stadium from Honduran side Deportivo Olimpia just over a year ago and his performances have linked him with moves to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Spurs.
Whelan believes Palacios is worth far more than £10m, but refused to rule out selling the player. "They can come back or forget it, £10m is not enough for him so we will wait and see what they do," Whelan told Sky Sports. "It would be unfair for me to tell you what we are talking to Tottenham about. It is private business but we are looking for more than that, that's for sure." The Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia has also told Tottenham they have no chance of pushing through a £15m deal for striker Kenwyne Jones.
Reports suggested the Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has tabled a massive bid for Jones, 24. However, Sbragia said: "There's no way I will be selling my best players, it's as simple as that. I don't care what Spurs do, at the end of the day, he won't be going anywhere." The Bolton manager Gary Megson will not be signing former Brazil international Denilson or Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard after ending his interest in both players.
Of the decision not to sign Denilson, 31, who was out of contract having left Palmeiras last month Megson explained he does not think he could fit the player into his plans. "It wasn't a trial, because that is a bit demeaning for a player of that class," said Megson of a player whose £21.5m transfer to Real Betis in 1998 was then a world record. "He wasn't fit, but his class and quality was there for all to see. But there are other parts of his game that we didn't feel we would be able to use to our advantage and would be able to complement everyone else.
"He is a fantastic person and didn't come here as a 'big time Charlie'. "He mixed in with everyone else - and if anyone rang me up about giving him a reference he'd get nothing but positives." * With agencies