Monday 7 January 2019 10:24, UK
Roy Hodgson has insisted he has never heard of Sunderland striker Josh Maja, who has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace in the January transfer window.
Maja has rejected the offer of a new contract at the Stadium of Light, with Palace, Huddersfield and Cardiff all understood to be interested in signing the 20-year-old, whose current contract expires in the summer.
But speaking following Palace's 1-0 win over Grimsby in the third round of the FA Cup that saw them register just once despite 34 attempts at goal, Hodgson said he knows nothing of the Sunderland man.
"I've never heard of him. I don't follow Sunderland and his name has not been mentioned to me," he said.
"I'm not going to stand here and answer questions about individuals and names.
"The fact is it's not my job to scout players. I'm sure if you ask our scouting department and our head of scouting about Josh Maja, he would tell you chapter and verse about him.
"But no one has mentioned his name to me, I don't spend my time watching Sunderland play."
Hodgson instead remains keen to work with the players already at his disposal, rather than take a chance in the transfer market.
"We're 14th and with a little bit of luck we would be even higher," he added.
"As long as our goal remains to get as high up the table as we can and away from the relegation zone then I would rather go with what I've got.
"I've been working with them for quite a period of time than to just go with someone for the sake of taking them."
