Rumores, versos y demás

johnburrows escribió:Pero no lo venden ni loco. Ofertar por jugadores asi es perder el tiempo.

Jo set for Everton loan

BRAZILIAN forward Jo is set to spend another season on loan with Everton.

City splashed out £18m on the striker last summer but he failed to settle in the Blues first team and was sent out on loan to the Toffees.

He scored five goals in 12 games with the Goodison Park club.

Ched Evans is expected to be next out of the City door with Newcastle and West Brom both in for the young Wales striker.

And Tottenham have been linked with a move for Blues striker Craig Bellamy.

Sunderland admit Dunne interest

SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn has admitted his interest in signing City captain Richard Dunne.

Dunne is City's longest-serving player but could become surplus to requirements at Eastlands this summer with boss Mark Hughes chasing a number of high-profile defensive signings, most recently being linked with Chelsea's John Terry.

And if Dunne is made available by City, Quinn is ready to pounce to boost Steve Bruce's options at the back.

"He is a player who is an excellent footballer but he is a Man City player until they say any different and we stand in a line," he said in the Daily Mail.

"We are not the only admirers but if there is a chink of light we will get through it if we can.

"We probably need a few men and spirited people to lift what we have and of course Richard Dunne would fit the bill."

City in £65m hunt

CITY are at the centre of a £65m twin transfer chase. The Blues are intent on pursuing £40m-rated England skipper John Terry until the player himself makes it plain he wants to stay at Chelsea.

And they are also hoping that a big storm brewing in Barcelona will deliver £25m striker Samuel Eto'o into their hands.

Barca manager Pep Guardiola wants Eto'o out of the club and City are waiting in the wings to snap him up.

The double Champions League-winning striker has dug in his heels over his demands for a severance payment, and claims he is prepared to see out the final year of his contract if necessary.

City have already had a £25m bid for Eto'o accepted and have made the player an acceptable offer. But until the row over the payment is sorted out, the Blues cannot be entirely sure of landing the Cameroon star.

Guardiola is reported to be furious with club president Joan Laporta for allowing the argument between club and player to escalate.

Cash

He wants the cash from City to fund the Catalans' pursuit of Valencia's David Villa.

The pressure on Barca has grown this week with deadly rivals Real Madrid unveiling £80m former United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

With reports in Spain suggesting that Barca are around £350m in debt, the fee from City is vital for the club's rebuilding plans, as they also look to land Liverpool's Javier Mascherano.

Talks have already begun with Valencia over Villa and as soon as a deal is agreed, Barca are expected to come to a quick conclusion with Eto'o.

But City are still not giving up on their hopes of having the England captain in their ranks by the time of next summer's World Cup finals.

Chelsea have rebuffed a bid of £28m plus Daniel Sturridge, and new manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted Terry would remain captain "forever."

But, until Terry himself publicly commits himself to Chelsea, City will not give up the chase.

Said Ancelotti: "Terry is a symbol of this team. He will be captain next season. He said he wants to stay forever and we want to keep him for ever."

City are also still wading through the complexities of signing Carlos Tevez but reports that they have enquired about Barcelona defender Carles Puyol are wide of the mark.

Cook eyes new City era

CITY supremo Garry Cook is intent on eradicating the phrase "typical City" from the club's vocabulary forever.

The Blues' chief executive believes the next phase of the task of rebuilding City is to win over the supporters.

City fans have a reputation as hangdog stalwarts, hardened into cynicism from years of failure and unfulfilled promises, sustained only by their loyalty, camaraderie and gallows humour.

Cook believes one of the biggest tasks the new regime at the club faces is to give those supporters a new outlook, without losing the essence of what it means to be a Blue.

As well as wanting to build an "untypical" new club, Cook also wants to take the negative edge off the old Blue war cry of "City `til I die."

That doesn't mean tinkering with their lifelong dedication but rather removing the bleak aspect of the phrase.

He said: "There were two phrases which struck me when I first came here - 'typical City' and 'City 'til I die.' They tell you two things about the personality of the culture.

"`Typical City' says to me `We're not very good, but it's OK.' It means you are embarrassed by mistakes - you shouldn't be, because we all make mistakes.

"It's also an excuse for when you do make a mistake - you can just say `Well, that's us.'

"And 'City `til I die' seems to mean the fans have been through the pain and the agony and were all getting on a bit.

"To build for the future you want eight-year-old kids saying 'I want to play for City' because that helps everything. He doesn't want to think about dying, because he's just got here!"

SWP

The theme has been picked up by Shaun Wright-Phillips, who knows all about "typical City" from his two spells at the club.

He said: "The fact that on the day I came back to City we stayed in the UEFA Cup through a last-minute own goal against Midtjylland and then won a dramatic penalty shoot-out made me smile," he said.

"I'm used to that being the way with City - it was always like that when I was coming through the ranks.

"We always liked to do the things the hard way, but hopefully the boss is slowly but surely getting that out of us now and this is a club geared for sustained success."

As well as aiming to transform the team on the pitch, Sheikh Mansour and his new executive team have set about revolutionising the club from within.

They want Eastlands, Platt Lane, and Carrington - as well as the new academies to be rolled out around the world - to be vibrant, positive, optimistic work places.

"I think our fans are appreciative of Sheikh Mansour because we have something real here," said Cook.

"There is consistency in the management team, we have a new executive leadership team, we are opening a new retail store, building new offices, we have a new website, the kit launches next week, and we are buying new players.

"When you talk about those things, it can be infectious, and that is what we are trying to do, make it infectious."

The change which the Arab owners want to effect at City is deeper and longer-term that what Roman Abramovich's riches have done at Chelsea.

But Cook recognises that City do see the evolution at Stamford Bridge as a yardstick for their own progress, even though Chelsea began from a stronger position as they were already a Champions League qualifier when the Russians moved in.

"On Wednesday of last week it was six years to the day that Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea," said Cook.

"You keep looking at these marker stones from the past and try to learn from what has been done, both good and the bad."

theshadowofthecity escribió:

Jo set for Everton loan

BRAZILIAN forward Jo is set to spend another season on loan with Everton.

City splashed out £18m on the striker last summer but he failed to settle in the Blues first team and was sent out on loan to the Toffees.

He scored five goals in 12 games with the Goodison Park club.

Ched Evans is expected to be next out of the City door with Newcastle and West Brom both in for the young Wales striker.

And Tottenham have been linked with a move for Blues striker Craig Bellamy.

theshadowofthecity escribió:

Sunderland admit Dunne interest

SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn has admitted his interest in signing City captain Richard Dunne.

Dunne is City's longest-serving player but could become surplus to requirements at Eastlands this summer with boss Mark Hughes chasing a number of high-profile defensive signings, most recently being linked with Chelsea's John Terry.

And if Dunne is made available by City, Quinn is ready to pounce to boost Steve Bruce's options at the back.

"He is a player who is an excellent footballer but he is a Man City player until they say any different and we stand in a line," he said in the Daily Mail.

"We are not the only admirers but if there is a chink of light we will get through it if we can.

"We probably need a few men and spirited people to lift what we have and of course Richard Dunne would fit the bill."

theshadowofthecity escribió:Un resumen de como van las negociaciones por jugadores

City in £65m hunt

CITY are at the centre of a £65m twin transfer chase. The Blues are intent on pursuing £40m-rated England skipper John Terry until the player himself makes it plain he wants to stay at Chelsea.

And they are also hoping that a big storm brewing in Barcelona will deliver £25m striker Samuel Eto'o into their hands.

Barca manager Pep Guardiola wants Eto'o out of the club and City are waiting in the wings to snap him up.

The double Champions League-winning striker has dug in his heels over his demands for a severance payment, and claims he is prepared to see out the final year of his contract if necessary.

City have already had a £25m bid for Eto'o accepted and have made the player an acceptable offer. But until the row over the payment is sorted out, the Blues cannot be entirely sure of landing the Cameroon star.

Guardiola is reported to be furious with club president Joan Laporta for allowing the argument between club and player to escalate.

Cash

He wants the cash from City to fund the Catalans' pursuit of Valencia's David Villa.

The pressure on Barca has grown this week with deadly rivals Real Madrid unveiling £80m former United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

With reports in Spain suggesting that Barca are around £350m in debt, the fee from City is vital for the club's rebuilding plans, as they also look to land Liverpool's Javier Mascherano.

Talks have already begun with Valencia over Villa and as soon as a deal is agreed, Barca are expected to come to a quick conclusion with Eto'o.

But City are still not giving up on their hopes of having the England captain in their ranks by the time of next summer's World Cup finals.

Chelsea have rebuffed a bid of £28m plus Daniel Sturridge, and new manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted Terry would remain captain "forever."

But, until Terry himself publicly commits himself to Chelsea, City will not give up the chase.

Said Ancelotti: "Terry is a symbol of this team. He will be captain next season. He said he wants to stay forever and we want to keep him for ever."

City are also still wading through the complexities of signing Carlos Tevez but reports that they have enquired about Barcelona defender Carles Puyol are wide of the mark.

Mark Hughes believes that Stuart Taylor is the perfect fit for the Blues this season.

And he has scoffed at those who suggest the former Villa’s man is showing a lack of ambition by signing on to be Shay Given’s understudy.

Taylor put pen to paper at the end of last month on a free transfer having spent some of last season at Cardiff City.

Still only 28-years-old and young in goalkeeping terms Taylor, who spent eight years at Arsenal before moving up to the Midlands, has filled the void left by England international Joe Hart who has left for a season with Birmingham City.

“Stuart knows the role that we want him to fulfil but he is a top class keeper who has played numerous games at the highest level. I think he is a good fit for us,” reckoned boss Mark Hughes.

“Being the back-up keeper is not an easy role to play in the squad but it is an important one and you perhaps need a certain type of mentality to be able to cope with the correct intensity every single day without the prospect of a game at the end of the week.

“He has to be permanently ready to step into the side and it is not an easy position to be in. It is not that Stuart has any lack of ambition in any way. He has a distinct role and that is to push Shay as hard as he can. He sees this as an opportunity for himself.”

Taylor, a former England under 21 international, is likely to see his first action for the club in Germany this week and then again in South Africa during the Vodacom Challenge.

theshadowofthecity escribió:

Mark Hughes believes that Stuart Taylor is the perfect fit for the Blues this season.

And he has scoffed at those who suggest the former Villa’s man is showing a lack of ambition by signing on to be Shay Given’s understudy.

Taylor put pen to paper at the end of last month on a free transfer having spent some of last season at Cardiff City.

Still only 28-years-old and young in goalkeeping terms Taylor, who spent eight years at Arsenal before moving up to the Midlands, has filled the void left by England international Joe Hart who has left for a season with Birmingham City.

“Stuart knows the role that we want him to fulfil but he is a top class keeper who has played numerous games at the highest level. I think he is a good fit for us,” reckoned boss Mark Hughes.

“Being the back-up keeper is not an easy role to play in the squad but it is an important one and you perhaps need a certain type of mentality to be able to cope with the correct intensity every single day without the prospect of a game at the end of the week.

“He has to be permanently ready to step into the side and it is not an easy position to be in. It is not that Stuart has any lack of ambition in any way. He has a distinct role and that is to push Shay as hard as he can. He sees this as an opportunity for himself.”

Taylor, a former England under 21 international, is likely to see his first action for the club in Germany this week and then again in South Africa during the Vodacom Challenge.

Roque Santa Cruz knew exactly what to expect when he started pre-season training as a Manchester City player for the first time at the weekend - hard work, and lots of it!

The Paraguayan striker, signed from Blackburn Rovers just a couple of weeks ago, is once again under the watchful eye of the coaching team who he worked for in his first year at Ewood Park.

He rewarded Mark Hughes' faith in him with 19 league goals in his first season in the Barclays Premier League, and rather than dreading the resumption of training, the thought of teaming up with the Manager, assistant Mark Bowen and first team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki was one that Roque relished.

Speaking exclusively to mcfc.co.uk, Roque told us, "I know that they like to train as well as possible," he says "and as hard as they can to take you to the limits. They do it so you can bring the best of your talent onto the pitch, but I knew for sure that it's going to be hard when we start training again".

After a couple of days at Carrington, the squad relocated to southern Germany for a training camp designed to sharpen the players up ahead of the resumption of match action on the tour to South Africa. It's something Roque is familiar with, having done the same when first at Blackburn and when with Bayern Munich before that, and it's a time he will be looking to put himself well to the fore in Mark Hughes' thinking.

"You can just focus on training, it helps you bring the best out of yourself in every session and to get you as fit as possible for the rest of the season. It's a great place to concentrate on your fitness and get yourself ready".

Los Diablos lo empujaron...

"Si llegara a jugar en el City no creo que el público del United tenga que considerarme un traidor, porque no lo soy", dijo Carlos Tevez, y recordó que lo "echaron" de Old Trafford

Carlos Tevez, cerca de pasar al Manchester City, rival tradicional de su anterior equipo, Manchester United, justificó su postura: "Me echaron del club. Ahora tengo que analizar las mejores ofertas".

Aunque también lo pretende el Chelsea, el delantero argentino pidió a los fanáticos del United que entiendan su posición si es que termina por incorporarse al otro club de la ciudad de Manchester.

Los hinchas se expresan con disgusto ante la posibilidad de que uno de sus ídolos pase al rival tradicional y por eso, en la página sport.co.uk, Tévez declaró: "Si llegara a jugar en el City no creo que el público del United tenga que considerarme un traidor, porque no lo soy".

El delantero de 25 años aclaró además que "ellos tienen que recordar que, hasta donde yo sé, me echaron del club y por eso ahora tengo que analizar las mejores ofertas. Esta situación se da porque ya no soportaba más mi situación deportiva en el United".

Tévez pasó un gran 2008 en el equipo que dirige Sir Alex Ferguson, pero sostuvo que el panorama cambió en su segundo año en la institución y cree que la derrota ante Liverpool como locales por 4 a 1 fue el punto de inflexión.

"Después de ese partido el técnico me ignoró como si hubiera sido mi culpa, cuando en realidad el rival fue superior en todos los aspectos", analizó el jugador.

Por último, Tevez declaró: "Siempre di todo por este club y los hinchas lo saben, por eso no merecía que mi situación terminara así".

Benjani would consider Pompey

CITY striker Benjani has revealed he would be interested in a return to Portsmouth.

The Zimbabwean striker made just 12 appearances for the Blues last season, scoring three goals.

Benjani, who joined City from Pompey in January last year, said: "I have good memories and I have a special relationship with the Portsmouth supporters. I'd love to play for them again, but at the moment I'm contracted to Manchester City.

"I have a job to do here until I'm told anything else."

City are waiting for John Terry to return for pre-season training at Chelsea on Thursday to get a definitive answer on their bid to sign the England skipper.

Hughes is continuing to look at Everton centre-back Joleon Lescott as an alternative option, while Bayern Munich's Brazilian Lucio has also emerged as a potential target.

City braced for Spurs raid

CITY are bracing themselves for a bid from Tottenham for Craig Bellamy - and reports suggest Spurs boss Harry Redknapp could join the race for Richard Dunne.

Redknapp is keeping a close eye on the striker situation at Eastlands as his Blues counterpart Mark Hughes bids to tie up deals for Carlos Tevez and Samuel Eto'o.

And although Tottenham have made no official comment on Bellamy, Redknapp is understood to be weighing up a bid for the Welshman.

Redknapp did try to sign Bellamy from West Ham before City swooped to buy him for £12m in January.

And Hughes has repeatedly praised the tenacity and goalscoring instincts of the striker, who missed 12 of City's final 15 games of last season through injury.

The Blues boss has already started reshaping his forward line for the new season, having signed Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn for £17m.

He has also allowed Brazilian Jo to go back to Everton on a season-long loan which follows the exits of Daniel Sturridge to Chelsea and Darius Vassell to Turkish club Ankaragucu - the former Aston Villa man met with great fanfare there.

A report in Wednesday's Sun newspaper, meanwhile, suggests Redknapp could fight it out with Sunderland for Dunne.

Black Cats chief Niall Quinn has already admitted his side would like Dunne at the Stadium of Light.

Everton see Jo potential

CITY'S Brazilian striker Jo is likely to be involved in Everton's first pre-season friendly at Bury on Friday.

The former CSKA Moscow striker, who spent five months on loan at Goodison Park from City last season, is with the Toffees at their Scottish training camp as the final points of another loan deal are completed.

And a one-year loan arrangement will delight Everton assistant boss Steve Round, who was hugely impressed with the £18million forward while working with him last term.

Everton revealed on Tuesday that they are in talks with City about re-signing the 22-year-old, and the player was allowed to travel to Scotland with Everton.

Round said: "I am very much hoping a deal can be put in place. I think we saw last season what he is capable of.

"Last season, the manager (David Moyes) was very keen on Jo and perhaps tried to sign him but was pipped at the post by City."

Last season's loan stint at Goodison saw Jo rejuvenated after a frustrating spell at Eastlands, scoring five goals but being cup-tied for the FA Cup final.

Round said: "He came in as a young player to Manchester and struggled at first.

"The Premier League is different to anything else anywhere in the world. But he found his feet with us, came through and got us some goals. He's certainly a player we would like to have in our squad and firing.

"It's up to the club to try and finalise a deal. Hopefully that will come off and we'll have a very, very good player in our squad."