Edwards sad to miss out on Anfield replay

Jan 11 2008 by Phil Blanche, Western Mail

RISING Wales star David Edwards has had his Anfield cup dream scuppered... by a £675,000 transfer to Championship club Wolves.

Edwards shone in Luton’s 1-1 FA Cup draw with Liverpool at Kenilworth Road last Sunday and pleaded to play in the Anfield replay on Tuesday.

But administrators at the crisis-torn League One club have turned down Edwards’ request to delay his transfer to Molineux until after Luton’s trip to Liverpool.

“David asked Wolverhampton Wanderers whether they could put the deal off till after next Tuesday but the administrator turned down that request,” revealed Hatters’ assistant boss Sam Ellis.

“We have our two biggest games this season, playing top of the table – a good side (Swansea City) – and then Liverpool, but now this happens.

“It would have been a good test for us if we had a strong squad. We still have a team to put out but it does lessen our chances of getting the results we would like.

“What we do know is we don’t have as good a side as we had 24 hours ago.”

Edwards joined the Hatters from Shrewsbury in July, becoming manager Kevin Blackwell’s first signing, but had since been targeted by Nottingham Forest.

His move from Shrewsbury had not been without controversy – as a dispute between the clubs over the move was eventually settled, although there was a disparity in the figures quoted by the two clubs.

Luton skipper Chris Coyne also departed in a £350,000 move to Colchester, while midfielder Ahmet Brkovic made his loan move to Millwall permanent.

And Swansea’s opponents at Kenilworth Road tomorrow could be weakened even further with Hull City inquiring about goalkeeper Dean Brill and Plymouth in for strikers Calvin Andrew and Drew Talbot.

Ellis said, “We didn’t know he (administrator) was going to sell before then and we can’t give any inkling about a squad. That’s the situation we’ve been left in.

“But I do know the administrator was put under pressure by the agency he has brought in.

“We feel they pushed him into a corner by saying deals in football from one week to the next can fall down. We feel they’ve gone far way under their market value – there’s been no auction.

“We just feel they’ve accepted whatever bids have come in.”

Blackburn’s former Wales boss Mark Hughes has targeted Jason Koumas as the man to replace Robbie Savage.

Wales midfielder Koumas only signed for Wigan last summer but could be made available as part of a shake-up by new Latics boss Steve Bruce.

Hughes has long been an admirer of Koumas, and he gave the versatile 28-year-old his full international debut.

Now the Rovers chief is ready to test Wigan’s resolve by launching a £3m raid for the former West Brom star, as he seeks to plug the gap in midfield created by the departures of Savage to Derby, and Aaron Mokoena to the African Nations Cup.

Koumas cost Wigan £5.3m when they bought him from West Brom, but he has hardly set the world alight during his first six months at the JJB and it is believed Bruce may be willing to let him go.