Sbragia scuppers Jones' Tottenham move
By Damian Spellman (The Independent)Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia has told Tottenham they have no chance of pushing through a £15m deal for striker Kenwyne Jones.
Reports today suggested Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has tabled a massive bid for the 24-year-old, with whom he worked briefly at Southampton, as he attempts to spend his way out of the Barclays Premier League drop zone.
However, Sbragia has told him to forget about it after seeing the Trinidad and Tobago international return to top form following the knee injury he suffered during the summer.
The Scot said: "There's no way I will be selling my best players, it's as simple as that. I have always said that.
"I don't care what Spurs do, at the end of the day, he won't be going anywhere."
Jones, a £6m signing from the Saints during the summer of 2007, has been a big hit on Wearside since and has also been linked with Saturday's opponents Aston Villa.
However, Sbragia is determined to keep Jones and strike partner Djibril Cisse together, with the Frenchman having admitted earlier this week that he is keen to make his loan move from Marseille permanent at the end of the season.
Sbragia said: "He [Cisse] has been excellent for me. He has come into the club, he has nested in well, he likes the area, and what he has done, he is scoring goals and that's what he is paid to do.
"He and Kenwyne are making a good partnership, so I can't see the point in breaking it - and I can't understand why we would want to sell our best players to teams around us.
"That I can't quite understand. There are no circumstances in which any of my players will be leaving."
There was a similar answer too for Hull counterpart Phil Brown, who revealed after last night's FA Cup third-round replay victory at Newcastle that he had made an offer for Black Cats captain Dean Whitehead.
Sbragia, who contacted Brown yesterday to recall defender Paul McShane from his loan spell at the KC Stadium, said: "I spoke to Phil yesterday and he never mentioned it.
"I see he mentioned it after the game last night, but that's how it goes, I gather.
"At the end of the day, I spoke to him about Paul yesterday and that was as far as it went.
"Dean won't be going anywhere, it's as simple as that."
Meanwhile, Sbragia, whose search for defensive reinforcements is continuing despite McShane's return, confirmed that midfielder Liam Miller is expected to join QPR on loan for the rest of the season later today.
