Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has admitted defeat regarding the club's interest in signing Kenwyne Jones.
Stoke boss admits defeat regarding Sunderland striker
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has admitted defeat regarding the club's interest in signing Kenwyne Jones.
Potters chairman Peter Coates earlier this month refused to rule out a move for the Sunderland striker, who played 16 games for Stoke while on loan from Southampton between February and May 2005.
But Pulis now says the club 'won't be in that market' for the big target man, who has also been linked with Liverpool and Birmingham in this transfer window.
The Stoke boss also ruled out a move for striker Victor Moses from crisis club Crystal Palace.
He said: "The Kenwyne Jones one, that is not going to happen, and Victor Moses, that was never going to happen anyway.
"We had Kenwyne here when we first started, quite a while back. I know there has been interest from Liverpool and other clubs and rightly so, he's a good player.
"But he's on a lot of money at Sunderland and they want a lot of money for him, it's been well documented. So we won't be in that market."
But Pulis is hopeful of landing England keeper David James, whose protracted move from Portsmouth is still being negotiated.
Washing machine
He added: "The washing machine is still spinning and we are going to have to wait until it stops.
"Luckily Tony (Scholes, Stoke's chief executive) is watching it and dealing with it, not me.
"We need another goalkeeper in. Last year we took a chance but I don't think we can afford to do that this year with so many games coming up."
But Pulis insists he is not a fan of the current transfer system and would prefer to see it scrapped altogether.
"We're in the European market where free trade is flagged up as one of the most important things, yet we have restrictions in football," he said.
"It's just beyond me to be honest and I think it puts an enormous amount of pressure on people.
"I don't think it's right and I think you should bring the old system back. The old system worked and I don't know why they wanted to change it.
Finances
"The way finances are going and the way football clubs are going, the sooner we get back to that the better.
"For me it suits the bigger clubs that have got the bigger squads and the best players.
"They are quite happy to sit there and be comfortable - it's the ones that might have smaller squads and doubts about picking up injuries.
"They are then trying to compete and get players in that are more expensive than they would be if there wasn't a window."
While the current transfer window appears quieter than in previous seasons, Pulis believes there could be plenty of activity before it closes on Monday night.
He added: "It's tight this year, there doesn't seem to be as much money about and as many things happening.
"But it wouldn't surprise me if it all took off in the next couple of days."
