Tuesday's B*ll*x
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:07 amKaka 'ready to consider Chelsea or Man City moves' with Real set to sell
Kaka is now willing to consider a move to the Premier League with either Chelsea or Manchester City after it emerged Real Madrid are prepared to offload the Brazilian this summer.
The midfielder has had a difficult time in Spain, failing to impress the Santiago Bernabeu faithful since arriving at the club from AC Milan in a £58million move - having rejected City's advances at the time because he felt has was not suited to the English game.
Kaka is ready to consider a move to England as Real Madrid are set to sell
Injuries have hampered the playmaker and it appears Real boss Jose Mourinho has finally lost patience and is preparing to offload the star in the summer.
The rumours have already sparked furious speculation over where Kaka could be headed.
And sources close to the player's camp suggest the Brazilian is more open to the prospect of moving to England than he was previously.
Kaka was linked with a £110million move to Eastlands in the past but he opted for Spain in order to play in the Champions League.But Manchester City are currently in the Champions League places this year and Kaka could be considered an important addition to the squad if they do qualify for next season's competition.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been a fan of the 29-year-old for a number of years and many believe Kaka will be keen to link up with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti who he played under in Milan.
If Abramovich does decide to bid for Kaka it will once again show his commitment to the London club, which some experts had doubted until he splashed out in January - smashing the British transfer record with the £50million purchase of Fernando Torres.
Manchester City posts record loss despite £100m revenues
Manchester City has spent a net £127m on players since May 2010, despite recording a record loss in its last financial year, new figures show.
The outlay, revealed in the club's latest accounts for the 12 months to the end of last May, will make it harder to comply with strict financial fair play rules being brought in across Europe.
But City reported annual revenues of more than £100m for the first time ever on the back of securing its highest-ever Premier League finish.
Most notably, corporate partnership income jumped 400 per cent to £32.4m, driven by long-term deals being signed with the likes of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and shirt sponsor Etihad Airways.
But the Eastlands club made a pre-tax loss of £121.3m, which was up 31 per cent from the year before.
That was partly due to its £133m wage bill outstripping turnover of £125.1m.
Notes to the accounts lay bare the huge sums spent by City since the year-end on stars like Edin Dzeko, Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Alexander Kolarov, Mario Balotelli and James Milner.
The notes state that, despite managing to offload players such as Stephen Ireland and Robinho, 'net expenditure on these transactions including contingent fees was approximately £127.1m.'
The revelation comes as Financial Fair Play Regulations for teams playing in UEFA competitions are set to come into force.
Clubs will be allowed up to £34.7m in losses in the first monitoring period of 2011/12 and 2012/13. They have to work towards breaking even over the next six years or face being banned from continental contests.
The need to curtail City's spending has been acknowledged by chief executive Garry Cook in his directors' report, which states: "As the club continues to assess the level of investment required to compete at the highest level, it does so whilst pro-actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders involved in the evolving debate around how to create greater commercial sustainability within football clubs.
"It is also fair to say that the scale of the club's recent investment in the transfer market is unlikely to be repeated in the near future now that the playing squad is of a sufficient quality and depth to be competitive in both England and Europe.
"This will reduce the impact of player transfers and salary costs on financial performance in the years ahead."
Money brought in through ticket sales also grew 18.6 per cent to £18.2m, thanks to extended runs in cup competitions.
The fact City finished fifth in the Premier League meant television rights income rose by £5.7m to £54m, while matchday hospitality was up by £700,000 to £6.1m.
The club managed to increase retail and merchandise revenue by 60 per cent to £7.9m, in the first year of its Umbro kit supply deal.
Despite growing its revenue significantly, the amount earned by City is still dwarfed by neighbours United, who are on course to rake in £100m from commercial activities alone this financial year.
Spurs chief Redknapp back in the market for £15m Man City defender Richards
Tottenham are ready to revive their £15million pursuit of Manchester City full-back Micah Richards.
White Hart Lane boss Harry Redknapp failed in his attempts to lure the defender to north London last summer. But the Spurs chief will resurrect his interest after being encouraged that Richards is open to leaving Eastlands at the end of the season.
Sportsmail understands that Richards' advisors have alerted a number of Barclays Premier League clubs - including Tottenham - to the player's potential availability in the summer.
Richards has played regularly for City this season - featuring in 20 of their 41 games. But his long-term future is unclear with manager Roberto Mancini looking at Barcelona star Dani Alves and Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel as potential replacements for Richards.
Redknapp is likely to be in the market for a new right-back in the summer with doubts persisting over Alan Hutton and Vedran Corluka's suitability as the club's long-term solution in the position.
Lokomotiv Moscow in a hurry to sign forgotten Man City striker Felipe Caicedo
Lokomotiv Moscow hope to sign Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo after missing out on Stuttgart's Ciprian Marica.
Caicedo, 22, is on loan at Levante until the end of the season and if Lokomotiv want to sign him before the Russian Premier League transfer window closes next week, they must deal with the Spanish side.
City eye Ajax star Van der Wiel as Alves closes in on new Barcelona deal
Manchester City are set to swoop for Ajax right back Gregory van der Wiel after abandoning their attempt to lure Barcelona's Daniel Alves, according to reports in Spain.
Alves has been in talks with the La Liga leaders about extending his contract, which runs until 2012, and Spanish newspaper AS reports that a deal is close.
Bayern Munich have ditched their interest in Van der Wiel, but City still face stern opposition from Juventus for the 23-year-old Ajax right back.
The Italians have enquired about his availability and made it clear they will launch a bid in the summer.
Van der Wiel, who has been at Ajax since he was eight. is contracted to the Amsterdam outfit until 2013 and is valued at £15m.
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United are considering a summer bid for Borussia Dortmund's Serbian defender Neven Subotic. IMScouting
Liverpool are hoping to secure Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic on a season-long loan deal. CaughtOffside
Birmingham centre-back Roger Johnson is set to ignore links to Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United in order to play for Blues in the Europa League next season. Metro
Tottenham have rejected an approach from Paris St Germain for defender Younes Kaboul. (the Times)
Birmingham City's Carling Cup hero Obafemi Martins has been warned that he is expected to return to Russian side Rubin Kazan at the end of the season. The striker is currently on loan at St Andrew's. Daily Mail
Leeds want to take Aston Villa's Scottish midfielder Barry Bannan, 21, on loan to boost their bid for a return to the Premier League. Daily Mirror
West Ham striker Benni McCarthy is in talks with Charlton over a possible loan move after falling out of favour at Upton Park. Daily Mail
Fernando Torres says it is up to him to adapt to Chelsea's style of play as he looks to break his scoring duck against Manchester United on Tuesday - the Spain striker has not scored since joining the Blues for £50m from Liverpool. Daily Mail
New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry, 33, wants to return to Arsenal one day. The Frenchman said: "I hope one day I can go back, I love that club and I just want to give as much as possible to this club, after what that club gave me." the Sun
Arsenal have suffered another injury setback because defender Thomas Vermaelen is not fit enough to make his comeback in a reserve match on Tuesday. He has been sidelined since August with an Achilles tendon problem. Daily Mail
Rangers manager Walter Smith has banned his players from drinking in nightclubs or posting inflammatory comments on social networking sites as he bids to turn around their season. (Daily Record)
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish only remembered his side's win over Arsenal in the Carling Cup final meant they had qualified for the Europa League next season when a journalist told him after Sunday's match. Metro
Obafemi Martins dedicated his Carling Cup-winning goal to the man who wished him luck after washing his Lamborghini. the Sun
Panama defender Luis Moreno is facing sanctions after he kicked an injured owl that landed on the field during a match between his Colombian club Deportivo Pereira and Atletico Junior. The bird was Atletico's mascot. Daily Telegraph
Kaka is now willing to consider a move to the Premier League with either Chelsea or Manchester City after it emerged Real Madrid are prepared to offload the Brazilian this summer.
The midfielder has had a difficult time in Spain, failing to impress the Santiago Bernabeu faithful since arriving at the club from AC Milan in a £58million move - having rejected City's advances at the time because he felt has was not suited to the English game.
Kaka is ready to consider a move to England as Real Madrid are set to sell
Injuries have hampered the playmaker and it appears Real boss Jose Mourinho has finally lost patience and is preparing to offload the star in the summer.
The rumours have already sparked furious speculation over where Kaka could be headed.
And sources close to the player's camp suggest the Brazilian is more open to the prospect of moving to England than he was previously.
Kaka was linked with a £110million move to Eastlands in the past but he opted for Spain in order to play in the Champions League.But Manchester City are currently in the Champions League places this year and Kaka could be considered an important addition to the squad if they do qualify for next season's competition.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been a fan of the 29-year-old for a number of years and many believe Kaka will be keen to link up with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti who he played under in Milan.
If Abramovich does decide to bid for Kaka it will once again show his commitment to the London club, which some experts had doubted until he splashed out in January - smashing the British transfer record with the £50million purchase of Fernando Torres.
Manchester City posts record loss despite £100m revenues
Manchester City has spent a net £127m on players since May 2010, despite recording a record loss in its last financial year, new figures show.
The outlay, revealed in the club's latest accounts for the 12 months to the end of last May, will make it harder to comply with strict financial fair play rules being brought in across Europe.
But City reported annual revenues of more than £100m for the first time ever on the back of securing its highest-ever Premier League finish.
Most notably, corporate partnership income jumped 400 per cent to £32.4m, driven by long-term deals being signed with the likes of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and shirt sponsor Etihad Airways.
But the Eastlands club made a pre-tax loss of £121.3m, which was up 31 per cent from the year before.
That was partly due to its £133m wage bill outstripping turnover of £125.1m.
Notes to the accounts lay bare the huge sums spent by City since the year-end on stars like Edin Dzeko, Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Alexander Kolarov, Mario Balotelli and James Milner.
The notes state that, despite managing to offload players such as Stephen Ireland and Robinho, 'net expenditure on these transactions including contingent fees was approximately £127.1m.'
The revelation comes as Financial Fair Play Regulations for teams playing in UEFA competitions are set to come into force.
Clubs will be allowed up to £34.7m in losses in the first monitoring period of 2011/12 and 2012/13. They have to work towards breaking even over the next six years or face being banned from continental contests.
The need to curtail City's spending has been acknowledged by chief executive Garry Cook in his directors' report, which states: "As the club continues to assess the level of investment required to compete at the highest level, it does so whilst pro-actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders involved in the evolving debate around how to create greater commercial sustainability within football clubs.
"It is also fair to say that the scale of the club's recent investment in the transfer market is unlikely to be repeated in the near future now that the playing squad is of a sufficient quality and depth to be competitive in both England and Europe.
"This will reduce the impact of player transfers and salary costs on financial performance in the years ahead."
Money brought in through ticket sales also grew 18.6 per cent to £18.2m, thanks to extended runs in cup competitions.
The fact City finished fifth in the Premier League meant television rights income rose by £5.7m to £54m, while matchday hospitality was up by £700,000 to £6.1m.
The club managed to increase retail and merchandise revenue by 60 per cent to £7.9m, in the first year of its Umbro kit supply deal.
Despite growing its revenue significantly, the amount earned by City is still dwarfed by neighbours United, who are on course to rake in £100m from commercial activities alone this financial year.
Spurs chief Redknapp back in the market for £15m Man City defender Richards
Tottenham are ready to revive their £15million pursuit of Manchester City full-back Micah Richards.
White Hart Lane boss Harry Redknapp failed in his attempts to lure the defender to north London last summer. But the Spurs chief will resurrect his interest after being encouraged that Richards is open to leaving Eastlands at the end of the season.
Sportsmail understands that Richards' advisors have alerted a number of Barclays Premier League clubs - including Tottenham - to the player's potential availability in the summer.
Richards has played regularly for City this season - featuring in 20 of their 41 games. But his long-term future is unclear with manager Roberto Mancini looking at Barcelona star Dani Alves and Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel as potential replacements for Richards.
Redknapp is likely to be in the market for a new right-back in the summer with doubts persisting over Alan Hutton and Vedran Corluka's suitability as the club's long-term solution in the position.
Lokomotiv Moscow in a hurry to sign forgotten Man City striker Felipe Caicedo
Lokomotiv Moscow hope to sign Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo after missing out on Stuttgart's Ciprian Marica.
Caicedo, 22, is on loan at Levante until the end of the season and if Lokomotiv want to sign him before the Russian Premier League transfer window closes next week, they must deal with the Spanish side.
City eye Ajax star Van der Wiel as Alves closes in on new Barcelona deal
Manchester City are set to swoop for Ajax right back Gregory van der Wiel after abandoning their attempt to lure Barcelona's Daniel Alves, according to reports in Spain.
Alves has been in talks with the La Liga leaders about extending his contract, which runs until 2012, and Spanish newspaper AS reports that a deal is close.
Bayern Munich have ditched their interest in Van der Wiel, but City still face stern opposition from Juventus for the 23-year-old Ajax right back.
The Italians have enquired about his availability and made it clear they will launch a bid in the summer.
Van der Wiel, who has been at Ajax since he was eight. is contracted to the Amsterdam outfit until 2013 and is valued at £15m.
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United are considering a summer bid for Borussia Dortmund's Serbian defender Neven Subotic. IMScouting
Liverpool are hoping to secure Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic on a season-long loan deal. CaughtOffside
Birmingham centre-back Roger Johnson is set to ignore links to Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United in order to play for Blues in the Europa League next season. Metro
Tottenham have rejected an approach from Paris St Germain for defender Younes Kaboul. (the Times)
Birmingham City's Carling Cup hero Obafemi Martins has been warned that he is expected to return to Russian side Rubin Kazan at the end of the season. The striker is currently on loan at St Andrew's. Daily Mail
Leeds want to take Aston Villa's Scottish midfielder Barry Bannan, 21, on loan to boost their bid for a return to the Premier League. Daily Mirror
West Ham striker Benni McCarthy is in talks with Charlton over a possible loan move after falling out of favour at Upton Park. Daily Mail
Fernando Torres says it is up to him to adapt to Chelsea's style of play as he looks to break his scoring duck against Manchester United on Tuesday - the Spain striker has not scored since joining the Blues for £50m from Liverpool. Daily Mail
New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry, 33, wants to return to Arsenal one day. The Frenchman said: "I hope one day I can go back, I love that club and I just want to give as much as possible to this club, after what that club gave me." the Sun
Arsenal have suffered another injury setback because defender Thomas Vermaelen is not fit enough to make his comeback in a reserve match on Tuesday. He has been sidelined since August with an Achilles tendon problem. Daily Mail
Rangers manager Walter Smith has banned his players from drinking in nightclubs or posting inflammatory comments on social networking sites as he bids to turn around their season. (Daily Record)
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish only remembered his side's win over Arsenal in the Carling Cup final meant they had qualified for the Europa League next season when a journalist told him after Sunday's match. Metro
Obafemi Martins dedicated his Carling Cup-winning goal to the man who wished him luck after washing his Lamborghini. the Sun
Panama defender Luis Moreno is facing sanctions after he kicked an injured owl that landed on the field during a match between his Colombian club Deportivo Pereira and Atletico Junior. The bird was Atletico's mascot. Daily Telegraph