Marcos Senna, one of Manchester City's principal targets in the January transfer window, today said he had no wish to leave Villarreal. The central midfielder, one of Spain's key performers in their Euro 2008 triumph, said while he accepted that Manchester City were enormously wealthy, he was happy at the Spanish club, who lie sixth in La Liga.
"I don't know anything about a transfer to Manchester City," he told the Spanish sports paper Marca. "I have only read the same stories that you have and I have no idea where these stories have come from. Everyone in football knows how much money Manchester City have but all I can say is that I want to concentrate on Villarreal and do the best I can for the team. What I can tell you is that what I have read about me going to Manchester City has surprised me."
Although Villarreal might consider that an offer of around £15m would be good business for a 32-year-old, Senna's flat denial makes it even more likely that Manchester City will concentrate their efforts on West Ham's Scott Parker, who is interested in a move to Eastlands.
In a statement on the club's website, the West Ham chief executive, Scott Duxbury, said that while the club's manager, Gianfranco Zola, would be given a veto on any sale, they were prepared to listen to all bids for their players. "As a club we will look at every single approach rationally," he said. "We must not be afraid of interest in or bids for our leading players. Each bid will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career."