Barcelona eye Manchester City's Zabaleta and De Jong in Ibrahimovic deal
Particularly in light of Barcelona's reported financial woes, Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks to be edging ever closer to Manchester City , who are set to table a cash-plus-player offer for the Swedish striker.
One player Manchester City would are willing to throw in to the deal is Robinho , with the Eastlands outfit reportedly preparing a bid of €20 million plus the Brazilian forward to secure the 28-year-old's services.
But according to El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are also looking at the option of taking either Argentine Pablo Zabaleta or Dutchman Nigel de Jong.
Barcelona are said to be attracted the versatility of the two players. Zabaleta is predominately a right-back but can also play in midfield. The strong and athletic De Jong usually plays as a defensive midfielder, but he also feels comfortable as a right-back.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini wouldn't be overjoyed at parting ways with the pair, but he is believed to be determined to land Ibrahimovic, and the club are reportedly willing to make the 28–year-old the world's highest paid player.
On paper, Ibrahimovic enjoyed a good first season in Spain, scoring 20 goals in 41 appearances for Barcelona since his high profile move from Inter Milan last summer. However, his performances have been criticised by the notoriously harsh Spanish media.
Mancini is apparently an admirer of Ibrahimovic from his days coaching in Italy.
Amid rumours that Barcelona are targeting a host of top name players this summer, it was thought that they would look to offload Ibrahimovic in order to raise cash.
And that speculatation grew even stronger yesterday when Barcelona president Sandro Rossel said players' wages for last month had not been paid.
"We found a club in debt, with liquidity problems," said the new Barcelona president. "So we now have to take a loan to pay the players' wages. The squad were supposed to be paid at the end of last month, but they still haven't been."
Arsenal interested in a move for Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips
Spurs and Liverpool are also keen to buy the Englishman
Arsenal are set to fight it out with Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur for Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The Gunners want to acquire the England international for a reduced £6 million price and are considered the favourites to land him this summer, according to The Sun.
However, the 28-year-old’s wages are a main issue as City would sell Wright-Phillips at a lower price just to get his salary off of their books.
Wright-Phillips, who has two years remaining on his current £60k-a-week deal, and is hoping to move from the Eastlands club.
The speedy winger is not happy that City did not offer him a better deal last season and fell out of Roberto Mancini’s line-up, losing his place to England starlet Adam Johnson.
Liverpool are interested in a move for Wright-Phillips as well and are attempting to set up a deal to bring him to Anfield.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is also keen to nab the winger but Wright-Phillips’ hefty wages could be a deterrent for Tottenham.
Inter rival Tottenham Hotspur in race to land Manchester City defender Micah Richards
Inter head coach Rafael Benitez is determined to edge out Tottenham Hotspur in the race to land Manchester City defender Micah Richards, according to The Times.
Richards, 22, is expected to be made surplus to requirements at Eastlands next term after the club swooped for Hamburg and Germany World Cup player Jerome Boateng. This move has alerted Spurs and Inter to his availability.
Despite making just 23 Premier League appearances last term due to form and fitness worries, the utility stopper remains highly rated. The two sides will now compete to add the ex-England international to their squads as they prepare for next season.
Manchester City ready to raise bid for Aston Villa's James Milner
City to offer £24m for England midfielder – but not £30m
Club prepared to look elsewhere in Villa dig in heels
Aston Villa are keen for James Milner to extend his stay at the club but have yet to make him a new contract offer.
Manchester City are set to return to Aston Villa with an offer in the region of £24m for James Milner and at the same time make it clear that they have no intention of meeting the Midlands club's asking price for the England international, which is closer to the £30m mark.
City, who had a £20m bid for Milner rejected in May, remain determined to sign the former Leeds United trainee but are prepared to turn their attention elsewhere if Villa stick to their higher valuation.
Milner held talks with Villa about his future before heading to the World Cup and is not due to return to the club until 25 July, after being given an extended break following his return from South Africa.
Villa are keen for the 24-year-old to extend his stay at the club but they have yet to make a new contract offer to improve his existing £45,000-per-week deal. City would be in a position to offer double that sum.
Patrick Vieira to focus on Manchester City not France
Patrick Vieira has insisted he is not interested in trying to regain his place in the France squad.
The Manchester City midfielder, 34, was not selected for the World Cup but was a member of the triumphant 1998 squad.
And with Raymond Domenech replaced by Laurent Blanc as manager following France's poor showing in South Africa Vieira could have won a recall.
But he told the club's website: "My target in the next few years is City. I want to do my best for the club."
Vieira failed to make Domench's initial 30-man squad for the World Cup and then watched as a spectator as the final group of 23 drew their opener against Uruguay before losses to Mexico and South Africa saw them eliminated at the earliest stage.
France's campaign was also marred by infighting, with Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka sent home after refusing to apologise for verbally abusing Domenech, with the squad subsequently boycotting a training session by way of protest.
And while Blanc, a former international team-mate of Vieira, has stated that some of the current squad members might not be reselected, Vieira has little intention of filling any vacancy that might occur.
Having only joined City in January, becoming Roberto Mancini's first signing in the process, Vieira indicated he is keen to repay the faith the management displayed in recently offering him a one-year contract extension.
"My focus is on City, nothing else," he added.
"I want to repay the trust of the manager, [football administrator] Brian Marwood and [chief executive] Garry Cook."
I think we will have the capacity to potentially field two teams, and really should be winning silverware in the coming season
Twice a Premier League and FA Cup double winner with Arsenal, Vieira made 13 appearances for City last season, though only eight as starts, and will face further competition for a place at the heart of the midfield next season following the acquisition of Yaya Toure from Barcelona for £24m.
At international level, as well as helping France win the World Cup on home soil in 1998, he played in the 2006 final as they lost to Italy and the final of Euro 2000 where they beat the same opposition 2-1.
However, although selected for Euro 2008 he failed to get on the pitch because of injury and his last international appearance came as captain against Nigeria in June last year in a match they lost 1-0.
Man United are apparently willing to pay £29m for Inter playmaker Sneijder and the Premier League club are also ready to compete with Manchester City for Inter's £30m-rated striker Mario Balotelli. Daily Mail
WAG OF THE DAY
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/4168 ... ans#page/2
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has indicated that Manchester United have shown an interest in Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder. Daily Mirror
Barcelona's financial crisis could scupper deals for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Liverpool's Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano. Daily Mirror
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson will bid for Wigan's Maynor Figueroa - if he can sell left-back Emiliano Insua for £5m. Daily Mirror
Sunderland have entered the race for Ghana's £7m-rated striker Asamoah Gyan. The Rennes striker has also been linked with a move to West Ham. Daily Mail
Newcastle are confident of singing England Under-21 midfielder Dan Gosling, who left Everton on a free transfer after the Merseysiders failed to put a contract offer in writing by the middle of May. Daily Mail
Middlesbrough striker Kris Boyd turned down wages of £50,000 per week at Turkish club Kayserispor for the sake of his family. Daily Mirror
Barnet have demanded £400,000 from Bristol City for winger Albert Adomah. Daily Mirror
New Leicester City manager Paulo Sousa will make Benfica defender Miguel Vitor his first signing on a season-long loan. Daily Mail
England goalkeeper David James will hold talks with Portsmouth about extending his contract with the Championship club. James, 40 next month, has been asked to take a pay cut on his £40,00-a-week wages to stay at Fratton Park. Daily Mail
OTHER BOLLOX
Former Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson wants to start his managerial career at his hometown club Swansea, who are searching for a new boss after Paulo Sousa moved to Leicester.Daily Mirror
Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt is confident his country, beaten finalists in 1974 and 1978, will end their World Cup drought after reaching the final in South Africa. Daily Mail
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