No Magpies move for Germany star
by Tom Adams, 18 July 2008
The agent of Germany international Torsten Frings has exclusively told setantasports.com that he did not meet with Newcastle United and that the midfielder would only consider joining a club in the top four of The Premier League.
Norbert Pflippen has also played down suggestions that his client could now be in line for a move to Arsenal as The Gunners seek to replace the departed Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva in North London.
Frings, 31, impressed again in a holding role for Germany at Euro 2008 and it was reported on Thursday that representatives of the player met with Magpies’ executive director (football) Dennis Wise in order to discuss a possible move to Tyneside.
This reputed meeting and a reported snub by The Magpies has been flatly denied though, and Frings’ agent has ruled out the possibility that the experienced Werder Bremen star would consider a move to a club outside of England’s elite.
“No, (there was no meeting with Newcastle),” Pflippen told setantasports.com.
“The situation at the moment is that he has a contract until 2011 but we didn’t speak to anyone in England.
“We read yesterday that Newcastle are interested in Torsten but we have only three or four teams in England that he would go to and that is the big four.”
Arsenal have been mooted as a possible destination though, particularly given that Arsene Wenger has already seen two central midfielders leave the club this summer to further reduce the experience at his disposal at Emirates Stadium.
It has been reported that Frings’ representatives are now hoping to secure a move to the English capital but Pflippen insists the final decision over the player’s future will be made by his Bundesliga employers.
When asked if there had been any contact with Arsenal, Pflippen replied: “Not yet, maybe in a few days, but he is now on holidays in Portugal and we have contact every day, but not yet.
“It is difficult to say [what will happen] because we do not know what Werder Bremen will say and maybe they won’t let him go because he is a leader there.
“One year ago he had the option to go to Juventus and Bremen said no, and I think it is the same situation.”