Aston Villa have joined Celtic and Leicester in the race for Shay Given as he prepares to head the biggest clear-out in Manchester City’s history.
Given is one of at least TEN Blues players set to exit the club as Roberto Mancini bids to shape a squad for next season’s Champions League push.
Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge, Patrick Vieira, Jo, Roque Santa Cruz, Nedum Onuoha and Felipe Caicedo are all expected to leave over the summer.
It all adds up to more than £110m worth of talent going out in a bid to free up funds for new signings and ensure the Blues meet UEFA’s new financial fair play rules. And there could be even more players on the way out, with Carlos Tevez still to make a decision on his future and young winger Vladimir Weiss being lined up for a loan move to Spanish side Espanyol.
Mancini flew to Abu Dhabi last week with chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood to discuss transfer plans with owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak.
Khaldoon’s recent statement that City were only looking to make one or two big signings this summer appeared to be at odds with the manager’s wish to bring in more players.
But it is understood there was actually no huge difference of opinion between Mancini and the club hierarchy, with all parties aware of the need to ship out fringe players to create space for new arrivals.
Mancini is keen to bring in Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez and Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill as he looks to strengthen his squad.
But the emphasis will be on ensuring a leaner, meaner first-team group for next term – as Mancini recently made clear when he spoke of the need for a squad of “23, 24 good players” to see the club through the twin demands of domestic and Champions League football.
Most of the squad departures are being driven by the club’s need to reduce their spending and drastically reduce losses – they reported a £121m loss in 2009/10 – in order to meet UEFA rules for clubs in European competition. Given’s exit, though, is slightly different, as it is being driven by his desire for regular first-team football.
Mancini wants the keeper to stay, but understands his frustration at not playing.
Given has already spoken publicly of his interest in returning to Celtic, where he started his career as a teenager, while Villa could also be on the hunt for a new keeper with Brad Friedel out of contract and set to join Tottenham.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who has also been linked with Given, has been looking for a more reliable No 1 after seeing the erratic Brazilian Heurelho Gomes make a series of high-profile errors.
Championship side Leicester are something of an outside bet for Given’s services, but former Blues boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has indicated an interest in the keeper as he attempts to build a promotion challenge with backing from his club’s Thai owners.
Of the other players set to go, Adebayor has attracted interest from Tottenham and Bellamy is considering a return to home-city Cardiff, where he spent last season on loan.
Wright-Phillips has been linked with Bolton and Fulham, while Onuoha – who has just completed a season’s loan at Sunderland – could also head for the Reebok as part of any deal for Cahill.
Striker Caicedo is set to stay in Spain, where he has been a huge hit on loan at Levante, with Atletico Madrid and Villarreal ready to sign him permanently.
Cardiff City fans want Bellamy
Cardiff City fans want Wales striker Craig Bellamy to be the next manager following sacking of Dave Jones
Craig Bellamy is likely to be the preferred choice of Cardiff City supporters to become the club’s new manager following the dismissal of Dave Jones on Monday.
After you: Wales striker Craig Bellamy (right) is the fans' choice to succeed the sacked Dave Jones (left)
The Championship club announced Jones’s departure following a seven-day review into a season that finished with defeat by Reading in the play-off semi-finals this month.
Bellamy, 31, who spent last season on loan at Cardiff from Manchester City, is being linked with the post along with Chris Hughton, Alan Curbishley and even Martin O’Neill.
Lack of experience is almost certain to count against Bellamy’s chances of taking the job but there were suggestions last night that the striker could still return to Wales next season in a joint assistant manager/player role.
Jones, the former Southampton and Wolves manager who had been with Cardiff for six years, was the longest-serving manager in the division. He took the club to the FA Cup final in 2008. However, with pressure from supporters mounting, chief executive Gethin Jenkins confirmed that it was time for a change.
“We would like to thank Dave Jones for his considerable efforts,” said Jenkins. “He leaves his post in the knowledge that he has left the club in a far better position than when he arrived.
Manchester City striker set for Russian talks
Manchester City striker set for Russian talks According to reports Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo is on his way to Russia.
The Daily Mail claims Caicedo arrived in Moscow on Monday as Lokomotiv Moscow and Anzhi Makhachkala seek to lure him east.
Spanish side Levante have taken up an option to make his loan move from City permanent for just under £1million with the aim of selling him on for more than double that amount this summer.
The 22-year-old has attracted wide interest from across Europe after scoring 13 goals in 27 La Liga games this season.
Barcelona ready to bid £30million for Fabregas
Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola has launched this summer's attempt to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.
Guardiola has urged sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta and president Sandro Rosell to go all-out to sign Fabregas and make Barcelona’s Champions League winners even better.
Barcelona have already agreed a £35million deal to sign Villarreal’s former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi and Guardiola is determined to get Fabregas.
But Barcelona do face a financial struggle to get Fabregas, especially as, even though the Spanish midfielder has made it clear that if he leaves Arsenal then it would only be for the Nou Camp, there is also strong interest from Manchester City.
Arsenal will do everything to rebuff Barcelona’s interest, which is likely to start around the £30m mark, but there is a feeling that if a huge offer, of around £50m, came in then they might be tempted to do business.
City boss Roberto Mancini’s admiration of Fabregas has already been documented, and their wealth could force the player's value up - and leave Barcelona struggling to compete.
Amid Barcelona’s Champions league final celebrations, veteran defender Carles Puyol made it clear the players want the club to sign Fabregas.
“I am convinced that Cesc will soon be playing with us,” he said.
Guardiola wants to make it happen as well, as he looks to make the best even better, and Zubizarreta and Rosell are now set to begin their operation to try and land Fabregas.
It would represent another attempt by Barca to keep Guardiola happy, as the coach dropped hints after their Wembley win that he may quit in a year’s time.
Rosell is determined to keep his coach and ensure Barcelona win more silverware.
Guardiola would be a target for Chelsea and Manchester United in the future, while 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar want to make him a megabucks offer to be national-team boss.
Rosell added: “Pep is with us and that is for sure. The money will not change his decisions.”
Kolarov lifts lid on future plans
Aleksandar Kolarov insists he is happy at Manchester City following reports linking him with a move back to Italy's Serie A.
City boss Roberto Mancini snapped up the 25-year-old Serbian international defender last summer, but he endured a difficult start to life at Eastlands when he suffered a long-term injury.
However, despite returning to the fold and getting to grips with the pace of the Premier League, Kolarov has been linked with a myriad of top Italian Serie A clubs including AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Fiorentina.
But Kolarov has stressed that he is happy with the way he has progressed at City and is looking to help the club push on for more success next season following their FA Cup win and qualification to the Champions League.
"Newspapers have to do their job and I can't change anything. Not even one club from Italy has called me but even if they would I wouldn't answer," he told Mondo.
"I have been playing for City for just one year and this season I only adapted to English football. I'm sure that next season I will be able to perform even better. I'm quite happy with how things are going for me in the UK."
He added: "This season we reached our goals. We won the FA Cup and got ourselves a ticket for the Champions League.
"I'm sorry that I had many problems with injuries, especially in the first half of the season but I still managed to get 40 games. I'm really happy."
Mohammed Abu loan hopes
Mohammed Abu has high hopes that his Norwegian loan spell will help him achieve his dream of breaking into City's first team.
The 19-year-old midfielder signed a permanent deal with the Blues last August, after impressing on trial, and was immediately loaned to Stromsgodset, who play in Norway's Premier League.
He helped the club, who play in the town of Drammen just outside the capital Oslo, win the Norwegian Cup last November and impressed the management enough that another loan for the start of the current Norwegian season was arranged.
Only goal difference is keeping Stromsgodset off the top of the table after nine games and the Ghanaian is delighted with his current situation.
"I first came here last September," Abu told mcfc.co.uk, "almost at the end of their season. I only played in 10 games, starting five, but we finished high up the table and we won the cup as well. It was my first trophy as a professional and I was very, very happy about it.
"They asked me to come back for another loan, which started in March and things are going well. We have been near the top of the table all season so far, and have been in first position a few times, so it’s a good time for us. Now we have to maintain that until the end of the season."
A player in the mould of Nigel de Jong, Abu can see improvements to his game thanks to his playing regular, first-team football, although like Nigel goals are not as yet a speciality.
"My game has changed a lot. I know a lot more about the right positioning to take, how to support the forwards and how to break down any counter-attacks.
I’ve played in all the games but not scored yet, I’m not a goalscorer really, and I just try to create for others.
One factor helping Abu in his progress was the arrival on loan of City team mate and friend Omar Elabdellaoui in April, although sadly Omar now has a battle to fight after breaking a bone in his foot in Saturday's win over Fredrikstad.
"We were good friends over in England and I was very pleased when I heard he was coming here," says Abu about Omar. "He’s a hard-working player, he has a lot of potential and I can already see that he has improved since coming to Norway."
For himself, Abu has hopes of success on two fronts.
"I hope to help the club achieve something by the end of the season. We have a qualifier for the Europa League coming up and I would love to help us get into the group stages.
"For myself, I hope to keep improving. My dream is to go back and play for City, so I’ll just keep working hard all the time I am over here in Norway to help my dream come true."
Manchester City and Wolves enter Keiren Westwood race
MANCHESTER CITY and Wolves are the latest clubs to be linked with a move for Coventry City's wantaway goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
The Republic of Ireland shot-stopper's contract at the Ricoh Arena will expire next month, allowing him to leave the Sky Blues on a Bosman free.
National reports have suggested that Sunderland are currently the front-runners for Westwood - having open negotiations with the former Carlisle United man last week.
However reports over the weekend suggested that both mega-rich Man City - who look certain to lose back-up keeper Shay Given this summer - and Wolves are also keen on Westwood.
Everton and Leicester City are also thought to be in the running for his signature.
Manchester City invites ALL ITS fans to lift the FA Cup
New Augmented Reality website app makes dreams come true for Blues fans
Thanks to an innovative Augmented Reality app on the Club’s website http://www.mcfc.co.uk - now all Blues fan from Manchester to Manhattan can live the dream, by lifting the FA Cup just like their heroes. Try it here: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/fans/lift-the-fa-cup
For the first time in the Club’s history, fans can now see themselves hold up the most coveted domestic trophy in the world, in real time, cutting-edge 3D surroundings.
All fans need to do is print off the special FA cup emblem from the website, and hold it to their webcams to recreate the glory of Wembley.
Ian Cafferky, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer for City, said, “This kind of digital technology is only the beginning of what we have in store for fans next season. Our new Membership cards lets us give fans great Augmented Reality features, and will allow fans to interact with the Club like never before.
“Supporting City should be fun, that’s why we have enabled our fans to share their pictures on Facebook with other Blues from around the world.”
Richard Ayers, Head of Digital at City said “We didn't want to jinx anything by commissioning the app before the cup final, so we're delighted that we've pulled this project together in record time. Innovation is important to us, and we look forward to delivering more later this year”
Darrel Wilkins, Creative Director at Specialmoves, the high-end digital production company that created the FA Cup app, said: “We wanted to give Manchester City fans the opportunity to lift the FA Cup. Our Augmented Reality app gives fans an extra outlet to celebrate the win and continue the banter.
“We're really excited to be working with Manchester City Football Club, helping then create innovative digital interactions for their fans. We're sure there will be more great stuff to come."
The FA Cup app will be available in Arabic and coming to the UAE site soon. http://www.manchestercityfc.ae
Gallagher Audio Bollox
Man United's Champions League loss makes season perfect for City fans
Former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher joins Andy and Bobby for a Sunday sermon.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/andy-g ... -city-fans
PARADE CAM BOLLOX
Taken by the driver of Yesterday's bus ...
[youtube]pvsZWTz0tiI[/youtube]
POZNAN BOLLOX
In the second half of the 17th century and most of the eighteenth, Poznań was severely affected by a series of wars (and attendant military occupations, lootings and destruction) – the Second and Third Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, the Seven Years' War and the Bar Confederation rebellion. It was also hit by frequent outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population of the conurbation declined (from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730), and Bambergian and Dutch settlers (Bambrzy and Olędrzy) were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1778 a "Committee of Good Order" (Komisja Dobrego Porządku) was established in the city, which oversaw rebuilding efforts and reorganized the city's administration. However in 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań, came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia, becoming part of (and initially the seat of) the province of South Prussia.
Travel update
http://www.airport-poznan.com.pl/en/des ... table.html
OTHER BOLLOX
Aston Villa's veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel, 40, is heading for Tottenham, despite interest from Liverpool. He believes he will see more first-team action at White Hart Lane. Daily Mirror
Villa could replace Friedel with Rangers' Allan McGregor, 29, who has two years left on his deal at Ibrox. (the Guardian)
Tottenham have slapped a £50m price tag on left-sided player Gareth Bale, who is believed to be a target for Juventus and Inter Milan. However, they will let midfielder Luka Modric go for about £25m - despite denying the Croatian is on his way to Chelsea or Manchester United.Daily Mirror
Spurs will replace Modric with 22-year-old Dinamo Zagreb playmaker Milan Badelj. Daily Mail
Barcelona's opening offer for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is likely to be at the £30m mark. Arsenal want £50m and may stand a better chance of getting it from Manchester City.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Manchester United will lose out to Real Madrid in the race to sign Benfica's left-sided star Fabio Coentrao. the Sun
Sevilla are set to offer Arsenal £8m for unsettled Brazilian midfielder Denilson. Daily Mail
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wants to keep forward Didier Drogba at the club but Nicolas Anelka may be offloaded. Daily Mirror
Russian side Zenit St Petersburg have had a bid to swap their defender Bruno Alves for Chelsea's Alex rejected, despite also being prepared to include cash in the deal. Daily Mail
Sweden midfielder Sebastian Larsson has been weighed up by four Premier League clubs after being released by Birmingham, with Sunderland believed to be one of the interested parties. Daily Mail
With a clutch of Champions League outfits hovering over Phil Jones, Blackburn manager Steve Kean has warned the young centre-half to expect much less time on the pitch if he makes the move to a bigger club. Daily Mirror
Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak may head for Germany rather than move to Tottenham. Metro
Peterborough striker Craig Mackail-Smith will be the subject of a three-way Premier League bidding war between QPR, Wigan and Everton. Metro
Aston Villa winger Ashley Young, a £15m target for Manchester United, will sign for Liverpool instead. (Football writer Ian McGarry on BBC Radio 5 live)
Villa striker Emile Heskey is set to return to Leicester, where he will be reunited with Sven-Goran Eriksson. The Foxes boss regularly selected Heskey when the Swede was manager of England and the deal is set to go through for £500,000. Daily Mail
Reading have warned Celtic they will not get £4m-rated striker Shane Long on the cheap. Daily Mail
Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has ruled out a return to Wigan on loan in the 2011/2012 campaign, despite having helped them stay in the Premier League this season. Daily Star
Newcastle are the latest team to show an interest in Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. the Sun
Chelsea's Michael Mancienne is poised to join Hamburg, frustrated at a lack of first-team chances at Stamford Bridge. the Sun
If Gerard Houllier is given a clean bill of health in his final medical examination it will leave Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner unable to terminate his contract on the grounds of ill health - which would have reduced the Frenchman's payout. It means Houllier would cost £5m to sack. Daily Mail
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere says it will be a "disaster" if the Gunners do not win a trophy next season and they need to learn how to be "more nasty" in their defending. Daily Mail
Swansea manager Brendan Rogers says he will not break up their promotion-winning team but admits there is "no room for sentiment" following their promotion to the Premier League. the Independent
While Manchester United fans lined up in the drizzle for their bus parade, Barcelona centre-half Gerard Pique - fresh from snipping off the Wembley nets for his collection - took dancing lessons from girlfriend and pop-star Shakira on stage at the club's Champions League victory celebrations back in Spain. the Sun
Meanwhile, pictures have surfaced on Twitter of Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard celebrating United's defeat by the Spanish giants. Daily Mail
Swansea's players will celebrate promotion to the Premier League by joining Rod Stewart on stage at the Liberty Stadium during his concert there on Wednesday night. Daily Star
BOLLOX BOLLOX
Manchester City fan gets Man United badge tattooed on chest after losing pub bet
'I can't believe it has back-fired on me so badly' said 24-year-old who made his bet in the pub
'That's what you get when you are under the influence of alcohol' he admits
Manchester City supporter Rodney Ward is seeing red after he was forced to have a tattoo of city rivals Manchester United's badge etched on his chest due to him losing a drink-induced bet.
The 24-year-old and life-long Blue wagered Reds fan Paul Madden in the pub at the beginning of the football season that City - who won the FA Cup - would be finish top of the Premier League.
But when the Reds lifted the league trophy earlier this month, Mr Madden, also 24, called in the bet and made his friend go under the tattooist's needle.
Now the Manchester City fan has a tattoo of United's crest over his right pectoral, making him the subject of jokes among his friends in Urmston, Greater Manchester.
He is thankful that Sir Alex Ferguson's team did not manage the double and win the Champions League Final on Saturday.
Spanish side Barcelona defeated them 3-1, with Wayne Rooney scoring for the English side.
The heating engineer said: 'I'm embarrassed as anything but it could have been worse if United had won the Champions league trophy too.
'Paul would have probably had me have a tattoo of Rooney on my back if that had happened and I would never have been able to show my torso in public again.
'As it is I'll just have to grin and bear the fact I've got a United logo on my chest.'
The two friends were watching City play Tottenham on TV on the opening day of the season last August when they decided to bet each other over which club would finish highest - with the loser getting the other club's crest tattooed on his chest.
Mr Ward added: 'I said to Paul: "I bet you that City will be above United this season" and it was my decision to get each others' team's logo on out chests.
'We've said it has to be at least three inches by three inches to make sure everyone would see it.
'I just thought with all the great players City now had, the Premier League title was a dead cert.
'I cannot believe it has backfired on me so badly. I just wish I had said the FA Cup rather than the Premier League. Paul's escaped that bit very well!
'I'm gutted that the tattoo's had to be done but a bet's a bet isn't it?
'That's what you get when you're under the influence of alcohol. I already have 11 tattoos, so it's not getting another that's annoying - it's the fact that's it's a Man United tattoo.
'We agreed that neither of us can do anything about the tattoo or remove it for three months. But after then I'm going to modify it and get "Lost bet to Paul Madden season 2010-2011" underneath, so that if people ask I can explain it to them.'
He had his tattoo done in his local pub the Garrick's Head in Urmston and used the occasion to help raise money for research into breast cancer after his mother was diagnosed with the illness and is presently undergoing treatment.
Mr Madden, a BT engineer said: 'I'm so relieved we bet on the Premier league rather than the FA Cup.
'I got proper worried about it when the gap started to close on us. It's supposed to be three inches in diameter, but it'd be a full size tattoo on his back if I had my way!
'We all bully Rod quite a bit about City, especially when they're doing badly. Although next year I reckon it will be much closer between our teams. However I don't think I will be putting the same bet on next year.
'We always put bets on, especially when we're drinking, and it often gets out of hand. Rod says that he's not bothered but I can tell he's gutted.'
