Can Wigan Keep Hold Of Zaki In January?

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The New Voice Of Football column at FootballFancast.com

With Real Madrid and Chelsea circling Wigan Athletic striker Amr Zaki. Can Latics boss Steve Bruce hold on to the Egyptian International in January if the big clubs come calling?

Since 25-year-old Zaki arrived at the JJB Stadium in the summer on a season-long loan. As a relative unknown from Egyptian side El Zamalek and took the Premier League by storm, with his all-action style and goals in the early part of the campaign. Speculation has grown that the former Lokomotiv Moscow forward will be snapped up by one of the big European sides next month.

While, Bruce insisted today that all the talk has become repetitive and boring and that Zaki belongs to Wigan for the season. Can he really do anything to stop it should Zamalek decide to sell the Egyptian from under his nose?

"It does become a bit repetitive and boring," Bruce said.

"It is Chelsea this week, Real Madrid last week, Liverpool the week before, Man City before that. I think the whole thing needs to be addressed really.

"He is ours for the rest of the season.”

After all Zamalek’s main purpose in loaning Zaki to Wigan and not sell him outright in the first place, was to raise both his profile and price tag. Which, has now happened. So should Los Merengues or the Blues, City or anyone else for that matter turn up at the door of the Egyptian club, with a wheelbarrow full of cash in January? How much thought will be given to the fact that they have an agreement with Wigan until the end of the season?

Yes, Wigan will be compensated in some sort of way, but Bruce didn’t even negotiate the option to be at the front of the queue to buy Zaki should he want him as a permanent fixture at the JJB come May next year.

Now I may be wrong here, but I can’t find anything in the rules, which prevents Zamalek recalling Zaki and selling him to another club. After all Zamalek are the club that own his registration and not Wigan. So from where I’m standing Bruce can huff and puff all he likes, but the fact remains that Zaki is not his player and by the looks of it never will be. Which means that by not having that first option to buy Zaki, Bruce saw the move as taking a punt. Something, that is now surely going to backfire on him.

Spurs & Blackburn Set To Lose Out On Mputu?

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Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers look set to miss out on Congolese International Tresor Mputu after the striker revealed that Marseille want him more than Spurs or Blackburn.

22-year-old Mputu, who currently plays for TP Mazembe in Congo had been heavily linked with a move to either White Hart Lane or Ewood Park, but the prolific striker has claimed that Marseille have made a firm offer to take him to the Stade Velodrome. Whereas, there were only offers of trials at the Premiership clubs.

“The president of my club [Governor Moise] has told me that Marseille have made a concrete offer for me, not a trial," Mputu explained to skysports.com.

“My agent is saying he has trials in the UK for me, and to be honest my ambition is to play in England - but no English club wants to sign me straightaway.

“And look at Wigan, I think they are paying that price now with [Amr] Zaki of Egypt.

“Marseille want me more than Tottenham and Blackburn. I have had a trial offer from Tottenham for two weeks but the concrete offer from Marseille is more of a deal for my chairman.

“I don't need to prove anything to any experts in African football - but Premier League clubs don't take players from Africa.

“Wigan took a gamble not signing Zaki permanently. I don't know why, as we all knew Zaki is a quality player and has proved himself on this continent.

However, Mputu did also reveal that he would like to come to England one day to ply his trade in the Premier League and disclosed that he is yet to sign a deal with the Ligue 1 team, but reaffirmed that there was a deal on the table from Marseille.

“One day I might come to the Premier League."

"It is not signed yet," he said.

"But the president said he has the concrete offer on the table."

Latics Sensation Zaki Joins Adebayor & Babel On Real Wanted List?

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Wigan Athletic striker Amr Zaki (below) has reportedly joined Ryan Babel of Liverpool and Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor on the wish list of Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster in January. As the Los Merengues coach looks to bolster an injury ravaged frontline at the Bernabeu.

Real have already lost Dutch International Ruud van Nistelrooy for the rest of the season through injury and have now lost Argentine Gonzalo Higuain, who was injured in Madrid’s La Liga clash with Recreativo Huelva on Saturday.

However, the injury to Higuain is not thought to be serious and is only expected to keep the 20-year-old former River Plate player out of Real’s Champions League tie with BATE this week.

Real were linked with a move for Gunners striker Adebayor last week and earlier on Monday were said to be interested in Liverpool winger Ryan Babel, with Schuster desperate to bring a quality forward to the Bernabeu in January after the loss of van Nistelrooy.

Now Egyptian International Zaki has appeared on the Real radar, with the La Liga giants tempted by the Latics striker, who has been a sensation in the Premier League since his arrival at the JJB Stadium. Zaki is also available to play in the Champions League, which makes the on-loan striker a much more viable proposition than Adebayor or Babel, who would both be cup-tied.

In addition to this Wigan manager Steve Bruce has already revealed that the Premiership side do not have first refusal on Zaki from parent club Zamalek. With the Egyptian club sending Zaki on a season-long loan to Wigan to increase the players value.

With 8 goals in 12 Premier League games, Zaki’s value has surely risen, with Wigan apparently unable to do anything should Real Madrid come to an agreement with Zamalek when the transfer window reopens in January.

Newcastle v Wigan Premiership Preview: Barton & Ameobi To Feature For Magpies – Zaki A Doubt For Latics

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Joe Kinnear’s Newcastle United play, Wigan Athletic in the Premier League at St James’ Park on Saturday.

The Magpies lost to Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage last weekend, but won their previous two Premiership matches against Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion, which brought an end to Kinnear’s winless streak at the North East club. However, Newcastle are still in the relegation zone and Kinnear will be hoping that the Toon can pick up all three points against a Wigan side just above them on virtue of goal difference.

Latics manager Steve Bruce will want his side to shake off any side effects of the 3-0 Carling Cup defeat to Arsenal’s youngsters on Tuesday and will be hoping that Wigan can build on the win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park and the 0-0 draw with Stoke City at the JJB Stadium in their last two Premier League outings. Which ended a four-game losing streak for Wigan.

Kinnear is still unable to call on Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Ignacio Gonzalez, who all have achilles problems for the visit of Wigan. Joey Barton is likely to start in central midfield and Newcastle Player of the Month Shola Ameobi is likely to lead the attack, with Kinnear to decide between Obafemi Martins and Michael Owen as his strike-partner for this must win clash.

The Latics will be without long-term absentee Erik Edman (knee), with doubts over Premiership top-scorer Amr Zaki after his agent claimed that the Egyptian International has been playing with flu and is carrying several other knocks.

“Amr will have a full check-up on Wednesday because of several injury concerns in late,” Saied told FilGoal.

“He played with flu against Stoke and Arsenal, he is also complaining from an old calf injury. Furthermore, he received a knock to his ribs during the Arsenal match.”

Newcastle United: (from) Given, Coloccini, Taylor, N’Zogbia, Barton, Butt, Gutierrez, Enrique, Cacapa, Guthrie, Martins, Owen, Duff, Bassong, Harper, Xisco, Geremi, Beye, Ameobi, Kadar, Edgar, Tozer, LuaLua, Carroll

Wigan Athletic: (from) Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Taylor, Cattermole, Jones, Palacios, Scharner, Kilbane, Heskey, Koumas, Brown, Pollitt, Zaki, Valencia, Boyce, de Ridder, Cywka, Kapo, Camara, Kupisz, Figueroa, Ashworth