Man City plan to clear decks with senior players clearout
Manchester City are planning to clear the decks this summer.
City boss Roberto Mancini has been told he must offload several big earners as they plan another shake-up of his playing staff.
The News of the World says Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Roque Santa Cruz and Jo are all expected to leave Manchester City in the summer.
City hope to lighten their wage bill to conform to UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.
Tevez likely to stay with City due to lack of suitors
Manchester City have received the first public signal that Carlos Tevez's limited options to move on may consign him to the club for another year – although this may sow new and immediate seeds of conflict between him and the club's board.
Tevez has spoken of how there would not be "a massive void in my life" if he does not leave for either Real Madrid, Barcelona or Internazionale and, although he has said that Roberto Mancini "creates tension" in the City ranks, the allure of Champions League football seems significant to him. "Everything at City is being built to be successful," he said yesterday. "We have the makings of a great team and we are heading in the right direction."
The City captain is positioning himself as a player with a direct line to the club's owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whom he claims directly offered him a new £250,000-a-week contract to stay at Eastlands after the FA Cup final win over Stoke City. City reject any notion that Tevez has a direct line to Sheikh Mansour and dismiss the notion of the proposed deal, although no one denies the Argentine has spoken directly to chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in Abu Dhabi. It was Khaldoon who told him he would not be leaving the club when he tabled a transfer request last December.
The suspicion now, as then, is that Tevez's City future will depend on a club coming in with an offer. "[Sheikh Mansour] signed me, he wants to keep me but, at the same time, he has told me to do whatever I need to do to be happy," Tevez said. "He has told me, 'If you want to leave, you can go'. There is no deadline – it's down to me. They offered me a new contract in December but I didn't want to extend it. At the end of the season they offered me another new deal but at the moment I don't know whether I will accept it."
Despite Tevez's comments about Sheikh Mansour, the Eastlands board will be unwilling to let Tevez go for much less than £50m. That price will limit the player's options. Spain seems to offer his best prospect. Although Inter are understood to have a long-standing interest, president Massimo Moratti has said that he has "a good team". Roma, where a new ownership consortium led by Thomas R DiBenedetto has brought wealth , and Juventus are other potential buyers, although neither side will be playing Champions League football next season
WAG OF THE DAY
Premier League - Giggs 'flees UK over affair with sister-in-law'
The Sun reports that Ryan's brother Rhodri Giggs has split up with his wife, Natasha, after she was quoted in the News of the World as having had a long-term affair with the Manchester United superstar.
And the Daily Express and Daily Star report that the Welshman has now fled the country to avoid the inevitable media glare after the latest tawdry revelations which now threaten to irrevocably overshadow his playing career.
The 37-year-old winger's glittering career was already tarnished following his alleged affair with model Imogen Thomas and his subsequent attempts to gag the media and Twitter.
With his reputation now seemingly sullied forever, serious questions will now be raised about whether or not his football career will continue as even his aunt joined the chorus of condemnation of a man once universally admired as a clean-living family man.
"It's horrendous. He has no morals," Giggs's paternal aunt Joanna Wilson told the Daily Mirror. "It was one thing having an (alleged) affair with Imogen, but this is said to be with his brother's wife, for God's sake."
OTHER BOLLOX
Arsenal are being offered Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara, 20, as part of a £50m swap deal for Cesc Fabregas. Daily Mirror
Arsenal and Liverpool are considering a bid for Barcelona's unwanted 20-year-old striker Bojan. Daily Mail
Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue, 28, has emerged as a QPR transfer target after the Gunners signalled they are willing to listen to offers for the utility player. Metro
Liverpool have made a new £18.5m bid for Sunderland's 20-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson - £5m more than last week's opening offer. Daily Mirror
Joe Cole looks set to be reunited with Harry Redknapp, after Tottenham agreed a £3m transfer fee to sign the 29-year-old Liverpool midfielder. Metro
Tottenham duo Jermaine Jenas and Robbie Keane could leave Spurs for newly promoted QPR. Midfielder Jenas, 28, would cost around £7m, while 30-year-old Keane is more likely to move on loan. Metro
Scott Parker says he is unlikely to remain at Upton Park - with Spurs favourites to swoop. Daily Mirror
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been told he will need to find in excess of £20m to sign Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric. The Sun
Ashley Young, 25, wants to quit Aston Villa for Champions League football, and Manchester United are favourites to sign the £20m-rated forward. The Sun
Everton are set to miss out on Bayern Munich and Germany striker Miroslav Klose. talkSPORT
West Brom manager Roy Hodgson will move to head off Arsenal and Chelsea's interest in the club's star striker Peter Odemwingie by handing the Nigerian a new deal at The Hawthorns. Daily Mail
Wigan will sell French winger Charles N'Zogbia, 25, for £9m - if a Champions League club wants him. Daily Mirror
Nicklas Bendtner has confirmed he will "100%" leave Arsenal this summer after growing frustrated at his lack of opportunities. Daily Mail
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has made a flying visit to check out Caen's 24-year-old Moroccan striker Youssef Al-Arabi. Daily Mirror
Chelsea are to make a formal approach to the Turkish Football Federation this week to secure the services of national coach Guus Hiddink as their new manager. The Guardian
The Blues face a £14m bill to sign Hiddink - £4m of which will be compensation for Turkey. Daily Express
Former Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is ready to end his 10-month exile from the Premier League by taking over at Fulham. Daily Mail
Fulham captain Danny Murphy, 34, has told the club's hierarchy to appoint him as the new manager, but Martin Jol appears most likely to succeed Mark Hughes. Daily Mail
Wembley could host the 2013 Champions League final after proving such a success last month. Daily Mail
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has admitted that he is glad he can finally put his feet up after playing twice as many games as last season. The Sun
Shane Long has led the tributes to Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane after the striker wrote himself into the history books by becoming the first player from Great Britain and Ireland to score 50 international goals, with a match-winning display in Macedonia. Daily Express
[/center]
[/center]