Man City told Barkley will cost £60m
Manchester City will have to shell out £60m to land Ross Barkley - and the big question is when the Blues will make their record-breaking bid for the Everton and England superstar.
MUEN Sport understands that a summer move was dismissed out of hand by Roberto Martinez and since then the midfielder has signed a new four-year contract which effectively ups his value.
Barkley, who is an integral part of Roy Hodgson’s England squad, is on the most wanted list of Europe’s elite clubs as the January transfer window looms.
But City remain at the forefront of the suitors and are poised to at least double Barkley’s wage - and match the asking price that would make Barkley a record for an Englishman, and that potential deal would be the biggest between two British clubs.
United and Chelsea are among the other top clubs interested in the 22-year-old goal-scoring midfielder but relationships between the Reds and Everton hierarchy have been soured over the appointment of David Moyes, the 11th hour signing Marouane Fellaina and the ultimately unsuccessful but protracted pursuit of Goodison talisman Leighton Baines.
City upset Everton when Joleon Lescott signed, and Barkely will be well aware that Jack Rodwell made the switch down the East Lancs Road but failed to break through the Blues’ star spangled squad.
But City previously adopting a softly, softly approach could now have to go in with a blockbuster offer that Everton couldn’t turn down because of the dip in form of Yaya Toure and the need to quickly revive their faltering season.
The champions' boss Manuel Pellegrini knows that his own future will be on the line if City’s season ends trophy less so will be in determined mood to make the forthcoming transfer window a success, although with the UEFA Financial Fair Play restraints will obviously wheel and deal if he is to land the club’s number one target Barkley.
One source close to the player said: “Its a Wayne Rooney situation all over again. Yet another player has comes through the brilliant academy set up at Goodison who so called bigger clubs are desperate to get their hands on.
“Ross Barkley is Everton through and through and flourishing under Roberto Martinez.. However, he is ambitious and wants to be at a club on the biggest stage.”
Manchester City handed Vincent Kompany scare
Manchester City have been given a huge injury scare after a scan revealed Vincent Kompany's thigh injury is worse than initially thought.
The City skipper sat out his sides 2-2 draw with QPR last weekend and was also absent for Belgium's friendly victory over Iceland on Wednesday evening.
The problem wasn't expected to keep him out for long, but a scan has shown a small tear, with the Guardian suggesting he could be missing for up to 12 days.
It was Kompany's national team coach, Marc Wilmots, who revealed the extent of the injury having confirmed the defender will miss the weekend Euro 2016 qualifier against Wales.
Wilmots is quoted as saying: "The news is bad. told the team it’s a shame but it’s not a problem; there are solutions.”
Missing matches
Kompany will now focus on returning to full fitness for a City side with a string of important fixtures on the horizon.
Next up for the Premier League champions is a visit from Garry Monk's impressive Swansea side on 22nd November.
If the projected 10-12 days recovery time is accurate Kompany will definitely be absent for that fixture, and could face a race against time to prove his fitness for City's crucial Champions League date with Bayern Munich.
Manuel Pellegrini's men know they need to get at least a point from that game if they're to stand any chance of progressing from the group stage, and their task will be doubled should they be without their inspirational skipper.
Should he fail to recover sufficiently by then, City will then be looking at a tough trip to second-placed Southampton to reintroduce the Belgian.
Deputies
Even with Kompany in the side City have struggled defensively this season, and the skippers likely deputies are a cause for concern.
Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis were given the nod against QPR, with the later netting an unfortunate own goal.
Despite neither man convincing alongside Kompany, Serbian defender Matija Nastasic has found himself left in the cold this season, with Dedryck Boyata seemingly taking the place of fourth-choice central defender.
Injury troubles
Kompany becomes the third major absentee for City, following injuries to star attackers David Silva and Edin Dzeko.
Silva has missed the last three matches with a knee injury, though he could be back in contention soon.
Meanwhile the injury which forced Dzeko off just four minutes after coming on in the draw at QPR is likely to keep him out for three weeks.
Aguero vs Costa | The Race To The Golden Boot
As the Premier League has panned out in the last few seasons, of the teams having reasonably good defences*, those having the best striker win the title come the end of the season, more often than not. Last season, it was Manchester City, riding on Sergio Aguero. The season before that, it was Manchester United, for whom Robin Van Persie was firing on all cylinders. The list goes on.
Great strikers win you the games that are seemingly headed towards a draw. They come up with a moment of magic, that extra something from the tank, that takes the team to 2-1 from 1-1, as Diego Costa showed for Chelsea in the weekend at Anfield or as Aguero showed the same day for Manchester City, to 2-2 from 1-2 at Loftus Road. These will prove to be very important points as the season goes on.
*That obviously discounts Liverpool, as despite having the best striker in the league, they had a paper-thin defence
Talking of such great strikers leads me to the two I just mentioned. Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa. While one is a proven predator of Premier League defences, the other just led his team to the title win in Spain. Both are clearly the best strikers in the Premier League and are some way above the rest of the chasing pack, bar perhaps Falcao, who hasn’t hit the right form so far. They are scoring at insane rates – both Aguero and Costa are scoring at nearly 1.1 goals per game. They have won their team some crucial points and they have managed to inspire the rest of their team to punch above their weight as well. To think that given all these similarities, they might have a similar style of play would be highly misleading.
While Aguero is a pacy forward who likes to make incisive, mazy runs and get into proper space to receive through passes from the midfield. Diego Costa, on the other hand, is a bit like Didier Drogba. He likes to bully opposition defenders, hold the ball up and make runs into space. Both are somewhat complete strikers as in they can score off either feet as well as their head. They are proven match winners and absolutely crucial to their side’s title chase this season. One can probably even say that Chelsea and City are the main title contenders and therefore, are highly dependent on these two to keep firing for them.
As said earlier, both players are scoring at insane rates, but so are their teams. So let us see what direct contribution they offer to their teams’ goal tallies. As seen, Aguero has racked up over 50% of City’s goals, while Chelsea have managed when Costa hasn’t scored. This is probably biased by the fact that Costa had to sit out of two games with an injury and was not sharp in the game against QPR when he returned. Had they both played similar minutes this season, one would expect that their contribution to their teams’ tallied would have been similar. Also, Chelsea have had other players as well in superb form, like Hazard, Fabregas and Oscar, that has inflated the team goal tally.
Aguero has proven to be a tricky customer from all over the pitch. While scoring from inside the box is his speciality, he can also nick the odd goal from outside the box. In fact, he attempted 11 shots, nearly a fifth, of his total of 57 shots from outside the box, scoring once. On the other hand, Costa has only taken the metaphorical ‘lottery ticket’ from outside the box only thrice, out of a total of 28 goal attempts. As shown, Costa is also shyer than Aguero in terms of goal attempts. He has attempted about half the number of shots (28) that the Argentine has (57). Though he is more clinical with a much higher shot accuracy, one wonders how much better his goal tally will be if he starts to get into more shooting positions.
As has been visible throughout the article, both Aguero and Costa are top-class strikers who have been lighting the Premier League up this season and propelling their side to a sure-shot Top 2 finish. Out of the two, who will win might go down to the wire. Yes, Chelsea are a good eight points clear of the Citizens, but as we saw last season as well, City suddenly hit top form and notch up long winning streaks. To do that this time around, Aguero will be crucial for City, with Costa playing a similar role for Chelsea, who have been unbeaten so far and will be trying to emulate the ‘Invincibles’. All being said, these two are the most in-form strikers in the League and unless someone like Falcao wakes up and starts banging them in for fun, these two will be vying for the Golden Boot come May.
We don't even get a mention in the headline bollox!
Chelsea to hand Marco Reus £153,000-a-week deal to fend off Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd
CHELSEA are willing to hand Marco Reus a £153,000-a-week deal to make him one of the club's top earners.
Jose Mourinho has reportedly told Reus' agent Volker Struth that he wants to sign the Borussia Dortmund forward in the summer.
And Spanish newspaper Marca claim Chelsea will put an £8m-a-year deal on the table to get their man.
The £153,000-a-week contract will bring him close to the salary of Chelsea skipper John Terry.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and City are all interested while Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are keeping tabs on the situation too.
Terry, who is in his 17th senior campaign, signed a one-year deal worth £175,000 to stay at the club in the summer.
Reus, who signed for Dortmund from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012, has a £20m release clause in his current contract that becomes active in the summer.
He has been in sparking form for Dortmund despite their indifferent start to the season. The German giants are languishing down in 15th in the Bundesliga table.
Reus' current deal runs out in 2017.
Nastasic set for exit.
Inter Milan could end Matija Nastasic's frustrating 18 months at City.
Still only 21, Nastasic joined City from Fiorentina in 2012 and appeared to attract interest from a number of Serie A clubs in the summer.
Nastasic, nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year in his debut year at Eastlands, has made only one appearance all season - in the Community Shield - and played just 20 times under Manuel Pellegrini last term.
A baffling knee injury derailed his progress at City, yet the additions of Martin Demichelis and Eliaquim Mangala have effectively forced him into the departure lounge at the Etihad Stadium.
Even Dedryck Boyata has been on the bench ahead of Nastasic for the last four games.
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Arsenal offered Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic for just £5m transfer fee
Arsenal have been told they can have Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic for just £5million after being formally offered the Serbian star.
Nastasic, who was a target for the Gunners before joining City, was strongly linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium again over the summer.
The transfer didn’t happen in the end, but Goal.com reports that Arsenal have now been offered the City defender for just £5million.
Spurs are also keen on a deal, with City desperate to offload a man who is not getting regular game time, but currently earns about £75,000-a-week.
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New York City striker David Villa has unveiled the club’s first home kit.
It looks very much like a Manchester City kit of recent years as designed by Adidas.
New York City FC’s sporting director Claudio Reyna said: “We are delighted with the look and feel of our first home uniform, which we hope our fans will love as much as we do.
“Presenting it for the first time makes us even more excited about our first season in MLS and seeing our team wearing it on the field.”
Rekik added to Netherlands squad
Defender Karim Rekik has been added to the Netherlands squad for Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Latvia.
The 19-year-old, who has one previous senior cap to his name, joins the Dutch party after Ron Vlaar injured his calf in Wednesday's 3-2 friendly defeat to Mexico.
Rekik's only other appearance for Netherlands came as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat to France in March.
The PSV man - on loan from Manchester City - is, however, an experienced campaigner in the Dutch youth ranks and is the current Under-21 captain.
After completing his duty with the senior team, Rekik will return to the youth side for a friendly with Germany next Thursday.
Rekik has made 11 Eredivisie appearances for PSV this term, scoring one goal.
Real Madrid are considering selling forward Gareth Bale, 25, to Chelsea in a £90m deal at the end of the season. (Daily Express)
Manchester United want on-loan striker Radamel Falcao, 28, to prove his fitness before committing to a £43m transfer. (Daily Mirror)
Germany boss Joachim Low has urged forward Lukas Podolski, 29, to leave Arsenal in order to save his international career. (Daily Star)
However, the Gunners' hopes of signing Podolski's international midfield colleague Sami Khedira have been dashed after the 27-year-old confirmed his intention to stay at Real Madrid . (Sun)
Instead, Arsenal could turn to Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, 24, in a £24m deal. (Daily Express)
Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Memphis Depay after his club PSV confirmed they will sell the 20-year-old Dutch winger. (Metro)
Inter Milan are poised to make a double swoop for Arsenal striker Joel Campbell, 22, and Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches, 24. (Daily Mirror)
The Nerazzurri are also keen on Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic, 21, and Liverpool striker Fabio Borini, 23. (Daily Mail)
Colombian striker Teo Gutierrez, 29, has set his sights on a dream move to Tottenham. (Sky Sports Understands)
Midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, 29, says he is happy at Sunderland but admits he is flattered by talk of interest from his native Italy. (Sunderland Echo)
Yeovil Town could move for Newcastle United midfielder Gael Bigirimana, 21, on loan. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Birmingham City are weighing up the signing of free agent midfielder Guy Moussi, 29. (Birmingham Mail)
Former Manchester United manager David Moyes, 51, says he was advised by Alex Ferguson to take the job at Real Sociedad. (DSSC)
Former Cardiff boss Malky Mackay, 42, has emerged as the leading candidate to take over at Wigan following the dismissal of Uwe Rosler, 45. (Daily Mirror)
But Championship strugglers Wigan are also considering tempting their former boss Paul Jewell, who steered the club to the Premier League in 2005, back to the club. Jewell, 50, also played for the Latics. (Daily Express)
West Ham will hold talks with three of their players - midfielder Alex Song, 27, (Cameroon), striker Diafra Sakho, 24, (Senegal) and midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, 24, (Senegal) - ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations over the threat of Ebola on the tournament. (DSSC)
Former Chelsea, West Ham and Portsmouth boss Avram Grant, 59, is set to be offered a two-year contract to coach Ghana. (Daily Mirror)
Striker Divock Origi 19, has told Liverpool he wants to cut short his loan spell at Lille and join them ahead of schedule. (Guardian)
Everton defender Leighton Baines, 29, says England's players are united in their desire to see manger Roy Hodgson offered a new contract. (Daily Telegraph)
Football's world governing body Fifa faces a corruption investigation by the FBI. (Times)
Wales manager Chris Coleman, 44, says his team are confident of pulling off an upset in Belgium on Sunday. (Sky Sports Understands)
Petr Cech, 32, says he will stay at Chelsea despite no longer being the team's first-choice goalkeeper. (Evening Standard)
Stoke City midfielder Marko Arnautovic, 25, says he has revealed his frustrations at losing his starting place to manager Mark Hughes. (Stoke Sentinel)
England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate has backed Burnley striker Danny Ings, 22, to improve his goalscoring record as the season goes on. (Burnley Express)
Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, 27, was at the O2 Arena and posted on Twitter to praise a "tennis masterclass" by Roger Federer.
Defender Paul McShane, 28, offered his backing via Twitter to former Hull team-mate Jimmy Bullard before the latter's appearance on 'I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out Of Here!'
Striker Carlos Tevez, 30, and his Argentina team-mates posed for pictures with fans on arrival at Manchester Piccadilly railway station before next week's friendly with Portugal at Old Trafford. (Manchester Evening News)
Sunderland defender Wes Brown, 35, says Manchester United midfielder Anderson is the least intelligent player he has ever played with. (Daily Mail)
Forward Alexis Sanchez, 25, got into the festive spirit by wearing Arsenal's official Christmas jumper. (Independent)
Farsley striker Adam Priestley, 24, will miss his side's derby with Ossett Albion on Saturday so he can play for Gibraltar against world champions Germany in a Euro 2016 qualifier. (Independent)
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