Saturday´s transfer round-up: Hamsik´s AC Milan move shot down

Marek Hamsik appears unlikely to get his desired move to AC Milan, with the midfielder’s club Napoli more likely to deal with rivals Inter.

Hamsik played a key role in Napoli’s third-place finish in the 2010/11 Serie A season and subsequent Champions League qualification, scoring 13 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions for his club.

Having cemented himself as one of the league’s brightest talents, the 23-year-old revealed in La Gazetta dello Sport on Friday that he ‘cannot promise anything’ if AC Milan were to come calling.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis replied in Corriere dello Sport on Saturday, slapping a 100 million-euro price tag on the Slovakian and revealing he would be more likely to sell the player to Milan’s bitter rivals Inter.

“He costs 100 million euros. Besides, if I really do have to sell Hamsik, I’d give him to Inter,” De Laurentiis said.

“(Milan vice-president) Adriano Galliani never asked me for him, whereas (Inter president) Massimo Moratti did and was very polite about it.”

“He asked me three years ago for Hamsik, then two months ago enquired if anything had changed. I replied no, but I was impressed by his attitude.”

“I promised to Moratti that if things do change, then Inter will have a sort of moral option on Hamsik.”

Udinese – another Serie A club preparing for the 2011/12 Champions League campaign – have strengthened their squad with the capture of Ivory Coast midfielder Thierry Doubai.

The 23-year-old has moved from Swiss club Young Boys Bern on a five-year deal and joined Brazilian central defender Danilo Larangeira and French midfielder Abdoul Wahlid Sissoko as new signings at Udinese, who are still expected to lose Alexis Sanchez to a big-money bid.

Fiorentina have also been active, securing 24-year-old Brazilian full-back Romulo for a reported fee of 2.5 million euros from Cruzeiro.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund’s Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa has distanced himself from speculation linking him to English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United.

Kawaga scored eight goals in 17 games for German champions Dortmund before injury curtailed his campaign.

He remains highly rated, with United said to be one club interested in acquiring his services. But Kagawa, 22, told Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung he is happy at the Westfalenstadion.

“I can only say that in Dortmund I have found a wonderful place to play football and I just feel comfortable here,” Kawaga said.

“I must, for my part, first of all work on getting back into the Dortmund team. I have no time to waste on other things.”

Staying in the English Premier League, both Matt Jarvis (Wolves) and Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City) are keen to remain at their current clubs.

Fringe England midfielder Jarvis has been linked with Aston Villa, while central defender Shawcross is reportedly a target for Liverpool and Tottenham.