Bates blast agents after transfer Hassel ends

Chelsea chairman Ken Bates launched an attack on ‘‘desperate’’ agents for allegedly trying to unsettle his players as Barcelona looked set to abandon their interest in Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Bates insists that he has been determined to hold onto his best players this summer, despite speculation linking William Gallas, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Hasselbaink with moves away from Stamford Bridge.

With the transfer deadline approaching on Saturday, Barcelona now seem to have called a halt to making any bid for Hasselbaink. Club president Joan Gaspart told Radio Barcelona: ‘‘I don’t think we will sign Hasselbaink.

‘‘I cannot deny that there have been contacts, but at this time the possibility of Hasselbaink playing for Barcelona are remote.’’ Reports in Spain had earlier indicated that Hasselbaink, 30, was the top priority to partner Dutch compatriot Patrick Kluivert following the return of former Holland coach Louis van Gaal to the Nou Camp. Agent Vicenzo Morabito even claimed Gaspart and Bates had already discussed the situation over Hasselbaink.

However, it would appear that although Barcelona were prepared to consider a £5 million move plus Michael Reiziger, they would not raise their price significantly higher.

Chelsea, who insist that no formal bid has been received for Hasselbaink in any case, have consistently stated their determination to keep hold of their £15 million record signing.

So unless another bidder presents a £10 million-plus offer - and Deportivo La Coruna have also been linked with a possible interest - or Barcelona perform a U-turn, Hasselbaink will be staying put at least for the time being.

The next question would then be whether Chelsea must, as other reports have claimed, raise a significant sum by this weekend thereby placing pressure on them to sell another player such as Gudjohnsen. Bates appeared to insist there was no such financial pressure as he came out fighting by telling fans not to believe the constant transfer

rumours sweeping the club.

He rather conveniently overlooked the fact that Hasselbaink had put himself in the shop window in the first place when he revealed that he would be prepared to consider any bid from Barcelona. Instead, Bates trained his fire on a familiar target - agents.

He told Chelsea TV: ‘‘I have read for two months that Eidur Gudjohnsen is going to Sunderland, Blackburn or Manchester United. He hasn’t and he isn’t. William Gallas was supposed to be going to all sorts of clubs. He hasn’t gone either and won’t. Now it is the same with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

‘‘The common thread in these three stories is the agents. Agents are a bit like stockbrokers, who don’t mind if shares go up or down as long as people are selling and buying them as that is how they make their margins.

‘‘They don’t give a damn about clubs and, quite frankly, a lot of them don’t give a damn about their so-called clients either. A lot of agents who were smoking fat cigars and driving Bentleys are now wondering whether they can afford a Woodbine and a Mini.”

They are getting desperate.

‘‘If Barcelona want to buy Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, I’m sure their president is capable of picking up the phone, talking to Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch, saying ‘I’d like to buy your striker’ and discussing the situation.

‘‘We have had no such phone call. There has been no transfer request from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and no approach from Barcelona, just a load of rubbish from his agent.’’

Before Gaspart poured cold water on the prospects of a deal being reached for Hasselbaink, Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri had also insisted that the striker was staying put.

Ranieri, who seems certain to select the Dutchman at Southampton tomorrow night as Chelsea try to continue their encouraging start to the season, told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: ‘‘Jimmy is staying.

‘‘The truth is that I’m interested in Hasselbaink and I don’t know anything about Reiziger.’’

Chelsea chief executive Birch was, meanwhile, looking forward to the transfer window closing to give the club some peace of mind - at least until Christmas.

‘‘There are only a few days to go until the transfer window shuts and all the rumours stop, so roll on that time. All this erroneous speculation does not help,’’ he admitted.

Birch insisted there is ‘‘no truth’’ in reports indicating Chelsea must repay a £5million chunk of the combined £14 million transfer fees for Emmanuel Petit and Boudewijn Zenden to Barcelona by August 31.