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It's not true

Dave Lawrenson
5/ 6/2008

BURY manager Alan Knill has rubbished newspaper reports linking star striker Andy Bishop with a £200,000 move to Championship side Burnley.

And, as the Advertiser went to press last night, Wednesday, June 4, Knill was honing in on two new signings – former Nigerian international centre back Efe Sodje and ‘a quality goalkeeper’.

Sodje was a big hit on loan at Bury last season and he has been told that he has no future at Gillingham despite having a year left on his contract.

Knill said: "I am trying to sign Efe as we speak and I am very hopeful of doing that. I am just waiting for his agent to get back to me.

"Efe began pre-season training with Gillingham on Tuesday and we need to get something sorted out and get him out of there.

"He is not wanted by Gillingham but he is certainly wanted by us. He did really well for us last season and it would be a huge boost if we could get him back here permanently.

"I am also very close to securing the signing of a quality goalkeeper. A deal has been agreed and I am hopeful of getting the deal signed and sealed on Thursday (June 5).

"As for Andy Bishop, he has proven himself to be an excellent striker at this club. He is a clinical finisher and a key player for us.

"I have said many times before that I want him to stay here. But, thankfully, we have had no bids for him and the same goes for all of our other players.

"That story about Burnley bidding £200,000 for Andy is just paper talk. There is nothing in it."

Knill, who is still unwilling to reveal who he has decided to appoint as his assistant manager due to unresolved issues with the new man’s current employers, was hoping to finalise new contracts for Nicky Adams, David Buchanan, Brian Barry-Murphy, Glynn Hurst and Cameron Belford when he returned from a four-day holiday in Majorca on Tuesday.

But his plans have been stalled due to the players having holiday commitments of their own.

Knill said: "Barry-Murphy, Buchanan, Hurst and Belford are all on holiday at the moment so I haven’t been able to get things finalised yet. But I’m still very confident that most, if not all of them, will stay.

"Buchanan, Brian-Barry-Murphy and Belford have all verbally agreed to new contract offers so it’s now just a case of getting them to put pen to paper.

"Hurst wants to stay after getting a second and improved contract offer from us and talks are still on-going with Adams."

Midfielder Dale Stephens, aged 20, is the only other current Bury player who is out of contract this summer. He looks set to be released by the club, who are planning to release a statement about Stephens today, Thursday, June 5.