Hamburg player is brother of Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince
6ft 3in Boateng can play at centre-half and right-back
Manchester City are putting in place an £11m deal to sign the Germany international Jerome Boateng from Hamburg and precipitate an extensive summer spending spree aimed at establishing them as genuine title contenders next season.
City have denied reports in Germany that a deal has already been agreed for Boateng, but there have been detailed negotiations with the Bundesliga club and the 21-year-old defender has briefed journalists in his home country that he expects to be a part of Roberto Mancini's team when they travel to the United States for a pre-season tour in July.
Boateng, the brother of Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng, is a centre-half or right-back who has won three national caps and been on City's radar since the January transfer window. Hamburg would not sell him at that point but Fulham's opponents in the Europa League semi-finals have now accepted that he will leave them next month.
"We have been told by the player's agent that Jerome Boateng is looking to move clubs this summer," the chairman, Bernd Hoffman, said. "We have to accept this. Talks about a new contract at our club have stalled in recent months and therefore the player has the right to change clubs."
The manager, Bruno Labbadia, added: "It is a pity to see him go. But I think it is better for us that he has told us at this point than at the end of the season."
If everything goes according to plan, the transfer will mean Hamburg have banked £33m from City in the space of 20 months, having already sold them Vincent Kompany for £6m and Nigel de Jong for £16m.
Boateng, at 6ft 3in, prefers to play at centre-half but City may have greater need for him to fill in at right-back after a season in which the role has been shared by Micah Richards, Pablo Zabaleta and Nedum Onuoha but without an outstanding candidate. Otherwise, he would provide competition for the first-choice central defensive pairing of Joleon Lescott and Kolo Touré.
After two days off, City returned to training today to prepare for Saturday's game against Manchester United, but Adam Johnson was unable to complete the session after feeling unwell. The former Middlesbrough player will be assessed in the morning and is not thought to be in danger of missing his first Manchester derby
Italy eyeing Manchester City chief Roberto Mancini as Marcello Lippi prepares for exit
Italian FA chiefs have drawn up a shortlist of new managers which includes Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini.
Mancini - who only joined the Eastlands club in December - features alongside Roma and ex-Chelsea chief Claudio Ranieri on the list.
The Italian FA are looking for someone to take over from Marcello Lippi as manager of the Azzurri after the World Cup.
They have held talks with both.
Manchester City winger Adam Johnson last night emerged as a shock England World Cup contender.
Fabio Capello is seeking alternatives for the wide positions after losing David Beckham and with increasing doubts over Spurs flier Aaron Lennon.
Capello seems set to stick with Theo Walcott in his squad, despite the Arsenal man's inconsistent form, believing his blistering pace is an asset he needs in his final 23.
The Italian has already also used Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young, David Bentley, Joe Cole and Stuart Downing as out and out flank players, without any of them staking an unchallengeable claim to a berth on the June 2 flight to Johannesburg.
But uncapped Johnson is now poised to be handed his chance to sneak into the squad for South Africa after catching Capello's eye since his £10million move from Middlesbrough.
The 22-year-old Johnson, who scored four goals in 19 appearances for Stuart Pearce's Under-21 side, is set to be named in next month's provisional 30-man squad, with a possible debut in the final Wembley friendly with Mexico on May 24.
And his versatility - he is equally happy on the right or the left - could now propel him into the squad as Capello's wild-card selection.
Capello said: "Adam Johnson, he's come up from the Championship at Middlesbrough, where he played in a different position.
"He's done well with Manchester City. Now it's important he gets some international experience."
That will almost certainly come next month, unless Capello changes his mind, and means Johnson will get 13 days with the extended squad to show the England boss he deserves to gatecrash the World Cup party.
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery has told a German television channel he hopes to decide where his future lies "in the next 10 days". The Frenchman claims Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea are all interested in signing him. The Guardian
Real Madrid hope to fend off competition from Manchester United by signing 24-year-old Spanish striker David Silva from Valencia in a £22m pre-World Cup deal. Daily Mirror
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack could be heading for a reunion with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan after admitting there have been no talks over renewing his Stamford Bridge contract, which ends this summer. Daily Mail
Mourinho is increasingly confident that he can tempt Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard to quit Anfield for a move to Inter.Daily Mail
Palermo are hopeful of agreeing a summer loan deal for Manchester United striker Federico Macheda. Daily Star
Olympiakos want to sign Liverpool's Fabio Aurelio, and the Brazilian defender could join Hungarian Krisztian Nemeth in Greece, with AEK Athens keen to extend the Anfield striker's loan spell at the club. Daily Mirror
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his bid to sign Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as his long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar. Daily Mail
Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque, wanted by Bordeaux and Marseille, has ruled out a return to France, with the former Lyon man intent on staying on Wearside.Daily Mirror
Nottingham Forest hope to lure midfielder Darren Pratley from Championship rivals Swansea with a £2m summer swoop. Daily Mirror
OTHER BOLLOX
What a shock ...Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has recovered from the ankle injury that has sidelined him for two games and will return for Saturday's derby game at Manchester City. The Sun
World Cup organisers have called on Fifa to overhaul the way tickets will be sold for the 2014 tournament in Brazil as they begin a race against time to sell half a million tickets for this year's event in South Africa.The Guardian
In-form Stoke winger Matthew Etherington will open talks with the Potters next week over a new £30,000-a-week deal. Daily Mirror
The Premier League will deny FA Cup finalists Portsmouth their dream of playing in the Europa League next season, unless the south-coast club can come out of administration and pay off all their debts by the end of the season. Daily Mirror
Southampton manager Alan Pardew has emerged as a shock contender to be the new Celtic boss. Daily Record
The Red Knights consortium that is considering a bid to take over Manchester United are expected to finalise their proposal to make an offer for the club by the end of this week, with an approach expected at the end of the season. The Guardian
Fernando Torres is on course to return from the knee injury which kept him out of the goalless draw with Fulham. The Spaniard "will do whatever it takes to be ready" to face his old club Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final next week, according to an unnamed team-mate. Daily Mirror
Relegation-threatened Crystal Palace are just three weeks away from 'meltdown' - manager Paul Hart is poised to quit the financially stricken Championship club to join Tottenham's coaching staff, first-team coach John Pemberton is off to Sheffield United, while the Croydon side's ground, Selhurst Park, is at risk from developers. Daily Mirror
Real Madrid claim they have already recovered the £80m it cost them to buy Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United through sales of replica shirts bearing the Portuguese star's name. Daily Mirror
