4:51pm Friday 3rd July 2009
By Suzanne Geldard
OWEN Coyle has refused to get into a war of words over Burnley's failed ‘verbal’ offer for Sheffield Wednesday striker Marcus Tudgay.
Owls boss Brian Laws felt the Clarets had used “a cheap shot at trying to unsettle a player”, adding: “Burnley have been throwing offers around without being serious.
"It has unsettled Marcus Tudgay, for sure.
"But I’ve told Burnley they were a million miles away from our valuation and I’m now expecting Marcus to sign (a new contract at Hillsbrough).”
But Coyle said: “I’m not going to get involved in what somebody said or didn’t say.
"The bottom line is I think we made a very fair offer in the market place and it was turned down.
“Our chairman made a verbal offer to the Sheffield Wednesday chairman for Marcus Tudgay last year for £1.5m.
"He’s a terrific player and I understand they don’t want to lose him.
“With a year left on his contract we thought we made a very fair offer, and my chairman said to me that offer’s still there if Sheffield Wednesday were ever to take us up on it.
“There’s no doubt he’s a terrific player who’d be a tremendous acquisition to what we’re doing.”
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