Bowyer, Dacourt first to go as Venables begins player cull
Venables took over the hot-seat on Wednesday after being handed the immediate task of recouping £15million to ease the financial constraints on one of the Premiership’s big spenders.
Within days, he is on the verge of completing his initial brief and more after Leeds agreed a fee with Liverpool, thought to be £9million, for Bowyer at the same time as Dacourt’s prospective £15million switch to Italian giants Juventus moved a step closer.
That would eliminate any need to sell star defender Rio Ferdinand, although Venables, who is determined to keep hold of one of his most influential players, still has to talk to the much sought-after England international.
The new manager did attempt to persuade 25-year-old Bowyer to reconsider, but all to no avail.
His representatives will open talks with the Anfield club early next week in a bid to secure a transfer which will disappoint many of the club’s supporters, but which became increasingly inevitable after he rejected the offer of a new contract and was placed on the transfer list.
‘‘We’ve given Lee permission to talk to Liverpool,’’ United chairman Peter Ridsdale said.
‘‘Terry Venables did have a chat with Lee, but his agent called last night to say nothing has changed,” Ridsdale said.
‘‘Liverpool have made an offer that’s acceptable to us and the rest is now in Lee’s hands,” he said.
‘‘How quickly the deal goes through is now up to him and Liverpool to agree personal terms and go through the medical.”
Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Dacourt’s protracted move could also go through sooner rather than later.
Giorgio de Giorgis, who has been working with the 27-year-old Frenchman’s representative, Bruno Satin, in talks with the Turin club, said: ‘‘Negotiations are very advanced. There is already an agreement between both clubs.
‘‘The deal could be finalised at the next meeting,” de Giorgis said.
However, Dacourt, a £7.2million signing from Lens in July 2000, finds himself involved in something of a chain with Juve unwilling to commit themselves until they have completed the transfer of Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids to either Roma or Lazio, while Alessandro Nesta’s proposed switch from Lazio to Juventus could also have a knock-on effect.
The departure of both Bowyer and Dacourt would leave Venables not only in his chairman’s good books, but with a surplus with which to fund his own spending plans.
And with interest having been expressed in further members of his squad, including defender Gary Kelly and striker Robbie Keane, he could boost that further, although the pressure would be off to a certain extent.
Venables admitted as he took over that he had little option but to sell players, and the fact that he has bitten the bullet so soon is an indication of his determination to sort the wheat from the chaff as soon as possible.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
