summer business

[kinkylola]

i think we will go all out to sign a big name striker/attacking player and try to move Edin on ...

after that, we'll buy some players on hype to fill holes left/created from last years windows, and we'll pay too much for them. But we'll be more competitive than this year with some new a-list blood coming in. Don't think we'll be dead on to surge back and take the title, but there won't be a gap and it'll come down to the wire again. I can only see the rags improving. Them losing out to us on the last day of the season was a big wake up call for those assholes, they're going to push hard right now to try to block us out of the #1 slot to hurt our potential finances and name recognition.

[Esky]

UEFA Champions League hero Robert Lewandowski has agreed a deal with another club and can leave Borussia Dortmund this summer, according to his agent.

The Polish striker underlined his already booming reputation as one of Europe's best strikers with an unprecedented four goals in Wednesday's semi-final first-leg win over Real Madrid.

A star performance has only fuelled speculation of Lewandowski moving to Bayern Munich or Manchester United, while he has also been linked with Juventus.

The 24-year-old's contract does not expire until the summer of 2014 and has no release clause but his representative, Maik Barthel, claims an agreement is in place.

Barthel is quoted as telling Sport Bild: "We are in agreement with a club and have the right to change this summer. All the claims of Dortmund are met."

After the famous win over Real, Dortmund had insisted they had not given up hope Lewandowski could remain at the club.

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp and chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke both spoke of their desire to keep the 2010 signing from Lech Poznan.

But speculation in Germany is that Lewandowski will follow Mario Gotze in leaving Dortmund for bitter rivals Bayern this summer

From Sky. Really hope it's neither of the leading two candidates - Bayern or United.

[aaron bond]

UEFA Champions League hero Robert Lewandowski has agreed a deal with another club and can leave Borussia Dortmund this summer, according to his agent.

The Polish striker underlined his already booming reputation as one of Europe's best strikers with an unprecedented four goals in Wednesday's semi-final first-leg win over Real Madrid.

A star performance has only fuelled speculation of Lewandowski moving to Bayern Munich or Manchester United, while he has also been linked with Juventus.

The 24-year-old's contract does not expire until the summer of 2014 and has no release clause but his representative, Maik Barthel, claims an agreement is in place.

Barthel is quoted as telling Sport Bild: "We are in agreement with a club and have the right to change this summer. All the claims of Dortmund are met."

After the famous win over Real, Dortmund had insisted they had not given up hope Lewandowski could remain at the club.

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp and chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke both spoke of their desire to keep the 2010 signing from Lech Poznan.

But speculation in Germany is that Lewandowski will follow Mario Gotze in leaving Dortmund for bitter rivals Bayern this summer

From Sky. Really hope it's neither of the leading two candidates - Bayern or United.

There have been a few rumours recently about Gomez leaving Bayern, so if that's true it wouldn't surprise me to see Lewandowski going there.

And it fits in with Bayern's policy of buying all of the best players from their rivals in the Bundesliga.

[Mase]

Do you really think that's the case? Really?

No. I just imagined Bayern and the rags signing players.

[Hazy2]

Do you really think that's the case? Really?

No. I just imagined Bayern and the rags signing players.

Bearing in mind our CEO knows the craic, the bidding game seems to have gone, PSG, Bayern, appear to have a policy of thats price heres the money, less talking and smoozing more asking price met send the player over. If Bobby has his targets and they are not in the Champs League Semi, which BTW has not stopped Bayern has it. whats stopping us asking Daniel Levy to name his price, we might have BTW. Fergie had RVP bagged before he went on Holiday last season, with Bobby thinking he had a shot. Marwood looked a fool chasing a player already sold..

[Scatman]

We're not doing our business in the papers. That doesn't mean we're not doing it. Mancini has banged on about last summer long enough to give me a hint the same will not happen this year.

[Hazy2]

We're not doing our business in the papers. That doesn't mean we're not doing it. Mancini has banged on about last summer long enough to give me a hint the same will not happen this year.

Agreed but neither are the Rags or Bayern or PSG, they are meeting the asking price or Buy out clauses and moving onto the next deal. It is a very small pool we are fishing in to improve the quality we have. The stick RM gets for Champs League failure is justified, but for me looking at this week and the quarter finals they are all better squads out there and getting stronger, PSG seem to be the one Bayern are stopping from buying from the same shopping list. If certain teams do not get certain targets the player you wanted and thought was avaible is going nowhere we saw that with Cavanni last season.

[Alioune DVToure]

Lewandowski please. I just think he would fit our team and style of play best.

I don't know all that much about him but his close control against Real was really impressive last night, the way he dodged their defence and made room to shoot...

The guy play with wings and from what i watch last night hes a killer machine when u give him proper ball and a lot of balls go on him and Real players give him amazingly a lot of space witch he will never have here in England.If we going to keep playing like we play then Cavani or any other player who is fast small and have great pace.

Edinson Cavani is about 6ft tall and around 13 1/2 stone. He's no slouch but he hardly fits your description.

I also love how two or three people have suddenly thrown Alex Song into their lists as though they'd have thought of him without Clowncrete having suggested him. I thought that was a great bit of outside-the-box thinking. There are players (like Song) who will improve us without costing 25M+.

[RodneyRodney]

Robben ?
Unwanted at Bayern. 29. Could offer us something, and wouldn't be expensive.

[Blue Since 76]

Robben ?
Unwanted at Bayern. 29. Could offer us something, and wouldn't be expensive.

He could certainly offer us something on the treatment table.

[Blue Since 76]

Agreed but neither are the Rags or Bayern or PSG, they are meeting the asking price or Buy out clauses and moving onto the next deal. It is a very small pool we are fishing in to improve the quality we have. The stick RM gets for Champs League failure is justified, but for me looking at this week and the quarter finals they are all better squads out there and getting stronger, PSG seem to be the one Bayern are stopping from buying from the same shopping list. If certain teams do not get certain targets the player you wanted and thought was avaible is going nowhere we saw that with Cavanni last season.

Bayern has bought Goetze and that's it. The rest is paper talk or agents pushing things along. No need to panic yet.

[Wooders]

the more I think about it - the more I think Bale should be our no 1 target

others include - de rossi, cavani/falcao, hummells, isco

benteke if we can't get cavani/falcao

[ant london]

the more I think about it - the more I think Bale should be our no 1 target

others include - de rossi, cavani/falcao, hummells, isco

benteke if we can't get cavani/falcao

I'll echo what others have said elsewhere on other threads...we need a big signing and we need it to be done sharpish. Something like Cavani being announced in the coming fortnight or so would lay down a significant marker IMO and make it easier to bring in other new faces who we are after.

[stevefromdonny]

who ever is our number 1 target, we need to get him signed asap, no fucking around like last year and then getting Sinclair in. all deals need to be done in June, not Aug, players need to start asap with players staying so they can get used to each other

[Nigels Tackle]

business will have already been done

imagine the outcry if us or psg had announced a marquee signing before the season was out??

expecting us to do things properly... not like the rags or bayern

preseason will start with 95% of bobby's first choice match day squad in place

[ant london]

business will have already been done

imagine the outcry if us or psg had announced a marquee signing before the season was out??

expecting us to do things properly... not like the rags or bayern

preseason will start with 95% of bobby's first choice match day squad in place

I will be over the moon if you are 100% spot on.

The one positive for me is that the whispers and rumours around Cavani, considering it seems highly likely he will move, are pretty muted...which, to me, suggests that a deal re him may well already be done (...just hopefully that deal is with us!)

[Risby]

I'll echo what others have said elsewhere on other threads...we need a big signing and we need it to be done sharpish. Something like Cavani being announced in the coming fortnight or so would lay down a significant marker IMO and make it easier to bring in other new faces who we are after.

I thought the same. One big name will bring in another as it shows the desire we have to bring success to the club.
I hope we get our top targets, but what I think will be just as interesting is who will leave. Something tells me we are in for a few shocks.

[Clowncrete]

the more I think about it - the more I think Bale should be our no 1 target

others include - de rossi, cavani/falcao, hummells, isco

benteke if we can't get cavani/falcao

Not sure about De rossi. He is a good player but unlikely to leave Roma.

And why Hummels? We have a good back 4 so where will he fit?

[mcfc93]

Well I dun wanna be a wet blanket but I seriously dun think a deal is done. How cld there be an absolute blackout of info if a deal is done and dusted. Surely there wld be some murmurs. I mean look at our David silva deal. It was meant to be kept under wraps until after the World Cup but still it managed to come up before. So as for cavani...some day his linked to us while other days linked to psg or Madrid. I think we cld more or less infer that negotiations are ongoing with NO clear destination as of yet. Just my two cents though...would love to be surprised.

[Beefymcfc]

Extracted quotes from the Guardian in relation to transfers:

"It's important that we work well," said Mancini. "From now to August 30 [the close of the transfer window], we [must] work well and not like last year. Maybe we can do better because for two years we worked well, we had our targets and we got our targets. Three years ago we wanted to get to the Champions League and we got the Champions League and won the FA Cup. Last year we wanted to fight for the title and we won the title. This year we didn't work well but this hasn't been a bad season and, if we win the FA Cup, it is a good season. It's not important only to work well on the pitch, it's important you start to work well."

Mancini, asked if securing his prime targets was the crucial factor for success next season, said: "Yes. It's important not to make a mistake on new players. We need to do everything well."

Has the board learned from last summer? "We are people and we can make mistakes," said the manager. "No one wants to make mistakes but it can happen. It's important that we know last year we didn't work well and I hope that this year we can improve this. We have a good relationship for this. We've talked about the squad all the time that we can talk about the future, the players, but it's important that we work well."

Regarding the previous strategy of selling before buying, Mancini said: "This is impossible. Like you saw in the last week at Bayern Munich [taking Götze] – the best team in this moment with Borussia. I've read that Barça need six players – Barça! We need to add to our team."

Bayern have criticised City for their lavish-spending approach to building a successful club. Yet despite Bayern agreeing to pay the £32m buy-out clause to acquire Götze and their interest in taking another of Dortmund's best players, Robert Lewandoski, Mancini refused to return this criticism. "It's not important. In football it's good because all the people asked how it's possible that City don't win the title after spending a lot of money," he said. "There are other teams that spend more than us but this is football."