Kluivert rejects Premiership move

Kluivert has struggled for Barcelona this season

Unsettled Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert has dismissed reports that he is set to move to the Premiership when the transfer window opens.

Reports linked the Dutchman with Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle but Kluivert is adamant a move to England is not on the cards.

"I have not spoken to Arsenal, or to any other Premiership club," he said.

"There is no chance of my moving to the Premiership in the near future."

Kluivert is enduring a difficult season in Barcelona in which he has yet to score and has suffered relentless terrace abuse.

And earlier this week, the Catalan club revealed that a trio of Premiership clubs had inquired about the 28-year-old.

"So far no club other than Newcastle have directly approached us about Kluivert, but Arsenal and Chelsea have inquired," said a Barca spokesman.

The spokesman added he thought it unlikely Kluivert would go to Newcastle.

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"We know that Newcastle have been very interested in him but I think that if he goes he will try to go to a bigger club," the spokesman added.

"I think that he wants to go to London which is a good place to live in. Newcastle isn't that big."

Kluivert is available at a knock-down price, after accepting a cut in wages during the summer when Barca dramatically cut their wage bill, on the condition that his buy-out clause be slashed.

That renegotiated deal saw his annual salary of more than £4m halved, but also slashed the buy-out clause in his contract from a prohibitive £25m to a relatively modest £1.3m release fee.