Bruce - Hands off our stars

Latics boss plays down Heskey and Taylor transfer talk

By Elliot Ball   Last updated: 14th January 2009

Bruce - Hands off our stars

Bruce: Keen to hold on to stars

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Steve Bruce has repeated his desire to keep the Wigan squad together as speculation rages about the futures of the club's star players.

Wilson Palacios, Antonio Valencia, Emile Heskey, Amr Zaki and now Ryan Taylor have all been linked with moves away from the JJB Stadium.

The versatile Taylor, whose agent is in talks with the Latics about a new contract, is believed to be a target for new Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce.

But Bruce denies receiving any offers for them, while he's also questioned reports that Heskey has signed a pre-contract agreement with Liverpool ahead of a summer Bosman move.

Discussions

Of Taylor and Heskey, both out of contract in June, Bruce told the Wigan Evening Post: "Nobody has tried for Ryan and we're in discussions about a new deal with him.

"He knows what we think of him and one thing I won't be doing is selling him.

"With Emile, you can't sign pre-contract agreements with a club in your own country, it wouldn't be legally binding.

"You can do so with a club in another country.

"It's news to me if he has done so with Liverpool. I wouldn't have thought he would have put himself in that position."