Sunday's B*ll*x (updated)
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:55 amMancini to honour City deal
Roberto Mancini plans to see out his contract at Manchester City, dashing any suggestion that he could return to Italy.
Juventus continue to be linked with the Blues boss, with Mancini having revealed in the past that he would welcome the opportunity to work with his boyhood heroes at some stage in his career.
He has, however, made it clear that he will not be heading to Turin any time soon, with his full focus locked on events at Eastlands.
City have ambitions of dominating English and European football, and Mancini has every intention of leading them to the top of the pile.
He still has two years left to run on his current contract and insists there is no chance of him breaking that agreement to take on a new challenge elsewhere.
"I am now in England and I still have a two-year contract with City, where I have a good relationship with the owners," said Mancini.
"Sheikh Mansour is close to us and follows us.
"The Premier League is the best.
"In Italy, the stadiums are empty and this makes me very sad."
Making an impression in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League is Mancini's priority at present, with City having qualified for Europe's premier club competition for the first time.
He added: "I do not want it to be a guest appearance after qualifying on merit.
"We want to be leaders in the competition."
Carlos Tevez staying at Manchester City, Roberto Mancini says
Inter rejected swap involving Samuel Eto'o, manager says • Roberto Mancini hints at move for Arsenal's Samir Nasri
Carlos Tevez will not now be waving goodbye to Manchester City, according to Roberto Mancini.
Roberto Mancini has said Carlos Tevez will not be leaving Manchester City this summer, after the club failed to agree a swap deal with Internazionale for the Italian club's striker Samuel Eto'o. Mancini also said a deal for the Partizan Belgrade defender Stefan Savic has been done and hinted at an interest in Arsenal's Samir Nasri.
"Yes, of course Tevez will stay, he is a fantastic player," the former Inter manager Mancini said. "There was talk of an exchange with Eto'o but Inter did not want to sell. I would say a deal for Savic has been done, but Nasri? No, not yet."
City have been linked with a variety of players in the transfer window and Mancini did nothing to quell speculation, naming a selection from Serie A. "I like Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani. I like Javier Pastore a little less. Then, when I think of Udinese, I can think of Pablo Armero and Mauricio Isla. And I must say Antonio Di Natale. It's a pity that he is now getting on in years."
Manchester City keeper Given holds out for Aston Villa move
Manchester City keeper Shay Given has turned down the chance to join West Bromwich Albion to push through a move to Aston Villa.
City are holding out for £5million from Villa boss Alex McLeish, who values the Republic of Ireland keeper at £3m, but Given has his heart set on the move and knocked back an offer from Albion, who are seeking a replacement for Bursaspor-bound Scott Carson.
Bayern Munich ready to explore alternatives to Manchester City's Jerome Boateng
While the German giants may be ready to lose their patience with the Premier League side over the defender, they are prepared to wait a year to sign Arturo Vidal on a free
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted that the club would be prepared to seek out alternative options to strengthen the centre of their defence should they be unable to sign Manchester City’s Jerome Boateng.
"Should we be unable to acquire Boateng, we will most certainly look for alternatives," he is reported as saying by Goal.com Germany.
The German powerhouses are still short of Manchester City's valuation, with the English club reportedly asking for around €20 million for the versatile former Hamburg defender, who can operate across back four.
Clichy deal close
GAEL CLICHY is expected to compete an £8million move from Arsenal to Manchester City tomorrow – and spark a week of frantic transfer activity for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.
Clichy turned down a new deal every penny he gets for the French full back – plus around £7m – to land England defender Gary Cahill from Bolton in a £15m deal.
And Wenger is also expected to try to beat off competition from Barcelona to persuade Newcastle to let him have Argentine full back Jose Enrique. In the meantime Wenger is set to hold crisis talks this week in a desperate bid to halt an unprecedented exodus of players out of the club.
He will meet new owner Stan Kroenke along with his unsettled stars when they report back for training on Tuesday – with Andrey Arshavin the latest to hanker for a move. Wenger is bracing himself for a £13.5m bid from Fenerbahce to try to lure the Russian to Turkey. With Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner also being targeted, it is the biggest crisis the French boss has faced in his 15 years at the club.
A week of frantic transfer activity for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger
Nasri, who has already turned down a new five-year deal worth £90,000 a week, is now a target for Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Roma.
And Wenger has to decide whether to cash in on a player, who cost £15m three years ago, now rather than risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires next summer.
Clichy’s move to City could well allow Wayne Bridge, 30, to move to Newcastle from Eastlands and free up Enrique’s switch to the Gunners.
But Bridge’s £85,000-a-week salary is a major stumbling block to a permanent move, which means a loan deal could be struck with City paying part of his wages.
In the meantime Wenger hopes to tie up the £12m signing of Ivorian striker Gervinho before the Gunners fly out to Asia on a pre-season tour next weekend.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see who’s on that plane,” a Gunners source said last night
Sunderland Want Bellamy
Sunderland want former City forward Craig Bellamy if they can get him on a free.
According to the People, Bellamy has a year of a deal at Manchester City left but is hoping for a pay-off.
The paper says that "If Manchester City cannot find a buyer, which seems unlikely, they could simply reach a settlement with the player – and that opens the door to Sunderland."
However, with Bellamy having played for local rivals Newcastle United, any move for the player who spent last season on loan at Cardiff City may not prove popular.
AC Milan's Robinho: I regret how I left Real Madrid for Manchester City
The Brazilian attacker has admitted that he did not leave the Santiago Bernabeu on the best of terms although he insisted it was the correct decision to leave the Spanish capital
AC Milan striker Robinho has admitted that he regrets the circumstances in which he left Real Madrid.
The Brazil international departed Spain for Premier League side Manchester City back in August 2008. However, Robinho also stressed that it was the right decision to leave the Spanish capital, where he never felt truly wanted, particularly once Madrid began their pursuit of then Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I have two regrets in my career: how I left Real Madrid and how I left Santos. I don't regret that I left but the way everything was," he told Brazilian newspaper Folha. "At Santos, things could have taken a different course but not in Madrid. But it is all over now. Everything serves to add to your experience."
Robinho also gave his views on Neymar, who has been heavily linked to a move to Madrid.
"I am now 27 and Neymar is 19," he explained. "I try to give him advice, both on and off the field.
"European football is different and much stronger than Brazilian football. He does not need much advice. He is a born footballer."
Manchester United snatch early lead over rivals City in race to spend
Manchester is seeing most of the transfer action as Ferguson shows who's boss.
The moment Manchester City qualified for the Champions League was the moment the Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, knew he could no longer compete. "I know some people in the right positions at Manchester City and they have players signed already that will blow your brains out," he remarked. That was two months ago.
Gaël Clichy is a fine if slightly error-prone left back but he is not the kind of signing that would make Redknapp's chairman, Daniel Levy, reach for a revolver and a bottle of whisky. But there is something remarkable about Clichy's transfer from Arsenal. At £7m he will be the cheapest footballer to sign for City since the oil money from Abu Dhabi started flowing in. Meanwhile, five miles away, Manchester United have embarked on what, in real terms, is their most expansive summer in the transfer market for a decade.
Ten years ago, the requirements at Old Trafford were roughly what they are now. The Premier League had been won for a third successive time but European dominance remained out of reach for a team that, in Roy Keane's words, obsessed about Bentleys and Rolex watches rather than winning.
Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy were bought for £47m to spearhead a side that seemed designed for the European Cup final in Glasgow in what was due to be Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell season. Again they failed, beaten in the semi-final by Bayer Leverkusen. It would be five years before they came as close.
In the sombre afterglow of the rout at Wembley in this year's Champions' League final, Ferguson declared himself "ready to meet the challenge of Barcelona", the team but for whom United might have equalled Liverpool's English record of five European Cups. The arrival of Wesley Sneijder, the focal point of the Internazionale side that did beat Barcelona, in the 2010 semi-finals, would be a statement of that intent, as are the unsubstantiated reports that United are prepared to pay the kind of wages that eased Yaya Touré's journey from Barcelona to City. However, the Dutchman has been talking about the city of Milan in the kind of language that might have been scripted by the Italian tourist board. Arsenal's Samir Nasri appears far more approachable.
So far Ferguson has spent £50m in continuing what he has been doing for the past two years – securing the future. The comparisons between Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby will go on but the Manchester United that Ferguson leaves behind should be in far better shape than the squabbling, ageing team that Busby bequeathed Wilf McGuinness.
As United report for pre-season training at Carrington this week, it is possible to see the team Ferguson's successor will inherit. David De Gea in goal, the Da Silva twins at full-back, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in central defence. A midfield of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, maybe Nasri, maybe Sneijder; Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez in attack. It may not be Barcelona but it will be balanced, aggressive and above all, young. Not one of these players, in defiance of United and Ferguson's great traditions, is home grown.
Even before the 2010-11 season ended, Ferguson had announced what was to prove the summer signing of the year. Like Hernandez, De Gea did well at school and comes from a football family, although his dad played in the Spanish Third Division rather than in internationals for Mexico.
At 19, Jones has been described by Gary Neville as someone who might captain Manchester United and who will be a presence at Old Trafford for a decade or more. Young is one of those favourite Ferguson projects – an unfulfilled talent. The prices for each have been steep but Ferguson has long argued that the £80m dividend from Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid had been ring-fenced, rather than sucked into the quagmire of the Glazer debt, and would one day be spent.
If Manchester City are more cautious it is because, although it may not seem like value in the checkout queues of the Asda that stands opposite Eastlands, the £130m Roberto Mancini spent last summer was mostly invested very well. With the FA Cup and a Champions' League place secured, City are marginally ahead of schedule. There is not the same need to make statements of intent that the arrival of Robinho and the £100m bid for Kaka represented. The requirement now is to grow a club that when it was taken over had a turnover a third the size of Manchester United's. Now it is half as big.
Last summer they would have paid what Mark Hughes called "the Manchester City premium" for Alexis Sanchez. However, Clichy will not be the last arrival at Eastlands. No brains have been blown out but the trigger is still cocked.
Manchester transfer targets
Wesley Sneijder: Continually linked with United, he would be the ideal replacement for Paul Scholes. Chances of signing: 3/5
Samir Nasri: "We are not going to sell him to Manchester United, that's for sure," said Arsène Wenger, although a fast-expiring contract and Nasri's desire to leave suggest otherwise. 4/5 United; 3/5 City
Alessio Cerci: An Italy Under-21 winger from Fiorentina – will be cheaper and keener to come than Alexis Sanchez. 3/5 City
Stefan Savic: A formidable defender for Partizan Belgrade, he would be cheaper than Gary Cahill. 4/5 City
Neymar: With financial fair play on the horizon, City will be very cautious, post-Robinho. 2/5 City
Nasri: I want to win things
Unsettled Arsenal star Samir Nasri insists speculation over his future is fuelled by his desire to win major silverware - and not by big wages.
Reports continue to suggest that the France international is edging towards the exit door at Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City and Manchester United are said to be leading the chase for the talented midfielder, who has spent the last three seasons in north London.
During that time, Nasri has failed to get his hands on a winners' medal, with Arsenal having gone six years since they last lifted a trophy.
The 24-year-old claims it is that lack of success which is forcing him to consider his options.
He is adamant that money will play no part in any decision he takes this summer, with it his sole aim to turn out for a club that are capable of competing for top honours.
Nasri told the News of the World: "Money has never been my motivation. I have always taken decisions from a football point of view.
"I don't want to sign for a club where I wouldn't be playing the football that I like, where I wouldn't feel happy, just for the sake of money.
"We already earn huge wages. The priority is to make a big career and to win titles.
"This is more important than everything else. I know the value and the meaning of money.
"You have to be able to evolve with a new way of living, keeping respect to my values. Family, friends, a good agent, it all helps you not to get carried away.
"With no titles under your belt, you can't be in the list for the Ballon D'Or. I came to England to get trophies because I haven't won anything in my career, apart from an U17 European Championship in 2004.
"We all need to get out of our comfort zone, to grow up and test ourselves.
"Even without winning trophies, I think I have grown up.
"I am hungry for titles. I play football because I love this sport and want to feel the emotion of winning. Lifting a trophy all together, this is the beauty and sense of team sports."
OTHER BOLLOX
West Ham legal action over 2012 stadium claims . Spurs fail in stadium review bid
West Ham United are taking legal action against Tottenham Hotspur and The Sunday Times over allegations about the Olympic Stadium bidding process.
West Ham said they were treating the claims "with the utmost seriousness".
It comes after an Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) employee was suspended when it emerged she worked for West Ham during their bid to use the stadium in London after the 2012 Games.
West Ham said they were "certain of the robustness" of their successful bid.
A West Ham spokesman said: "West Ham United can confirm the club are taking legal action in relation to allegations made in today's Sunday Times.
"We are certain of the robustness of our successful bid for the Olympic Stadium."
Consultancy work
On Friday it was revealed that an OPLC director had been suspended on full pay after it emerged she had been undertaking paid consultancy work for West Ham.
The director, later named by West Ham as Dionne Knight, had declared "a personal relationship" with a Hammers employee when she started at the OPLC, but on Thursday she told the legacy company of her work at the club.
The OPLC said she was being suspended while any possible conflict of interest was investigated.
The OPLC board voted 14-0 in February to back the Hammers as first choice to move into the £486m stadium after the Games. The OPLC and West Ham said Ms Knight had no involvement in that decision.
West Ham said they had already carried out an investigation into the woman's role with the club.
West Ham plan to retain the running track after moving into the stadium and create a 60,000-capacity arena for football, athletics, concerts and community use.
Last month, attempts by Tottenham and Leyton Orient to get a judicial review of the OPLC's decision in favour of West Ham were rejected.
Spurs' plan had involved knocking down most of the structure and rebuilding it without the running track, instead rebuilding the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he pulled out of a £35m move for Udinese striker Alexis Sanchez after he learned the Chilean had agreed a switch to Barcelona. But he says he is still chasing Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder and Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric.Mail on Sunday
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is a £14m target for Valencia and Juventus. News of the World
United defender John O'Shea is on the verge of completing a £3m move to Sunderland. News of the World
Liverpool have set their sights on Newcastle left-back Jose Enrique after losing out to Manchester City in the battle to sign Arsenal's Gael Clichy. News of the World
West Ham midfielder Scott Parker has turned down a £10m move to Turkish side Fenerbahce. Sunday Times
Chelsea are keen to bring Marseille's £10m-rated midfielder Lucho Gonzalez to Stamford Bridge. Sunday Express
Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin could be on his way to Turkish giants Galatasaray , who have offered £13.5m for the Russian.Sunday Times
Chelsea's hopes of signing Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao have risen after Real Madrid's move for the player collapsed.News of the World
Bolton are considering making an offer for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane. Sunday Express
West Brom have joined the chase for West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, who is also attracting interest from Tottenham and Liverpool. subscription required
Southampton are lining up Millwall winger James Henry as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.News of the World
Newcastle are ready to spend £7.5m to sign Paris St Germain striker Mevlut Erdinc. News of the World
Chelsea are to launch a shock bid for Arsenal winger Theo Walcott. Mail on Sunday
Arsenal's hopes of signing Ricardo Alvarez are in the balance after Inter Milan submitted a bid for the Velez Sarsfield midfielder. Metro
Sunderland are the favourites to sign Manchester United defender Wes Brown, having offered him a four-year deal. Mail on Sunday
Arsenal face a battle to sign Belgian international midfielder Eden Hazard, as Inter Milan are poised to make a bid for the Lille player. Footie-online
Chelsea have hired Fernando Torres' personal fitness trainer in an attempt to kick-start the striker's stuttering career.News of the World
Manchester United are to open talks with Nike over a world record kit deal worth £400m.News of the World
United are also spending £250m on a 'virtual' hospital at their Carrington training base and will begin work on the facility next year.News of the World
Men are "drama queens" when it comes to football, say sports scientists, who claim it actually takes them 30 seconds longer than women to get up after they have been fouled because they are looking for attention. Metro
BOLLOX BOLLOX
Ronaldo considered Man City move
Enlarge Related LinksProfile:Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo has pledged to stay at Real Madrid but revealed that if Jose Mourinho had left the club at the end of last season he would probably have followed his coach out of the exit door, with Manchester City the forward's most likely destination.
Ronaldo, 26, has been nothing short of sensational for Real over the past two years, scoring 86 goals in 89 games for the club since arriving at the Bernabeu from Manchester United in the summer of 2009.
But the Portuguese superstar, who beat Lionel Messi to last season's Pichichi after scoring 40 La Liga goals, says that while he has loved playing for Los Blancos, he would have had to seriously consider his future if recent reports linking Mourinho to a return to Chelsea had turned out to be true.
And Ronaldo confirmed that a return to the Premier League would certainly be on the cards were he to leave Madrid, appearing to disclose that he had been tempted by a big-money offer from Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour.
"I think if I went from Spain it would be to the Premier League - but not now," Ronaldo was quoted as saying by the Sunday Mirror. "First we have to win the Champions League. If I went back to the Premier League it would have to be with a club in the north west. I don't like London.
"It's flattering to be offered like £20 million a year - it's very good, but I spoke to my agent and I think it's better to stay in Madrid because this year we're going to be the best. This season we are going to be a big force.
"Jose Mourinho is staying at Madrid so I stay. If he went to Chelsea then I would have left. I would have gone to Manchester City. But now he's staying, I'm staying."
Ronaldo dismissed reports of a feud with Mourinho, insisting that he is on good terms with his coach, despite a public objection to what he perceived to be negative tactics in Real's Champions League exit at the hands of Barca in May.
"We went to a wedding together last week and we're on good terms and we have the same agent," Ronaldo said. "He [Mourinho] is a nice person and we live in the same street."
With an eye on the first English Premiership League game of the season coming up we continue to focus on ....
Welsh Bollox
Huw Jenkins taking flight to add new Swansea recruit
Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins is hoping to take a step closer to adding another new face to the club’s Premier League squad this weekend – with Barcelona B striker Jonathan Soriano believed to be the target.
Jenkins has flown out to the continent for talks and is hopeful of landing another player to join fellow new recruits Danny Graham and Steven Caulker.
The Swans have refused to reveal the identity of their latest target, but reports in Spain suggest it is Soriano.
Soriano, 25, was the top-scorer in Spain’s Segundo division last term with 24 goals in 29 appearances, and has also attracted interest from Wigan Athletic.
“I will be meeting with the representative of a player that we feel will be perfect for Swansea City,” Jenkins said.
“He has the talent that would fit in to the style which we believe in, and we are hopeful of him coming here. By flying out to meet his representative, I hope we can agree a deal within the next few days. We will talk about what we want to achieve as a club, and what the player wishes to achieve too.
“After the arrival of Danny Graham and the recent news regarding Steven Caulker – along with Angel Rangel committing his future to the club – this would add to the feelgood factor around the club.
“We are determined to continue the good work put in over the last few years, and we will do it the way which is best for Swansea City.”
Swansea are also being linked with a move for Leeds’ top-scoring Argentinean striker Luciano Becchio.
Meanwhile, Cardiff City targets Andrew Taylor and David Goodwillie are both expected to arrive in Wales early next week for medicals.
Middlesbrough defender Taylor is believed to be travelling down from the north east today after deciding his future lies with the Bluebirds.
And winger Goodwillie, out of contract at Dundee United, is set to follow after Rangers appear to have failed in their bid to keep him north of the border.
BOLLOX BOLLOX - Part 2
Man City’s spending splurge accelerated yesterday, when a dish of macaroni cheese was signed from Arsenal right from under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger’s nose. The M&S microwaveable pasta has reputedly joined City after Arsenal accepted a £13m bid, subject to a medical.
Wenger had publicly refused to pay more than the £1.99 he splashed out on the macaroni cheese, which he oven-baked at the Arsenal training ground Thursday lunchtime, and so rumours were rife that the cheese-coated pasta could be on its way out of the Emirates.
Then when Man City phoned through a last-minute bid to Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-wood – just as Wenger had sat down for his lunch – the pasta was immediately whisked out from under Arsene’s nose to be flown straight to Eastlands for a full medical, where it is expected to link up with a half-eaten rocket salad City paid Napoli £9m for last week.
Macaroni’s agent Garry Silkmann told reporters that the deal was done and dusted as soon the 400g, best-before July19th macaroni knew Man City were interested. “The lad’s made no secret of his desire to link up with Mancini and the rest of the City squad,” said Silkmann, adding, “I’m afraid Arsenal just couldn’t meet his demands.”
Wenger seemed undeterred by the latest departure from the Emirates and opted instead for a cheese and ham toastie and a cartoon of Ribena Light from the club canteen, which has already aroused interest from Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Man City’s spending shows no signs of slowing with a deal being finalised for the £7m purchase of a broken-down photocopier/fax machine combo from Sampdoria.
Roberto Mancini plans to see out his contract at Manchester City, dashing any suggestion that he could return to Italy.
Juventus continue to be linked with the Blues boss, with Mancini having revealed in the past that he would welcome the opportunity to work with his boyhood heroes at some stage in his career.
He has, however, made it clear that he will not be heading to Turin any time soon, with his full focus locked on events at Eastlands.
City have ambitions of dominating English and European football, and Mancini has every intention of leading them to the top of the pile.
He still has two years left to run on his current contract and insists there is no chance of him breaking that agreement to take on a new challenge elsewhere.
"I am now in England and I still have a two-year contract with City, where I have a good relationship with the owners," said Mancini.
"Sheikh Mansour is close to us and follows us.
"The Premier League is the best.
"In Italy, the stadiums are empty and this makes me very sad."
Making an impression in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League is Mancini's priority at present, with City having qualified for Europe's premier club competition for the first time.
He added: "I do not want it to be a guest appearance after qualifying on merit.
"We want to be leaders in the competition."
Carlos Tevez staying at Manchester City, Roberto Mancini says
Inter rejected swap involving Samuel Eto'o, manager says • Roberto Mancini hints at move for Arsenal's Samir Nasri
Carlos Tevez will not now be waving goodbye to Manchester City, according to Roberto Mancini.
Roberto Mancini has said Carlos Tevez will not be leaving Manchester City this summer, after the club failed to agree a swap deal with Internazionale for the Italian club's striker Samuel Eto'o. Mancini also said a deal for the Partizan Belgrade defender Stefan Savic has been done and hinted at an interest in Arsenal's Samir Nasri.
"Yes, of course Tevez will stay, he is a fantastic player," the former Inter manager Mancini said. "There was talk of an exchange with Eto'o but Inter did not want to sell. I would say a deal for Savic has been done, but Nasri? No, not yet."
City have been linked with a variety of players in the transfer window and Mancini did nothing to quell speculation, naming a selection from Serie A. "I like Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani. I like Javier Pastore a little less. Then, when I think of Udinese, I can think of Pablo Armero and Mauricio Isla. And I must say Antonio Di Natale. It's a pity that he is now getting on in years."
Manchester City keeper Given holds out for Aston Villa move
Manchester City keeper Shay Given has turned down the chance to join West Bromwich Albion to push through a move to Aston Villa.
City are holding out for £5million from Villa boss Alex McLeish, who values the Republic of Ireland keeper at £3m, but Given has his heart set on the move and knocked back an offer from Albion, who are seeking a replacement for Bursaspor-bound Scott Carson.
Bayern Munich ready to explore alternatives to Manchester City's Jerome Boateng
While the German giants may be ready to lose their patience with the Premier League side over the defender, they are prepared to wait a year to sign Arturo Vidal on a free
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted that the club would be prepared to seek out alternative options to strengthen the centre of their defence should they be unable to sign Manchester City’s Jerome Boateng.
"Should we be unable to acquire Boateng, we will most certainly look for alternatives," he is reported as saying by Goal.com Germany.
The German powerhouses are still short of Manchester City's valuation, with the English club reportedly asking for around €20 million for the versatile former Hamburg defender, who can operate across back four.
Clichy deal close
GAEL CLICHY is expected to compete an £8million move from Arsenal to Manchester City tomorrow – and spark a week of frantic transfer activity for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.
Clichy turned down a new deal every penny he gets for the French full back – plus around £7m – to land England defender Gary Cahill from Bolton in a £15m deal.
And Wenger is also expected to try to beat off competition from Barcelona to persuade Newcastle to let him have Argentine full back Jose Enrique. In the meantime Wenger is set to hold crisis talks this week in a desperate bid to halt an unprecedented exodus of players out of the club.
He will meet new owner Stan Kroenke along with his unsettled stars when they report back for training on Tuesday – with Andrey Arshavin the latest to hanker for a move. Wenger is bracing himself for a £13.5m bid from Fenerbahce to try to lure the Russian to Turkey. With Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner also being targeted, it is the biggest crisis the French boss has faced in his 15 years at the club.
A week of frantic transfer activity for Gunners manager Arsene Wenger
Nasri, who has already turned down a new five-year deal worth £90,000 a week, is now a target for Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Roma.
And Wenger has to decide whether to cash in on a player, who cost £15m three years ago, now rather than risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires next summer.
Clichy’s move to City could well allow Wayne Bridge, 30, to move to Newcastle from Eastlands and free up Enrique’s switch to the Gunners.
But Bridge’s £85,000-a-week salary is a major stumbling block to a permanent move, which means a loan deal could be struck with City paying part of his wages.
In the meantime Wenger hopes to tie up the £12m signing of Ivorian striker Gervinho before the Gunners fly out to Asia on a pre-season tour next weekend.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see who’s on that plane,” a Gunners source said last night
Sunderland Want Bellamy
Sunderland want former City forward Craig Bellamy if they can get him on a free.
According to the People, Bellamy has a year of a deal at Manchester City left but is hoping for a pay-off.
The paper says that "If Manchester City cannot find a buyer, which seems unlikely, they could simply reach a settlement with the player – and that opens the door to Sunderland."
However, with Bellamy having played for local rivals Newcastle United, any move for the player who spent last season on loan at Cardiff City may not prove popular.
AC Milan's Robinho: I regret how I left Real Madrid for Manchester City
The Brazilian attacker has admitted that he did not leave the Santiago Bernabeu on the best of terms although he insisted it was the correct decision to leave the Spanish capital
AC Milan striker Robinho has admitted that he regrets the circumstances in which he left Real Madrid.
The Brazil international departed Spain for Premier League side Manchester City back in August 2008. However, Robinho also stressed that it was the right decision to leave the Spanish capital, where he never felt truly wanted, particularly once Madrid began their pursuit of then Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I have two regrets in my career: how I left Real Madrid and how I left Santos. I don't regret that I left but the way everything was," he told Brazilian newspaper Folha. "At Santos, things could have taken a different course but not in Madrid. But it is all over now. Everything serves to add to your experience."
Robinho also gave his views on Neymar, who has been heavily linked to a move to Madrid.
"I am now 27 and Neymar is 19," he explained. "I try to give him advice, both on and off the field.
"European football is different and much stronger than Brazilian football. He does not need much advice. He is a born footballer."
Manchester United snatch early lead over rivals City in race to spend
Manchester is seeing most of the transfer action as Ferguson shows who's boss.
The moment Manchester City qualified for the Champions League was the moment the Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, knew he could no longer compete. "I know some people in the right positions at Manchester City and they have players signed already that will blow your brains out," he remarked. That was two months ago.
Gaël Clichy is a fine if slightly error-prone left back but he is not the kind of signing that would make Redknapp's chairman, Daniel Levy, reach for a revolver and a bottle of whisky. But there is something remarkable about Clichy's transfer from Arsenal. At £7m he will be the cheapest footballer to sign for City since the oil money from Abu Dhabi started flowing in. Meanwhile, five miles away, Manchester United have embarked on what, in real terms, is their most expansive summer in the transfer market for a decade.
Ten years ago, the requirements at Old Trafford were roughly what they are now. The Premier League had been won for a third successive time but European dominance remained out of reach for a team that, in Roy Keane's words, obsessed about Bentleys and Rolex watches rather than winning.
Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy were bought for £47m to spearhead a side that seemed designed for the European Cup final in Glasgow in what was due to be Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell season. Again they failed, beaten in the semi-final by Bayer Leverkusen. It would be five years before they came as close.
In the sombre afterglow of the rout at Wembley in this year's Champions' League final, Ferguson declared himself "ready to meet the challenge of Barcelona", the team but for whom United might have equalled Liverpool's English record of five European Cups. The arrival of Wesley Sneijder, the focal point of the Internazionale side that did beat Barcelona, in the 2010 semi-finals, would be a statement of that intent, as are the unsubstantiated reports that United are prepared to pay the kind of wages that eased Yaya Touré's journey from Barcelona to City. However, the Dutchman has been talking about the city of Milan in the kind of language that might have been scripted by the Italian tourist board. Arsenal's Samir Nasri appears far more approachable.
So far Ferguson has spent £50m in continuing what he has been doing for the past two years – securing the future. The comparisons between Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby will go on but the Manchester United that Ferguson leaves behind should be in far better shape than the squabbling, ageing team that Busby bequeathed Wilf McGuinness.
As United report for pre-season training at Carrington this week, it is possible to see the team Ferguson's successor will inherit. David De Gea in goal, the Da Silva twins at full-back, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in central defence. A midfield of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, maybe Nasri, maybe Sneijder; Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez in attack. It may not be Barcelona but it will be balanced, aggressive and above all, young. Not one of these players, in defiance of United and Ferguson's great traditions, is home grown.
Even before the 2010-11 season ended, Ferguson had announced what was to prove the summer signing of the year. Like Hernandez, De Gea did well at school and comes from a football family, although his dad played in the Spanish Third Division rather than in internationals for Mexico.
At 19, Jones has been described by Gary Neville as someone who might captain Manchester United and who will be a presence at Old Trafford for a decade or more. Young is one of those favourite Ferguson projects – an unfulfilled talent. The prices for each have been steep but Ferguson has long argued that the £80m dividend from Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid had been ring-fenced, rather than sucked into the quagmire of the Glazer debt, and would one day be spent.
If Manchester City are more cautious it is because, although it may not seem like value in the checkout queues of the Asda that stands opposite Eastlands, the £130m Roberto Mancini spent last summer was mostly invested very well. With the FA Cup and a Champions' League place secured, City are marginally ahead of schedule. There is not the same need to make statements of intent that the arrival of Robinho and the £100m bid for Kaka represented. The requirement now is to grow a club that when it was taken over had a turnover a third the size of Manchester United's. Now it is half as big.
Last summer they would have paid what Mark Hughes called "the Manchester City premium" for Alexis Sanchez. However, Clichy will not be the last arrival at Eastlands. No brains have been blown out but the trigger is still cocked.
Manchester transfer targets
Wesley Sneijder: Continually linked with United, he would be the ideal replacement for Paul Scholes. Chances of signing: 3/5
Samir Nasri: "We are not going to sell him to Manchester United, that's for sure," said Arsène Wenger, although a fast-expiring contract and Nasri's desire to leave suggest otherwise. 4/5 United; 3/5 City
Alessio Cerci: An Italy Under-21 winger from Fiorentina – will be cheaper and keener to come than Alexis Sanchez. 3/5 City
Stefan Savic: A formidable defender for Partizan Belgrade, he would be cheaper than Gary Cahill. 4/5 City
Neymar: With financial fair play on the horizon, City will be very cautious, post-Robinho. 2/5 City
Nasri: I want to win things
Unsettled Arsenal star Samir Nasri insists speculation over his future is fuelled by his desire to win major silverware - and not by big wages.
Reports continue to suggest that the France international is edging towards the exit door at Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City and Manchester United are said to be leading the chase for the talented midfielder, who has spent the last three seasons in north London.
During that time, Nasri has failed to get his hands on a winners' medal, with Arsenal having gone six years since they last lifted a trophy.
The 24-year-old claims it is that lack of success which is forcing him to consider his options.
He is adamant that money will play no part in any decision he takes this summer, with it his sole aim to turn out for a club that are capable of competing for top honours.
Nasri told the News of the World: "Money has never been my motivation. I have always taken decisions from a football point of view.
"I don't want to sign for a club where I wouldn't be playing the football that I like, where I wouldn't feel happy, just for the sake of money.
"We already earn huge wages. The priority is to make a big career and to win titles.
"This is more important than everything else. I know the value and the meaning of money.
"You have to be able to evolve with a new way of living, keeping respect to my values. Family, friends, a good agent, it all helps you not to get carried away.
"With no titles under your belt, you can't be in the list for the Ballon D'Or. I came to England to get trophies because I haven't won anything in my career, apart from an U17 European Championship in 2004.
"We all need to get out of our comfort zone, to grow up and test ourselves.
"Even without winning trophies, I think I have grown up.
"I am hungry for titles. I play football because I love this sport and want to feel the emotion of winning. Lifting a trophy all together, this is the beauty and sense of team sports."
OTHER BOLLOX
West Ham legal action over 2012 stadium claims . Spurs fail in stadium review bid
West Ham United are taking legal action against Tottenham Hotspur and The Sunday Times over allegations about the Olympic Stadium bidding process.
West Ham said they were treating the claims "with the utmost seriousness".
It comes after an Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) employee was suspended when it emerged she worked for West Ham during their bid to use the stadium in London after the 2012 Games.
West Ham said they were "certain of the robustness" of their successful bid.
A West Ham spokesman said: "West Ham United can confirm the club are taking legal action in relation to allegations made in today's Sunday Times.
"We are certain of the robustness of our successful bid for the Olympic Stadium."
Consultancy work
On Friday it was revealed that an OPLC director had been suspended on full pay after it emerged she had been undertaking paid consultancy work for West Ham.
The director, later named by West Ham as Dionne Knight, had declared "a personal relationship" with a Hammers employee when she started at the OPLC, but on Thursday she told the legacy company of her work at the club.
The OPLC said she was being suspended while any possible conflict of interest was investigated.
The OPLC board voted 14-0 in February to back the Hammers as first choice to move into the £486m stadium after the Games. The OPLC and West Ham said Ms Knight had no involvement in that decision.
West Ham said they had already carried out an investigation into the woman's role with the club.
West Ham plan to retain the running track after moving into the stadium and create a 60,000-capacity arena for football, athletics, concerts and community use.
Last month, attempts by Tottenham and Leyton Orient to get a judicial review of the OPLC's decision in favour of West Ham were rejected.
Spurs' plan had involved knocking down most of the structure and rebuilding it without the running track, instead rebuilding the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he pulled out of a £35m move for Udinese striker Alexis Sanchez after he learned the Chilean had agreed a switch to Barcelona. But he says he is still chasing Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder and Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric.Mail on Sunday
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is a £14m target for Valencia and Juventus. News of the World
United defender John O'Shea is on the verge of completing a £3m move to Sunderland. News of the World
Liverpool have set their sights on Newcastle left-back Jose Enrique after losing out to Manchester City in the battle to sign Arsenal's Gael Clichy. News of the World
West Ham midfielder Scott Parker has turned down a £10m move to Turkish side Fenerbahce. Sunday Times
Chelsea are keen to bring Marseille's £10m-rated midfielder Lucho Gonzalez to Stamford Bridge. Sunday Express
Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin could be on his way to Turkish giants Galatasaray , who have offered £13.5m for the Russian.Sunday Times
Chelsea's hopes of signing Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao have risen after Real Madrid's move for the player collapsed.News of the World
Bolton are considering making an offer for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane. Sunday Express
West Brom have joined the chase for West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, who is also attracting interest from Tottenham and Liverpool. subscription required
Southampton are lining up Millwall winger James Henry as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.News of the World
Newcastle are ready to spend £7.5m to sign Paris St Germain striker Mevlut Erdinc. News of the World
Chelsea are to launch a shock bid for Arsenal winger Theo Walcott. Mail on Sunday
Arsenal's hopes of signing Ricardo Alvarez are in the balance after Inter Milan submitted a bid for the Velez Sarsfield midfielder. Metro
Sunderland are the favourites to sign Manchester United defender Wes Brown, having offered him a four-year deal. Mail on Sunday
Arsenal face a battle to sign Belgian international midfielder Eden Hazard, as Inter Milan are poised to make a bid for the Lille player. Footie-online
Chelsea have hired Fernando Torres' personal fitness trainer in an attempt to kick-start the striker's stuttering career.News of the World
Manchester United are to open talks with Nike over a world record kit deal worth £400m.News of the World
United are also spending £250m on a 'virtual' hospital at their Carrington training base and will begin work on the facility next year.News of the World
Men are "drama queens" when it comes to football, say sports scientists, who claim it actually takes them 30 seconds longer than women to get up after they have been fouled because they are looking for attention. Metro
BOLLOX BOLLOX
Ronaldo considered Man City move
Enlarge Related LinksProfile:Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo has pledged to stay at Real Madrid but revealed that if Jose Mourinho had left the club at the end of last season he would probably have followed his coach out of the exit door, with Manchester City the forward's most likely destination.
Ronaldo, 26, has been nothing short of sensational for Real over the past two years, scoring 86 goals in 89 games for the club since arriving at the Bernabeu from Manchester United in the summer of 2009.
But the Portuguese superstar, who beat Lionel Messi to last season's Pichichi after scoring 40 La Liga goals, says that while he has loved playing for Los Blancos, he would have had to seriously consider his future if recent reports linking Mourinho to a return to Chelsea had turned out to be true.
And Ronaldo confirmed that a return to the Premier League would certainly be on the cards were he to leave Madrid, appearing to disclose that he had been tempted by a big-money offer from Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour.
"I think if I went from Spain it would be to the Premier League - but not now," Ronaldo was quoted as saying by the Sunday Mirror. "First we have to win the Champions League. If I went back to the Premier League it would have to be with a club in the north west. I don't like London.
"It's flattering to be offered like £20 million a year - it's very good, but I spoke to my agent and I think it's better to stay in Madrid because this year we're going to be the best. This season we are going to be a big force.
"Jose Mourinho is staying at Madrid so I stay. If he went to Chelsea then I would have left. I would have gone to Manchester City. But now he's staying, I'm staying."
Ronaldo dismissed reports of a feud with Mourinho, insisting that he is on good terms with his coach, despite a public objection to what he perceived to be negative tactics in Real's Champions League exit at the hands of Barca in May.
"We went to a wedding together last week and we're on good terms and we have the same agent," Ronaldo said. "He [Mourinho] is a nice person and we live in the same street."
With an eye on the first English Premiership League game of the season coming up we continue to focus on ....
Welsh Bollox
Huw Jenkins taking flight to add new Swansea recruit
Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins is hoping to take a step closer to adding another new face to the club’s Premier League squad this weekend – with Barcelona B striker Jonathan Soriano believed to be the target.
Jenkins has flown out to the continent for talks and is hopeful of landing another player to join fellow new recruits Danny Graham and Steven Caulker.
The Swans have refused to reveal the identity of their latest target, but reports in Spain suggest it is Soriano.
Soriano, 25, was the top-scorer in Spain’s Segundo division last term with 24 goals in 29 appearances, and has also attracted interest from Wigan Athletic.
“I will be meeting with the representative of a player that we feel will be perfect for Swansea City,” Jenkins said.
“He has the talent that would fit in to the style which we believe in, and we are hopeful of him coming here. By flying out to meet his representative, I hope we can agree a deal within the next few days. We will talk about what we want to achieve as a club, and what the player wishes to achieve too.
“After the arrival of Danny Graham and the recent news regarding Steven Caulker – along with Angel Rangel committing his future to the club – this would add to the feelgood factor around the club.
“We are determined to continue the good work put in over the last few years, and we will do it the way which is best for Swansea City.”
Swansea are also being linked with a move for Leeds’ top-scoring Argentinean striker Luciano Becchio.
Meanwhile, Cardiff City targets Andrew Taylor and David Goodwillie are both expected to arrive in Wales early next week for medicals.
Middlesbrough defender Taylor is believed to be travelling down from the north east today after deciding his future lies with the Bluebirds.
And winger Goodwillie, out of contract at Dundee United, is set to follow after Rangers appear to have failed in their bid to keep him north of the border.
BOLLOX BOLLOX - Part 2
Man City’s spending splurge accelerated yesterday, when a dish of macaroni cheese was signed from Arsenal right from under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger’s nose. The M&S microwaveable pasta has reputedly joined City after Arsenal accepted a £13m bid, subject to a medical.
Wenger had publicly refused to pay more than the £1.99 he splashed out on the macaroni cheese, which he oven-baked at the Arsenal training ground Thursday lunchtime, and so rumours were rife that the cheese-coated pasta could be on its way out of the Emirates.
Then when Man City phoned through a last-minute bid to Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-wood – just as Wenger had sat down for his lunch – the pasta was immediately whisked out from under Arsene’s nose to be flown straight to Eastlands for a full medical, where it is expected to link up with a half-eaten rocket salad City paid Napoli £9m for last week.
Macaroni’s agent Garry Silkmann told reporters that the deal was done and dusted as soon the 400g, best-before July19th macaroni knew Man City were interested. “The lad’s made no secret of his desire to link up with Mancini and the rest of the City squad,” said Silkmann, adding, “I’m afraid Arsenal just couldn’t meet his demands.”
Wenger seemed undeterred by the latest departure from the Emirates and opted instead for a cheese and ham toastie and a cartoon of Ribena Light from the club canteen, which has already aroused interest from Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Man City’s spending shows no signs of slowing with a deal being finalised for the £7m purchase of a broken-down photocopier/fax machine combo from Sampdoria.