Al-Habsi to leave

[Lofthouse Lower]

Not a shock. £5m and thank-you very much.

The Bolton Wanderers manager, Owen Coyle, has confirmed that he is willing to look at offers for on-loan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi.

The Oman international is currently at Wigan Athletic where he has deposed the former England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland as first-choice.

Roberto Martínez appears keen to keep Al-Habsi, who is 29 later this month and has two years left on his contract at the Reebok Stadium, but his form this season has alerted other clubs.

With Jussi Jaaskelainen restricting Al-Habsi to just 10 Premier League appearances since his arrival at Bolton in 2006, Coyle is content to let the player move on.

"If a bid comes in we'll sit down with Ali and his advisors and look at it," he told the Bolton News. "We can't really talk about it until it happens. We know he's been playing well but we knew he was a top goalkeeper when we loaned him out.

"He needed to play and it was a great deal business-wise for the club and it allowed Ali to play Premier League matches as well as enabling us to promote Adam Bogdan, who is also an excellent keeper.

"It was a win-win situation for us. If a bid comes in January, we'll look at it, and do the right thing for the football club."

[bobo the clown]

A real shame, but they must have enormous faith in Bogdan.

I have to say I'm still in the "thanks Jussi" camp .... given age & potential. That may seem ungrateful, but gratitude doesn't catch crosses.

Still, best of luck to him. Shame though also that he, with N'Zogbia, are probably the reason Wigan aren't cut adrift at the bottom.

[Tombwfc]

That doesn't say he's leaving, although he probably will.

Coyle has said that about every single player 'at the football club'.

[BWFC_Insane]

Its up to the management to decide who is first choice keeper.

If they think its Jussi and they think Bogdan is a good enough back up, then Al Habsi is basically a luxury.

We can't let him run down his contract as he's clearly pissed off with the situation.

If we can get 3M for him, then I can't see any argument for keeping him beyond the "he's better than Jussi". But Coyle et al obviously don't think so!

[seanworth]

It will be a shame if he does leave, at the same time he is clearly ready to be a starting keeper and he is not getting that opportunity here. Best of luck to him if he moves on.

[hisroyalgingerness]

Yeah the contract situation is key here. Currently Ali's stock is at its highest, he's got a decent 2 years left which means we're not quite at "getting shafted" territory yet and I would think there are 2 if not 3 Premier League clubs that would be interested in Ali.

The keeper situation is very healthy. Jussi looks settled, has a couple of years left in him yet, and Bogdan looks reliable enough cover.

[keveh]

I think it's a real shame, I would have loved to see Ali here are the number one keeper.

If he was a couple of years later then he would have been a perfect replacement for Jussi, but when you get somebody performing like Jussi week in week out it's not going to happen.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Its up to the management to decide who is first choice keeper.

If they think its Jussi and they think Bogdan is a good enough back up, then Al Habsi is basically a luxury.

We can't let him run down his contract as he's clearly pissed off with the situation.

If we can get 3M for him, then I can't see any argument for keeping him beyond the "he's better than Jussi". But Coyle et al obviously don't think so!

I thought he'd handled everything very professionally. He never said bad things about us when he was Jussi's backup and now says how much he likes Wigan and playing first team football (quel surpris). He is probably pleased the way things are working out. He could still be back (misleading thread title) if Jussi gets hurt/retires. The only cloud is if he gets sold to a team that gets relegated. Even then he would be acquired by a PL team.

[thebish]

and the Wiggin shop window will have enhanced the asking price.. everyone's a winner

[General Mannerheim]

i would rather sell 36 year old Jussi and keep 29 year old Al Habsi.

[plymouth wanderer]

i would rather sell 36 year old Jussi and keep 29 year old Al Habsi.

agreed jussi been awesome but we can get another 10 years out of ali not to mention jussi's probably get's more than treble wat ali-habsi get's u no cutting cost's and al that

[Ianmooreslovechild]

I'd have liked to see al Habsi stay as i think he should have been our first choice for the last year at least but this makes very good business sense.We'd get nowt for Jussi but he can give us another year or so and provide reasonable backup when Bogdan takes over. We've been paid well for the short period AH has been on loan and Wigan has been the perfect shop window. Bring on the auction.Don't Spurs and Arsenal need a decent keeper.

[Lofthouse Lower]

I disagree. I reckon we'd get £5m for Jussi from someone like Arsenal.......take advantage of them being desperate and that.

I'm torn now, after having been thinking, though I don't want to get drawn in to Andranik syndrome territory.

[General Mannerheim]

Im sure we would still get a bob or two for Jussi. maybe not 5mill, but probably 3 or 4?

[CAPSLOCK]

Jussi is another back problem away from being finished, so I'm doubftul hes that marketable

But, if Bogdan is seen as being second in line, then the Arab aint gonna stay around, is he?

[H. Pedersen]

I'd be sad to see us shop Jussi around. You just don't see that many guys playing for a club for 13 years, especially a player as good as Jussi at a club as modest as ours. If an Arsenal or a Man U came in for him and he wanted to go, I wouldn't begrudge him a shot at the Champions League, but if nobody is interested I think we have to sell Ali and keep faith with Bogdan.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I'd be sad to see us shop Jussi around. You just don't see that many guys playing for a club for 13 years, especially a player as good as Jussi at a club as modest as ours. If an Arsenal or a Man U came in for him and he wanted to go, I wouldn't begrudge him a shot at the Champions League, but if nobody is interested I think we have to sell Ali and keep faith with Bogdan.

Is football a matter of loyalty or business sense? I'm kind of with the general on this one. If he wants to stay for his twilight years, perhaps it should be backup to Ali. When Jussi retires we would have young Bogdan as backup to Ali, and we could loan him out to Wigan.

[truewhite15]

I'd be sad to see us shop Jussi around. You just don't see that many guys playing for a club for 13 years, especially a player as good as Jussi at a club as modest as ours. If an Arsenal or a Man U came in for him and he wanted to go, I wouldn't begrudge him a shot at the Champions League, but if nobody is interested I think we have to sell Ali and keep faith with Bogdan.

Is football a matter of loyalty or business sense? I'm kind of with the general on this one. If he wants to stay for his twilight years, perhaps it should be backup to Ali. When Jussi retires we would have young Bogdan as backup to Ali, and we could loan him out to Wigan.

Football's a bit of both. As fans, we cry out for our players to show loyalty (or at least, that's what I expect). Some players, yes, we accept that they'll move on eventually, but if a player like Jussi shows so much loyalty to the club over the years, and is still worth his weight in rubles, then surely it's only fair that we, as a club, show loyalty to him, and not bin him off for someone who MIGHT (and yes, only might, despite his heroics a few years back) be better?

[H. Pedersen]

I would like to see a bit of loyalty in football. Otherwise we may as well cut poor Nat off the payroll too. Jussi will be on big wages though so if we get offers and he wants to go, more power to him. It just seems more likely that the offers will be coming in for Ali.

[thebish]

علي بن عبد الله بن حارب الحبسي

if we get a decent offer we should sell...