England Under-21 international Lita has had enough of being left on the bench in recent months and is keen to move.

But Coppell, who will give the former Bristol City man a rare start in tomorrow's FA Cup replay at home to Tottenham, is in no mood to grant him that wish.

And in any case, Coppell was convinced there was not a long queue of admirers desperate to sign him anyway.

He said: "He is a player that wants to play, that's the bottom line and has been for months.

"He is a player under contract but the way of the world is such that if there is an opening for somebody somewhere then I'm sure we will hear about it.

"But I have not heard from anybody about Leroy. There has been a lot of speculation but I have certainly heard nothing.

"It is a non-issue because no-one has come in for him. It is the 14th of January and nobody has phoned about him - 100%."

Lita has not scored a Barclays Premier League goal for 11 months and has just one so far this season, in a Carling Cup tie at Swansea, but Coppell nonetheless challenged him to make an impression against Spurs.

He said: "The team forms itself over the course of the season and the ones on the outside looking in are frustrated. They are disappointed and want to be playing so this is an opportunity for him, and other players, to set a marker down."

* Birmingham have had a second bid of around £$7.5million rejected for EVERTON striker James McFadden.

BORO winger Stewart Downing's agent has confirmed the player would be interested in speaking to SPURS if the north London club make a firm bid for him.

LYON striker Fred expects his future to be sorted out over the next couple of days after revealing both Paris St Germain and Tottenham have made offers for him.

Bolton have confirmed French defender Gerald Cid has ended his short stint in England by completing a move to NICE.

Qatar international striker Hussain Yasser has joined former Portuguese champions BOAVISTA on loan from Sporting Braga.

HIBS boss Mixu Paatelainen expects to have full-back David Murphy in his team for the Edinburgh derby after the club rejected a $3.2million bid from Birmingham.

AC MILAN president Silvio Berlusconi has revealed his club might sign an experienced defender in the winter transfer window.

WOLVES have completed the signing of David Edwards from LUTON on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

SHEFFIELD UNITED boss Bryan Robson has revealed SCUNTHORPE are closing in on the permanent signing of veteran Geoff Horsfield.

Defender Shaun Newton has left LEICESTER by mutual consent after making just seven league starts for the Foxes this season.

BLACKPOOL's bid for Aberdeen striker Lee Miller has been turned down and branded "derisory" by the Clydesdale Bank Premier League club.

Young CHARLTON striker James Walker has joined League One side SOUTHEND for $500,000.

BRIGHTON have agreed the signing of Falkirk captain Steven Thomson for an undisclosed fee.

SHREWSBURY have signed teenage defender James Meredith on a one-and-a-half-year contract. The defender has spent the last six months in Ireland with Sligo after being released by Derby at the end of last season.

LINCOLN manager Peter Jackson has revealed he has joined the race to sign LUTON's Lewis Emanuel.

STOKE have smashed their transfer record by signing defender Leon Cort from Coca-Cola Championship rivals Crystal Palace for $3million.

Krylya Sovetov have signed Russia Under-21 captain Ivan Taranov from CSKA MOSCOW.

Kevin Bobson has been told he can leave WILLEM II.

Striker Harrie Gommans has ruled out a move away from VITESSE ARNHEM in the January transfer window.

Sweden international Erik Edman is on the verge of making a return to the Premier League after RENNES revealed "two or three" English clubs had made an inquiry about the player.