Last season I pin-pointed Gael Clichy as a potential transfer target well before anyone else even mentioned his name, so hopefully anyone reading this article takes it seriously. You can read that article here. We’ve just won the Premier League so all this talk of players only signing for the money can be forgotten now… Nasri was right! There are players from all around the world that would love to join the champions but what’s going to happen now?  Potential Transfers OutLast season I was talking about the players that let us down & that weren’t good enough but it’s much different this season as we are at that level now where everyone is completely capable. So it’s going to be much more difficult to single out players but here are the players that I believe are likely / linked to leave the club this summer: - Wayne Bridge*
- Emmanual Adebayor*
- Roque Santa Cruz*
- Kolo Toure
- Adam Johnson
- Stuart Taylor
- Vladimir Weiss*
- Aleksander Kolarov
- Edin Dzeko
- David Pizarro (Only on loan)
- Owen Hargreaves
- John Guidetti*
I think that the players that have been out on loan this season (*) are going to leave the club on permanent deals this summer but the rest I am not so sure about. Stuart Taylor will finally leave once his contract expires and Kolo Toure will probably want first team football as he approaches the end of his playing career. I don’t believe that we NEED to see Johnson, Kolarov or Dzeko leave but all of the paper talk makes it believable. I like Dzeko both on and off the field but we just don’t play to his strength’s, it would be a shame to see him leave. Adam Johnson has the potential to be great but he is far too inconsistent, he needs first team football and will probably push for a move to somewhere like Everton, Sunderland or Liverpool. Kolarov has greatly improved since his first season in the Premier League, his set-pieces can be brilliant but he too is far too inconsistent and has a lazy appearance when he plays. This would create quite a large transfer kitty in the region of around £68m which would of course go straight back into buying replacements.
Potential Transfers In
Edin Dzeko has been strongly linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich, and if the deal is right, I can see us snatching their hand off. Should he leave, we will sign a massive replacement. I have heard us linked with everyone including Gonzalo Higuain and Robin Van Persie, I feel that Higuain is the much more likely of the two but I doubt either of them would actually happen. Higuain is a top striker and someone I wouldn’t have an issue with if we were to sign him. He doesn’t have an ego and goes about his business in a professional manner unlike Tevez and Balotelli but does Mancini fancy him? I don’t think he does. I think Mancini would prefer Edinson Cavani who I pinpointed as a transfer target before the start of last season, although in my eyes, he is similar to Dzeko and we wouldn’t play to his strengths. I would like to pinpoint Karim Benzema as the number one transfer target for Manchester City this season. I think he is a realistic option upfront and someone that would be the perfect partner for Sergio Aguero this coming season. His movement and use of the ball is the opposite of Aguero’s and a combination of the two could be the perfect match. He would be an expensive buy and Real Madrid will try to use Silva as a make-weight but I feel keeping Silva is more important than gaining Benzema, so that option should be out of the question. We’ve been linked with Neymar in the past too, but I’m doubtful he will leave Santos for a few seasons yet.
Adam Johnson is someone who has been linked with a move away from the club since the January transfer window and I can finally see it happening, he has his winner’s medal, now all he needs is first team football. Unfortunately we are not the club to be able to give him that and a move is imminent. In his place I believe we will target one of these two wingers, Gareth Bale or Thomas Muller. I believe that Bale will be our first choice target, and now that Harry Redknapp has left Tottenham Hotspur, this transfer is highly likely to happen. Should we fail in our attempt to sign Bale, Muller will be targeted in some form of swap deal with Edin Dzeko and Bayern Munich. If we somehow fail to bring in either of the two, I believe we will look to someone young and less of a risk. I am hearing great things about Bologna’s rising star Gaston Ramirez and at 21 years old and 88 first team appearances to his name, he is a realistic target for Mancini this summer. Last season I mentioned Stephan El Shaarawy who has now broken into the AC Milan first team fold, although now I feel that he wouldn’t fit the bill here at Manchester City. One of the most exciting young talents out there is Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze, he’s only 20 years old and is basically the David Silva of the German Bundesliga. We’ve been linked with Christian Eriksen for two years now, but going off what I have seen of him, I just don’t think he is good enough just yet.
Mancini clearly likes to have a mature wise head within his central midfield ranks, in the past two seasons it has been Patrick Vieria, Owen Hargreaves and David Pizarro. However, with the likes of Gareth Barry, Yaya Toure and Nigel De Jong all being mature wise heads in their own rights, maybe it’s time to sign a player for the future. In the past we have been linked with the likes of Jack Rodwell and Miralem Pjanić but I just don’t see these are realistic options. Last season I pointed out Rennes 21 year old defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila, I am sure you know who he is now. He is part of the French set-up at the Euros and has strongly been linked with a move to Arsenal, so I can’t see us signing him anymore. If you follow me on Twitter, you will have seen me going on about Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao. He is such a class-act on the ball, he is the future of Spanish international football and at just 23 he already has 233 senior appearances at club level. He is predominantly a holding central midfielder but he also possesses the ability to comfortably play at centre back. Who knows though, maybe we will surprise everyone and sign an attacking midfielder like Wesley Sneijder or top young prospect Nicolas Gaitan…
I can definitely see us signing a replacement for Kolo Toure this summer, should he leave or not. Last season Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott were a formidable pairing and there’s not really any serious reason to break them up right now, but if I was being picky, Lescott is close to his 30’s and has a slight lack of pace. I believe that our main defensive target this summer was AC Milan’s Thiago Silva but when the price quoted was near the €50 million mark and they came out as rejecting the offer from PSG, this transfer became out of the question. We then concentrated our attention to Giorgio Chiellini who I mentioned last season as a potential target. Like Lescott, Chiellini is a left-sided central defender and is rated extremely highly within the world of football. All talk of this transfer has cooled over the past few weeks so this tells me that we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to sign the player. We are now being linked with a £20m move for Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel, I believe that we have enquired about the availability about the player but my heart tells me that he will remain at Liverpool. I like the sounds of PSG’s Mamadou Sakho but everyone knows that he would cost an arm and a leg considering they are super-rich too. There is a strong possibility that we will sign one of Borussia Dortmund’s Championship winning centre-half pairing of Neven Subotic or Mats Hummels. Both are 23 years old, tall and would fit in nicely alongside Kompany. If none of the above goes down, expect Real Madrid’s Raul Albiol.
I can’t really see us allowing Aleksander Kolarov to leave this summer because the options available to us as a replacement don’t really seem to be sufficient enough. Of course there are players like Aly Cissokho, Marcel Schmelzer and Leighton Baines but I can’t imagine they would be happy to be back-up to Gael Clichy. In all fairness though, Mancini likes a squad rotation system and Kolarov got a fair few games, especially in the cup competitions. I identified Domenico Criscito as a potential target last season but with the match-fixing scandal and his omission from Italy’s Euro 2012 squad, it’s a major doubt… although I feel he would be a good option. I also want to give a mention to Athletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis who is regarded as one of the best left-backs in La Liga.
Should Stuart Taylor leave the club this summer, we will see a replacement and we will probably target someone much younger and possibly English. I have heard rumors of Jack Butland being lined up by Mancini and I can see this being completely true, he has the potential, he is young and after the Euro’s he has probably formed a relationship with Joe Hart. Of course he wouldn’t get much playing time at City for quite some time but through a combination of loans and pre-seasons he could be the next… Joe Hart. Should we fail in our bid to sign a younger target, we might turn to another veteran-pro on the cheap. Other possible young signings may include Bill Hamid, Esteban Alvarado or Thibaut Courtois.
Conclusion
We are Manchester City, we are rich and we have just won the Premier League. Who saw Sergio Aguero coming last season, I certainly didn’t. I often thought about how great it would be to sign a title winner but I just assumed it wasn’t a possibility. We can spend all day speculating who we might sign, but only the big cheese’s at City know what’s truly going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if we signed another world-class player out of the blue this season, a name that has not yet been mentioned. We can dream…
Please leave a comment with your thoughts on who we should sign next and what you thought about this blog using the comments section below... why not follow me on Twitter too @AndySlow.
It has been a while since I last wrote on the blog, but there is a good reason for that... I have been busy enjoying the football. Everything that has happened to us so far has been written about, then written about again so it gets boring. Something that will never get boring is the derby, 1-6 at their place, timeless! Directly after the Charity Shield, Wayne Rooney tweeted that United had just given City a lesson in football. So in honour of such an historical day and for a little pay back, I have put together a wallpaper. This is also my entry into the 'What's in David's hand?' competition on the Manchester City Facebook page. Just click on the image below, it will take you to another page and enlarge, then simply right click to save as. Set it as your wallpaper and enjoy, it's easy.
I am sure everyone is thrilled by the recent return to action for Kolo Toure after serving a six-month suspension for a failed drugs test in Wednesday's Carling Cup win over Birmingham but Mancini has to work out whether the Ivorian defender is fit enough to complete back-to-back matches. On the other-hand the current central defensive pair of captain Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott have been doing a fine job and should they be allowed to continue doing so?
Which begs the question....
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 It's Round And It's White is an independent football website offering a variety of different opinions from across the world on the beautiful game. The articles on the website are written by fans, for fans. If you are a writer or are thinking of becoming a writer/blogger why don't you head over to www.ItsRoundAndItsWhite.co.uk, sign up and get started? It won't take you long!
Round&White: What would be a dream season for you?
BlueBlog: A dream season for me would be seeing Manchester City lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in our history. We are competing in the Champions League for the first time, so winning that would be best described as optimistic, but not out of the question. It felt good to finally win something and winning the FA Cup again is probably our best chance of another trophy, the atmosphere of a competitive Manchester derby at Wembley is something that will never grow old. The league cup will most likely be used to rest the majority of first team players and to give some of the younger/fringe players some pitch time, therefore winning the cup is possible, but highly unlikely.
Round&White: What would be your worst nightmare?
BlueBlog: I think that most people would think the answer is us not winning anything at all this year, but it’s not. Unfortunately, it is something that all Manchester City fans are used to and something we definitely do not take for granted when we do win. My worst nightmare would be us completely under achieving, it would be exciting for us to at least challenge for the Premier League trophy and it would be a great experience if we could progress to at least the quarter finals of the Champions League. It’s not like we are not going to be back the following year stronger & more experienced, time is most definitely on our side.
Round&White: What do you think of your club's summer transfer activity?
BlueBlog: I could not be happier, the most important things for me were to sign a new left back and replace the departing Tevez, which we have done in a way that was even better than I expected. In my spare time I write a Manchester City blog, I identified Gael Clichy as an ideal signing long before we were ever linked to him, so to see us sign him so quickly and for so cheap, was really pleasing. I always hoped that Tevez would stay for two reasons, one being his worth ethic and the other because I couldn’t think of anyone that we could realistically sign to replace him. Aguero never even came to mind, I just assumed that he was out of the question. I have always been a fan of Aguero, he works so hard for the team and is probably the most similar style of player to Tevez in world football, so when I heard that we were linked with him, I was over the blue moon (pardon the pun). I knew that he was away on international duty with Zabaleta and Tevez, so I was hoping that they would have a little word in his ear and to tell him all about our club, which Zabaleta did… and it worked.
I still feel that if we are going to challenge for another trophy this year we will need to replace Patrick Vieira but with someone that effectively can replace Gareth Barry. I would like to see a midfield of De Jong alongside Yaya Toure with someone with a bit more of a creative flair than Yaya Toure (who occupied that position last season) playing behind the striker. We have been linked with Samir Nasri plenty of times now and I understand that he wants to leave so why not go in all ‘gunners’ blazing and sign him? He wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg because his contract runs out at the end of the season and he would fit in perfectly to our style of play.
Round&White: Who will be your most important player/s this season?
BlueBlog: Vincent Kompany will be important for us this season, it looks as if he is going to take over as captain from Tevez and unlike some of the dawdlers (not mentioning any names, Balotelli and Kolarov) he has a fire in his belly. De Jong does the ever important role of breaking up the play as well as anyone in the business, he also improved greatly on the ball last season and can turn and create space for himself with ease.
However, our most important player will be David Silva, he is the creative mastermind of the team. He is on another level to some of the players and is the all important link between the midfield and the strikers that, may I add, Chelsea were lacking last season.
Round&White: Any players you would happily see the back of?
BlueBlog: I wouldn’t say that I would happily see the back of Wayne Bridge, Nedum Onuoha, Emmanual Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz but I would not miss them if they left. The majority of them are on a silly amount of money and it is important that they leave the club to help free up some of the funds so that we can abide by the new financial fair play regulations. Adebayor is a talent and someone that could score 20+ goals a season in this Manchester City team, but he spends too much time being negative and causing disruptions with team-mates. It is a similar story with Craig Bellamy, his speed alone is a massive asset and if he was playing on the left wing with David Silva behind the striker, I am sure he would cut holes in defenses week in, week out. Unfortunately it’s not like that, he spends too much time having an opinion.
Round&White: Do you have the best manager for the job?
BlueBlog: I really like Mancini, he doesn’t mess about… We have seen that with the admission from the first team of Adebayor and Bellamy. It sends a clear message out to the rest of the squad that if you’re not here to be positive, you’re not here at all. It does have both its pros and cons but at least you can’t say he isn’t consistent, with the exception of his love child Balotelli that is, although Balotelli has never spoke negatively about the squad or the club.
On the pitch I love what he has done, he has made us a force to be reckoned with. People will moan that we are boring and defensive but he isn’t here to have a giggle, he is here to win trophies and he has done that in his first full season in charge. He is a winner and always will be a winner, so to have someone like that who also has a nice personality you have to feel grateful.
Round&White: Opposition players that you respect?
BlueBlog: The one player that came straight to mind was Wayne Rooney, despite the fact that he plays for Manchester United you have to admire his ability as a footballer. He gives his all for the team and like Tevez, I feel that he earns his wages. I know there will be some Manchester City fans reading and disagreeing but no England fan can say that they don’t like Rooney when he plays for England. If it wasn’t for Rooney we would be relying on players like Darren Bent, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe and nobody wants that in their life.
I also have a lot of respect for Jack Wilshire, he could easily get out of what appears to be the sinking ship that is Arsenal Football Club, but he has told fans that he is a true Gunner and will not be leaving any time soon. I personally would love a player like Wilshire at Manchester City and I am sure that if he was available this summer then Mancini would have snapped him up before you could say Fabregas. Round&White: Opposition players that you despise?
BlueBlog: Wayne Rooney, although I respect his footballing ability, I do not like his conduct. Whether it’s him swearing down the camera for no apparent reason (twice) or gesturing something in front of us Manchester City fans, he isn’t the nicest of people sometimes. I don’t like the way that he snarls down his nose and that he doesn’t show a great deal of respect for anyone around him. He consistently swears at the match officials and is a poor role model to the millions of children that look up to him as a footballer. He is slowly improving as he matures but I understand the difference between passion and ignorance, as do the FA...
I also dislike Victor Anichebe as a footballer, I would love for somebody to try and explain to me how someone that has been a professional striker since 2006 can only score 8 senior goals and still be playing at the highest level. I suppose that only David Moyes can answer that question because I bet if you asked Victor, he wouldn’t have a clue!
Round&White: Best away fans/ground in your league?
BlueBlog: The best away fans (although not in our league) that I have witnessed myself at the Etihad Stadium have to be Nottingham Forest back in 2009, we lost the game 3-0 eventually and they didn’t half make some noise. It was an FA Cup tie, they took the lead in the 38th minute and from that moment on they just sang their hearts out.
The Manchester City fans make some noise away from home too though you know, ask any Manchester United fan that was at Wembley for the FA Cup semi final...
Round&White: Which teams do you really want to beat this season?
BlueBlog: It would be nice to do the double over Manchester United again, we only took one point of them last season which is strangely unusual for us. However, I feel that we need to start taking points off the smaller teams in the Premier League such as Wigan, Wolves, Swansea, QPR and Norwich. We had a good record overall against most of the teams in the top third of the league last season but we always took our foot of the gas against teams that we should be beating.
Round&White: Finally, where do you honestly think you will finish?
BlueBlog: I was impressed with the way that we finished the season last term, you could see that the team had bonded and we put together a good run of wins to eventually secure an unexpected 3rd place finish. I feel that we can improve on this yet again and I honestly believe we can finish at least 2nd this season. I expect us to remain in the title race until the end and I feel a 2nd place finish would be a successful season.
Please do not hesitate to leave a comment or to tweet me @AndySlow. If you liked this article, why not Retweet or like it on Facebook using the simple links below.
Hello and welcome back to the BlueBlog, the season is nearly upon us but not quite yet… So what better way to rub in the fact that we have to wait until the 13th August than scrolling through hundreds of players and selecting a fantasy football team?!?
 In my personal opinion the best fantasy football website out there is www.fantasy.premierleague.com and I am sure that once you have used it, you will agree. All you need to do is sign in or create an account, pick your team of 15 players (rules are explained on the site) and then join The BlueBlog League by using the code 127909-43657. If you need any help do not hesitate to leave a comment in the comments section below or to tweet me @AndySlow.
 I have seen everyone over Twitter thinking they are a bit of a Mourinho and throwing their opinions about like there is no tomorrow, so let’s see who really does know what they are talking about when it comes to football and in particular, the Premier League! The prize has yet to be decided, although whoever wins will have massive braggin' rights and at the end of the day, its a good bit of fun! Thanks for joining and Good Luck (you're going to need it)...
Fred Tilson is a Manchester City legend, in the 1930s he played 264 games for the club, scoring 110 goals along the way. The last time (not including 2011) Manchester City won the FA Cup was in 1934 against Portsmouth, City had been trailing by a goal to nil at half time and City goalkeeper Frank Swift blamed himself for giving Portsmouth the lead. Tilson, in an attempt to console the young keeper told him “not to worry because he would score a couple in the second half”. He was true to his word and City went on to win 2-1 with Tilson netting both goals. Still to this day, Tilson holds the club record for the most goals in the FA Cup for Manchester City with a whopping 22. But that was then and this is now…  Fred Tilson Ladies and Gentlemen I would like to introduce you all to Fred Tilson’s grandson and Mancunian of the Year for 2009/10, Carl Tilson. Carl is a lifelong Manchester City fan and one of the most inspirational people you will ever meet. Carl has a condition known as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) which is a recessive X-linked form of muscular dystrophy, which results in muscle degeneration, difficulty walking, breathing and is a terminal illness. The incidence is 1 in 3000. Only males are affected, though females can be carriers. The disorder is caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene, located in humans on the X chromosome. You may have seen Carl around before, either at the City of Manchester Stadium on a match day or on the MCFC website. You can see his Manchester City website video interview here.  Carl Tilson with Mike Summerbee Carl achieved his goal of being named Mancunian of the Year by beating off a host of celebrities, having been the only non-celebrity in a category of 24 nominees. Polling nearly a third of the votes cast by the public, Carl finished ahead of Take That singer Gary Barlow who got 25%t, Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs (haha) and Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle came joint third with 14% each. A real achievement for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy awareness and Carl would like to thank everyone who supported him. Carl is constantly working to help improve the life of future DMD sufferers and hopes to one day find a treatment, having helped to raise around £100,000 for his Action Duchenne charity, Carl has also directly urged the Prime Minister and health ministers to fund trials into finding a cure.  Carl Tilson with Vincent Kompany, Adam Johnson & Joleon Lescott We have asked Carl a series of questions about Manchester City, after all, his grandfather was one of the best so he should know a thing or two about football…
"Andy: Sum up Manchester City last season in three words.
Carl: Frustrating, Emotional & Exhilarating!
Andy: Which performance would you say defined Manchester City last season?
Carl: I would say the performance against Manchester United in the FA cup semi-final was what defined our favouritism in the FA Cup final, it gave us the confidence to go out there and win the cup against Stoke.
Andy: Mark Hughes type football or Roberto Mancini’s?
Carl: Both managers approaches to the game combined would be the answer.
Andy: Who was Manchester City’s best player last season?
Carl: Nigel De Jong was my pick of the year, he has been solid in the middle of the park.
Andy: What expectations do you have of Manchester City this year?
Carl: An improvement would be what I expect and I suspect during the transfer window we will buy 2 or 3 new players to help us progress in the Champion’s League, I expect us to win more silverware this season. I want us to beat Manchester United both home and away.
Andy: Which one player would you realistically like Manchester City to sign?
Carl: Realistically anything is possible, we have the ambition and money so I would like to see City go in for Lionel Messi.
Andy: Who has the most to prove this coming season at Manchester City?
Carl: In my opinion Mario Balotelli has the most to prove, I believe his tantrums and unprofessional behavior on and off the field holds him back to the point where his attitude outweighs his talents. Great player, just needs to calm down.
Andy: Which team do you look forward to playing the most & why?
Carl: Manchester United, because it’s the battle of the city and bragging rights are presented to the winning team. It’s the most important none trophy game of the season.
Andy: Which team do you hate playing the most & why?
Carl: I don’t hate playing any team, every game is an opportunity to gain more points. We have got to take every game as it comes.
Andy: Who is your favorite player of all time?
Carl: Shaun Wright-Phillips because of how much talent and pace he has despite his small size.
Andy: Premier League or Champions League?
Carl: Champions League.
Andy: Talk a little about your regular match day experience at the City of Manchester stadium.
Carl: I have a season ticket where I sit in the disabled bay on level 2 of the Colin Bell stand. We park inside the ground so not there's much walking distance to the entrance. I have a great view of the pitch but the only negative is when everyone stands up I can’t see anything so I have to watch the highlights on the big screen.
Andy: Do you look out for the results of any other teams in particular & why?
Carl: I look out for the results of the teams directly above us and below us. I mostly look at the results of Manchester United to see if we can keep up with them on points.
Andy: Who do you think will be relegated from the Premier League this season?
Carl: That’s a difficult question, I think the new teams that have been promoted may find it very hard to keep up. My prediction at the moment is Swansea City, West Brom and Norwich City to go down.
Andy: Sum up what it is like to be a Manchester City fan in three words.
Carl: Devotion, Unique & Revolutionary.
Andy: Name three things Manchester City could improve (other than the playing squad).
Carl: The academy could be drastically improved, we used to have the best academy in the country with the best young English players coming through. We could improve how the fans interact with the players, open training session should be held like they were under Keegan. They could expand the stadium to increase revenue.
Andy: Finally, what’s it like being related to a Manchester City legend like Fred Tilson?
Carl: I feel part of the family at Manchester City, I’m very proud of my grandfathers legacy and achievements. If I was not disabled I would have liked to have carried on his legacy, however that didn’t happen but I feel I have made a legacy of my own with my campaign work. I still have the “never say die attitude” and with the determination of my granddad I hope to be here for many years to come."
If you are interested in donating to the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy cause or would like to find out more, you can visit Carl's website at www.adtilson.com. Please leave your comments in the comments section below. Carl has Twitter so why not go and support him? His username is @ActionTilson and I know he will more than happy say hello!
The BlueBlog understands that Urmston born Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson is set to join another Premier League football club on loan this summer. Johnson has had nothing but problems since his first season in the Premier League with City and this is yet another step on the road to recovery for the youngster who was once dubbed the next Colin Bell. At just 20 the former Everton prospect shot to fame at the City of Manchester Stadium contributing important and impressive goals against both Derby County and Aston Villa (The BlueBlog sorted him out with the boots he wore to score those goals might I add). @AndySlow understands that the move will be outside the North West and will be a season-long loan. Johnson is now 23 and has struggled to keep fit with just a handful of reserve team appearances and a screamer against Scunthorpe to note of late, this move is definitely right for both the club and player. Here at the BlueBlog we see his potential and wish him all the luck for the future, but we have MORE... Taking you inside the house of the player, the BlueBlog gives you an insight in to how a Premier League footballer lives. Below you can see the front of Michael Johnson's house, we will not go into detail as to where exactly the player lives but we can show you some pictures. Here you can see Johnson's kitchen, looks like a nice place to walk into after a tough double-training session at Carrington to cook some pasta and eat a banana. Below we can see Michael's bathroom, unfortunately I bet Johnson has spent more time relaxing in his bath than he has on the pitch but hopefully that will change sooner rather than later. Ohhh, its a hard life! What every garden should have, a football net and a barbecue. I bet Johnson has spent many a day reliving his goal against Derby at the bottom of his garden... Only difference is its a bit awkward when you have to go and knock on next doors to ask for the ball back! I am sure we all have one of these, a large gym in the back garden... no? True athletes take their work home with them and its clear to see that Michael is putting the work in to get fit again. After suffering a muscle in-balance previously lets hope that someone at City has shown him how to 'pump some iron' properly this time. Well, that's all I have for you. I hope you have enjoyed this rare insight into the house of a Manchester City footballer (with the exception of At Home With Micah Richards and Antoine Sibierski on MTV Cribs). The aim of this article is not to invade the privacy of Michael Johnson but to show you areas of the house we feel are not too personal, such as the bedroom and personal belongings etc... Please do not hesitate to leave a comment or to tweet me @AndySlow. If you liked this article, why not Retweet or like it on Facebook using the simple links below.
Manchester City have beaten Barcelona to sign Celta Vigo whizkid Denis Suarez. Suarez is a 17 year old who was born on the 6th January 1994, he is relatively unknown outside Spanish scouting circles.
Celta Vigo's chairman Carlos Mourino confirmed that the Spanish Under 17 midfielder will join City for an initial fee of £850,000, which could rise to £2.75m depending on appearances and performance-related clauses in the deal.
*Reports in Spain have confirmed Manchester City have agreed a deal to take highly-rated midfielder Denis Suárez Fernández from Celta Vigo, for a fee understood to be 1m plus future incentives. The player himself has put pen to paper on a 3-year deal, offered by the English club during a stay there recently. Suárez has been known in Spanish scouting circles for several months now, after some highly impressive performances for Celta’s Juvenil side, attracting the attention of Barcelona, Real Madrid plus interest from England with Chelsea the most heavily linked. Those displays in the Galician sides Juvenil sector were rewarded with a promotion to Celta’s ‘B’ side, in which he played a handful of games. Real Madrid moved for the player two years ago, but Toni Otero, head of youth at Celta persuaded the player (at the time, just 16) and his family to remain in Vigo. It’s understood though that City first came across the player at the recent U-17 tournament held in Belgium, where Suárez put in some assured displays. Scouts from the English side gathered information on the player throughout Spain’s games, before liaising with their contacts in Spain to detract further player specifics. Barcelona were thought to have had a deal negotiated with Suarez sometime ago, as the player insisted he wished to remain in his country of birth – Suárez’s best friend happens to be Barcelona’s own starlet GerardDeulofeu – who many say will be the next major breakout star from La Masia. The contract offered by the Catalans was completely blown away by City’s offer, but along with the money it’s cited City’s persistence to conclude a deal was the key facet. After progressing superbly at Juvenil level, reports at the club indicated it would only be right for him to feature for the ‘B’ side. Upon featuring, he at first looked nervous, no surprise given the large step in class it requires, especially in terms of tempo, and predominantly physicality. In his most recent games though, he has looked more assured In the middle of the field and integrated well into the line-up. As a player, Suárez has all the characteristics of a midfield organizer; assured in tight situations and working the areas between attack and midfield well – somewhat similar to England’s own Jack Wilshere. He possesses neat passing over short distances, has a good vision and showed at Juvenil level he can impose his style on games despite a slight frame, dictating the pace and tempo. While playing at Celta he’s played part of a deeper lying double pivot, and at the top of an attacking diamond – the latter role he’s also featured in for Spain regularly. From watching him so far it’s obvious he needs to gain a better understanding of the team game, and not neglect his defensive duties – but given that he’s 17 year old this won’t be too much of a concern for any coaching staff in Manchester. Suárez travelled recently to England with his parents, agent Félix Gende, and the aforementioned Otero. The player visited City’s training facilities, and also managed to meet David Silva – a one time Celta player of course, sent out by Valencia to further his footballing education. The next he day he attended the City game against Stoke City, in which the Eastlands club won 3-0. The player returned to the city of Vigo yesterday, and it’s understood at this point he’ll play no part in Saturday’s Copa Del Rey Juvenil quarter-final game against Athletic Bilbao. Roberto Mancini’s requested the player takes part in pre-season with the English club on their tour of the USA, but will align with the reserves upon returning. Celta’s last teenage prodigy was Joselu, who was sold to Real Madrid, that deal included incentives which are also though to apply again here – thus, it’s believed Celta have a first option loan on the player and will gain a percentage of any fee City could possibly receive should they choose to sell.*Taken from:- www.spanishfootball.info
So what happens next? Whether we win the FA Cup (touch wood) and/or qualify for the Champions League (touch wood) this season, it is time to progress. Too many players have stood out for the wrong reasons this season so let’s address this while we can. I am going to put forward a list of players that should leave the club this summer, I am sure you will agree:-
 - Wayne Bridge
- Nedum Onuoha
- Shaun Wright-Phillips
- Patrick Viera
- Craig Bellamy
- Emmanual Adebayor
- Felipe Caicedo (Yes, he still plays for us)
- Jo
- Roque Santa Cruz
- Kolo Toure (Only because he will be banned)
A huge amount of money is being spent on their wages which could be invested elsewhere. This article will look at some potential new signings that I recommend & some signings that we are more likely to sign this summer. Don’t forget to Tweet me or leave a comment in the comments section below with any players you would like to see sign for City in the future.
Should Carlos Tevez unfortunately leave Manchester City this summer we would need to sign a replacement. The obvious signing for me would be Borussia Dortmund’s 26 year old striker Lucas Barrios, having just won the German League the timing couldn’t be better. He has a goal scoring record of 14 goals in 30 league games this season, 19 goals in 33 league games the previous season and an impressive 95 goals in 131 games throughout his career. Lucas is a Paraguayan international and is big, strong & reasonably quick. Barrios is is known for his effectiveness in the penalty area which earned him his nickname, La Pantera which means The Panther. He probably wouldn’t cost an arm & a leg either.
Another signing I would like to see at Manchester City is Napoli’s 26 year old forward Ezequiel Lavezzi. He is known more for his work ethic and all-round contribution, rather than his goal scoring, however he does chip in with around 7 or 8 goals a season. Since signing for Napoli in 2007 he has played 122 games scoring 36 goals in the process. He has 10 caps for Argentina & is a similar player to Tevez but with fewer goals, he could easily slot in the space currently occupied by Yaya Toure behind the striker which would then allow Yaya to play in his natural position. Napoli have qualified for the Champions League this season but have missed out on all domestic titles and cups. Napoli look set to lose their leading goal scorer Edinson Cavani this summer and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see other top players leave too. Edinson Cavani is another player that could potentially replace Tevez but I am still unsure as to whether his style of play would suit the Premier League. However, he has scored 26 league goals in 34 league games this season so never, say never. If I could have anyone it would of course be Barca’s 23 year old Lionel Messi but erm... Aleksandar Kolarov has been pinpointed many times this season by myself and other City fans as our weak link, he seems to be unaware defensively and slows down play when we attack. He is an able footballer but is he good enough to carry on occupying our left back position? Did you know that Kolarov has delivered more crosses without registering an assist than any other Premier League player this season? I would like to see him remain at the club with Wayne Bridge leaving and I would also like to see us sign a replacement. We have been linked in recent weeks with Everton’s Leighton Baines and Benfica’s Fábio Coentrão who are both excellent players & I wouldn’t mind either of them at City. Alternatively, I would like to see us sign Arsenal’s 25 year old left back Gaël Clichy, he is Premier League proven & I have heard rumours that he might be leaving Arsenal in the summer. He is capable going forward as well as at the back & would be an excellent addition to our current squad. I would also like to throw Genoa’s Domenico Criscito into the equation, he is only 24 and is a current Italian international. I feel Philipp Lahm is too optimistic, I doubt he will ever leave Bayern Munich anyway.
Shaun Wright-Phillips is a bit of a legend at Manchester City but he just isn’t doing it anymore at our level, he deserves first team football and somewhere like Fulham would be an ideal club for him. So if he leaves this summer we will need to sign a replacement & the younger the better in this case. We have been strongly linked with Udinese’s 22 year old winger Alexis Sánchez in recent weeks, I would see him as an impressive replacement. He is extremely quick, confident & has scored 12 goals in 27 games this season. He would cost a fair few pennies but at just 22 he really could be the next big thing & would already rival Adam Johnson on the right wing, Adam would hate it but that’s all part of being a footballer at a big club. Another person City should take a close look at is Genoa’s 18 year old winger Stephan El Shaarawy, I doubt that any of you have ever heard of him but I see him having a huge future ahead of him. He is currently out on loan at Padova in Serie B scoring 5 goals in 21 games & he is an Italian under 19 international. El Shaarawy would probably be more suitable as he wouldn’t rival Adam Johnson straight away for a position which would keep Adam happy but is fully capable of playing in cup games etc... We have also been linked with Shakhtar Donetsk’s 20 year old attacking midfielder Douglas Costa, I believe Mancini sees Costa as a similar creative player to David Silva & is someone I would not be surprised to see at City next season. I have not seen much of Costa myself but he has scored 12 goals in 14 appearances for Shakhtar this season. Impressive!
I can see our central midfield being very similar next season to what it is now with Nigel De Jong & Yaya Toure occupying a more defensive roll. Gareth Barry has disintegrated as a footballer since the start of 2011 & Patrick Viera does a job but his wages & age are more of a negative than a positive moving into next season. Should he leave this summer that would give us three players for two positions but we need another. All these players are experienced so we don’t need another wise head, so why not sign a youngster? The obvious signing is Jack Rodwell but he hasn’t shown any signs of progression recently so that would probably a mistake. Arsenals Jack Wilshire would be the ideal signing but he has stated that he is not interested in leaving Arsenal. Someone who is currently going through a tough time at Arsenal is Cesc Fabregas, should he want out & become available in the transfer window I believe Mancini would go straight in for him. If we do qualify for the top four (touch wood), Fabregas is the calibre of player we will need at the club to reach that next level of stature. However there is somebody currently at the club that could do that job... Michael Johnson. What has happened to “the next Colin Bell”? Last we heard of him was that he was back in training and playing for the reserves but that seems an age ago. Should he not return let’s turn our attention elsewhere, Rennes 20 year old defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila looks good, he has 8 caps at international level for France & has played 66 times in the French Ligue 1. Should he desire first team football why not loan him out, at least then he is at the club & developing for the future. He has been linked with Liverpool & Manchester United in the past & really does look like the next Claude Makelele. Another potential signing for City would be Lyon’s 20 year old Miralem Pjanić who looks to be a bright player for the future as well as Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller although he is more of an attacking player. I can’t really think who Roberto Mancini might have his eye on but I am hopeful he will replace Viera this summer. If I could have anyone it would be Barca’s 26 year old Andrés Iniesta but that is not going to happen... this summer!
*Since writing this article, I have read online that we are now linked with Fabregas, he won't come cheap! The whole Kolo Toure situation should be dealt with sooner rather than later, I like Kolo as a footballer but it appears he is going to be banned for at least a year & at 30 years old unfortunately this could see the end of his career at City. Joleon Lescott is a good footballer too but I don’t believe he is at the same level as most of the players around him. Therefore a new centre back should be on the cards & the name that instantly comes to mind is Juventus’s 26 year old Giorgio Chiellini. Chiellini truly is a class act, he is an Italian international with 40 caps & 2 goals to his name. Juventus are currently underachieving lying 7th in the Serie A table & will miss out on Champions League football. He did sign a new contract until 2015 in 2010 but the situation at Juventus has greatly changed since then. He is left footed & would slot superbly alongside Vincent Kompany. City have also been linked with Bolton’s Gary Cahill, who I see as a much more realistic target. Unfortunately, Dedryck Boyata has also been linked in a part-exchange deal with Gary Cahill, I feel Boyata has a bright future ahead of him & it would be a mistake for City to allow him to leave at this moment in time. Other realistic targets for us could be Fulham’s 29 year old Brede Hangeland or Roma’s 29 year old Philippe Mexès, however at that age are they really worth signing? If I could have anyone it would be Barca’s 24 year old Gerard Pique, but he is going nowhere anytime soon. Does anyone sense a Barcelona theme here somewhere...? Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a scout at Arsenal or Barcelona but I do watch a lot of football. I most commonly watch the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga and the Italian Serie A along with all the European club competitions. It doesn’t qualify me to be a manager but I am usually there or there abouts ;)
Please leave a comment with your thoughts on who we should sign next and what you thought about this blog using the comments section below... why not follow me on Twitter too @AndySlow.
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