Marin not interested in move to England
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have both been knocked back in their attempts to sign Werder Bremen playmaker Marko Marin, who has ruled out a transfer to the Premier League.
The 22-year-old caught the eye of Spurs boss Harry Redknapp during the group stages of last season's Champions League, where Marin played a starring role for the German side in two games against Tottenham.
Those eye-catching performances also made Liverpool Director of Football Damien Comolli sit up and take notice. Comolli had made the Serbian-born youngster his top transfer target this summer as he looks to add width and guile to Kenny Dalglish's evolving squad.
But it was Spurs who were thought to be leading the chase over the last month as speculation continues to mount over the future of in-demand Luka Modric, with Manchester United and Chelsea monitoring the Croat's situation.
And Marin's agent, Fali Ramadani, confirmed that he had spoken with Tottenham while a third party acting on Liverpool's behalf had also made a tentative approach for the versatile midfielder.
"Marko has rejected two English clubs," Ramadani told Bild. "Werder have signalled their intention not to sell at this time."
But Marin has dashed the hopes of both Premier League clubs when breaking his silence to quash the rumours, insisting that his heart belongs to the Budnesliga side and that he will only move if forced.
"I am aware of interest from England, but I am happy to carry on here," Marin also told Bild. "I have given it some thought, and I am clear in my mind that I will be staying at Bremen.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"I feel at home in Bremen and I do not want to change. My ultimate goal is to be successful with Werder, although the situation changes if the club accepts an offer."
Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.