Posh's Zak Whitbread deal is dead
THE proposed transfer of Millwall centre-back Zak Whitbread to London Road is dead in the water because of the player's excessive wage demands.
THE proposed transfer of Millwall centre-back Zak Whitbread to London Road is dead in the water because of the player's excessive wage demands.News of Posh's interest in the highly-rated 25 year-old broke yesterday afternoon, but within hours manager Darren Ferguson admitted the transfer would not be going ahead.
Sources in South London believe that Posh had a 400,000 bid for Whitbread accepted by Millwall. They claimed negotiations over personal terms were 'ongoing'.
However The Evening Telegraph understands that talks with the player ground to a halt some time ago. Posh have recently signed Krystian Pearce on a season-long loan from Birmingham to compete with first-choice centre-backs Craig Morgan and Gaby Zakuani.
Ferguson said: "We did have contact with Millwall and I understand we had a bid accepted. We spoke with the player, but we won't be going ahead with the deal because his wage demands were too high.
"There is no doubt that Zak is a quality player, but it's now not a position we need cover for.
"Gaby and Craig showed their worth last season, while Krystian is an exciting prospect."
Whitbread's agent is former Manchester United defender Kevin Moran.
Moran said yesterday: "We have talked figures but we are waiting to hear back from Darren at the moment," but this statement can be dismissed as an agent trying to drum up interest in a player struggling to find a new club since going on the transfer list in the summer.
Posh also have youngster Sam Gaughran, last season's player-of-the-year Charlie Lee, plus club captain Russell Martin who can play at centre-back.
Transfer-listed central defender Kieran Charnock, a transfer target of League Two newcomers Torquay Athletic, played for Posh in a pre-season friendly at Rushden & Diamonds last night.
Charnock has been given permission to speak to Torquay after the clubs agreed a fee, but he has yet to take up that offer.
Club captain Russell Martin led a strong Posh side which went down to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Nene Park.
Rushden scored twice in the second half through James Reid and Craig Farrell. Farrell scored after a goalkeeping howler from James McKeown.
Recent recruits from Crawley Danny Mills and Romone McCrae started for Posh.
Mills missed the best opportunity in the second half of a game which had few plus points from a Posh point of view.
McCrae was substituted in the second-half.
Posh: McKeown, Martin, Gaughran, Charnock, Day, Torres, Crook, McCrae, Green, Wright, Mills. Subs used Blanchett, Crossley.
CHAIRMAN Darragh MacAnthony will conduct a question and answer session with Posh fans at Ebeneezers on Grove Street, Woodston tonight (from 8.15pm).
The evening has been arranged to help launch the new Posh book 'Boyd, Sweat and Beers'.
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Wednesday 17 March 2010
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