Hull, Arsenal, Blackburn & Everton On Alert As Ajax Bid For Elia Is Rejected

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Premier League clubs Arsenal, Hull City, Everton and Blackburn Rovers, will be on alert today after Eredivisie club FC Twente revealed that they have rejected a bid from Dutch rivals Ajax for winger Eljero Elia.

21-year-old Elia has attracted strong interest from the Premiership, but Ajax, are the first club to make a firm offer for the Dutch International. However, with so many clubs interested in the talented Dutchman, Twente chairman Joop Munsterman has revealed the bid by Ajax to lure Elia to the Amsterdam Arena, which he has confirmed was rejected out of hand and even went as far as to call the offer an “insult”.

“Ajax have made an offer for Eljero [Elia], but we're not even considering it,” Munsterman told TC/Tubantia.

“Ajax's offer was an insult for a player of Elia's level.”



The Tigers along with the Toffees and Blackburn are believed to have watched Elia in former England manager Steve McClaren’s Twente side that played Manchester City in the UEFA Cup recently at the Eastlands Stadium. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is understood to have been at the European clash to run the rule over Elia personally.

Elia, who joined Twente from ADO Den Haag in 2007 had attracted attention from La Liga side Valencia in the summer, but opted against a move to the Mestalla and revealed a desire to ply his trade in England one day.

McClaren has used Elia on the wing this season, but the player can play as a secondary striker and has scored 7 goals in 45 appearances for the Reds. Elia still has more than two-years to run on his present deal at the Grolsh Veste, but it is understood that Twente will not stand in the players way should a decent offer and the Premier League beckon in January.

Arsenal & Man City Set To Lose Out On Huntelaar To Real Madrid

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Premier League clubs Arsenal and Manchester City look set to miss out on Dutch International Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after his present club Ajax confirmed that talks are already underway with La Liga Champions Real Madrid about a proposed switch to the Bernabeu in January.

25-year-old Huntelaar opted to stay at the Amsterdam Arena over the summer, despite being heavily linked with a host of top European sides. However, Huntelaar has not signed a new deal with Ajax and recent reports have claimed that the Dutch club are actively looking for a replacement after resigning themselves to losing Huntelaar in the January transfer window.

Despite being heavily linked with City and the Gunners, Ajax have now revealed that talks with Los Merengues have started although no deal has been agreed yet with the Spanish side for the Dutchman.

A statement read: “Ajax are in talks with Real Madrid over the possible sale of Klaas Jan Huntelaar to the Spanish club.

“However no deal has been agreed at the moment.”

Huntelaar has been at Ajax since his move from SC Heerenveen in 2005 and has scored an incredible 75 goals in 90 league appearances during his time at the Amsterdam Arena, making the striker one of the most sought after players in Europe.

Newcastle To Go Double Dutch In January

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Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear is ready to go double Dutch in the January transfer window, with the Magpies boss revealing that his main targets to bring to St James’ Park next month all ply their trade in the Eredivisie.

61-year-old Kinnear, who has just signed a six-month extension at the Premier League club after replacing Kevin Keegan in September has insisted that any players arriving at the Toon in January must be proven and better than the players he already has at his disposal.

Kinnear told The Sun: “The players we are looking at now have got to be proven. We don’t want to chance our arm with 'maybes'.

“They are all playing in Holland and I believe that whoever I have identified will be better than we have got.”

Recent reports suggest that Ajax left-back Urby Emanuelson (see video) is on Kinnear’s list along with Tim de Cler, who plays for Feyenoord and is also a left-sided player. With Kinnear identifying the Magpies left side as a weakness and is keen to add a naturally left-sided defender to the Squad at Newcastle.

22-year-old Emanuelson is a product of the famous youth academy at the Amsterdam Arena and has made 91 appearances for Ajax in the Eredivisie since making his senior debut in 2005. Emanuelson has been capped by Holland 11 times, but despite playing a major part in the EURO 2008 qualifier’s for the Dutch did not make the final squad that participated in last summers tournament that was co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

30-year-old De Cler is also a Dutch International and has been at Feyenoord since joining from AZ Alkmaar in 2007 and has made 32 league appearances for De club van het volk.

Huntelaar To Snub Arsenal, Man City & Real Madrid For Bundesliga?

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Prolific Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has revealed that he would be open to a move to the German Bundesliga, which will come as a shock to Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester City along with La Liga Champions Real Madrid, who have all been strongly linked with the Dutch International.

25-year-old Huntelaar opted to stay at the Amsterdam Arena over the summer, despite being heavily linked with a host of top European sides. However, Huntelaar has not signed a new deal with Ajax and recent reports have claimed that the Dutch club are actively looking for a replacement after resigning themselves to losing Huntelaar in the January transfer window.

Despite being heavily linked with City, Real and the Gunners, Huntelaar has revealed that he would be open to a move to Germany should the right offer come along.

“I can imagine that I will play in the Bundesliga one day. But at the moment I am fully focused on Ajax. When a club comes by with a big bag of money though, Ajax will have to consider,” said Huntelaar.

“If it is better for me and for the club, it can be possible that Ajax will decide to sell me.

Ajax, travel to Germany to face Hamburg in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, with Huntelaar revealing that another Bundesliga side, Schalke 04, have already made enquiries about his availability.

“That's correct. Schalke 04 wanted to sign me," he said.

“It happens more often that interested club contact us. As a striker I am always interesting for other clubs.”

Huntelaar has been at Ajax since his move from SC Heerenveen in 2005 and has scored an incredible 75 goals in 90 league appearances during his time at the Amsterdam Arena, making the striker one of the hottest properties in Europe.

Ajax Seeking Replacement For Arsenal, Man City & Real Target Huntelaar

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Ajax chief Danny Blind has revealed that the Dutch club are actively seeking a replacement for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is expected to leave the Amsterdam Arena in January, with La Liga Champions Real Madrid or Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester City the likely destination.

25-year-old Huntelaar has been heavily linked with a move to the Gunners or Los Merengues in Spain, with the prolific striker yet to sign a new deal at the Eredivisie club, which has prompted Blind to start the search for Huntelaar’s replacement. Gronigen striker Markus Berg is thought to be one of the potential targets.

"He is one of but a number of foreign attackers we are intensively following,” admitted Blind.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been an admirer of Huntelaar since the striker featured in Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial for the Gunners, scoring the first goal at their new Emirates Stadium.

While Real coach Bernd Schuster will make every attempt to land Huntelaar after losing striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to injury for the rest of the season and sees Nistelrooy’s countryman as an ideal replacement.

Another destination for Huntelaar could be Manchester City, who reportedly had an offer of €40million turned down by the Dutch side in a deadline day attempt to lure Huntelaar to the Eastlands Stadium.

Huntelaar has been at Ajax since his move from SC heerenveen in 2005 and has scored an incredible 75 goals in 90 league appearances during his time at the Amsterdam Arena, making the striker one of the hottest properties in Europe.