Monday, December 26, 2011

Rodgers Reveals Donnelly Blow

Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed Cliftonville have backtracked on an agreement the Premier League club had regarding a fee for Rory Donnelly.

The Welsh side announced last week that an offer, believed to be in the region of £100,000, had been accepted by Cliftonville for the teenage striker.

Donnelly visited Swansea earlier this week to discuss terms, but Everton and Liverpool have subsequently declared their interest in the Northern Irishman.

Rodgers has confirmed the goalposts have now been moved and he is waiting to see if it will be possible for the Swans to conclude a deal for Donnelly.

"We have done everything we can up until this moment," said Rodgers. "We had the player watched over a number of months, I went to see him myself, and I felt he was worth taking into our group.

"We arranged for him to come over for a couple of days, he's a good kid and his agent and assistant coach enjoyed their time here and that's as much as we can do.

"We agreed the fee on the basis he came here and enjoyed it and we could put a deal together, what happens after that is out of our control.

"They decided the fee was no longer agreed and that's something out of my hands."

Although Rodgers appeared downbeat about Swansea's prospects of signing Donnelly, he did not rule out the prospect of Chairman Huw Jenkins putting in an improved offer for the 19-year-old.

"At this moment the chairman has spoken with their chairman and I will find out how that evolves," Rodgers said.

"It's up to the club, I came back with a valuation and Cliftonville have played the game quite well, but we shall see.

"He's a good kid and the two clubs who are reportedly interested are fantastic clubs, but it has to be about an opportunity for the player and they (Cliftonville) will decide who will be best suited.

"I find it sad and disappointing that we had an agreement and now we don't, morally you would think that would stand but we will find out over the next few days."

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