Sunday's B*l**x
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 10:05 amTHE BOLLOX
Boy from Brazil: Mancini asks City bosses to bring him £50m Neymar
The Italian wants to beat Barcelona to the Santos sensation - but isn't sue if he'll still be at the club to greet him
Roberto Mancini will ask for the green light to sign Brazilian sensation Neymar when he meets Manchester City’s new director of football this week, writes The Sunday People.
The Blues boss has placed the £50million Santos superstar at the top of his wish-list for next summer..
But Mancini has told pals that even if Neymar arrives at the Etihad, he might not be around to greet him.
The Italian fears that, though he signed a five-year deal in the summer, City’s mega-rich owners will dump him if he doesn’t retain the Premier League crown, no matter what it costs them.
Mancini has been urging City’s money-men to splash the cash since last season ended – and Neymar is his dream signing.
European fans reckon Cristiano Ronaldo is Lionel Messi’s only rival for the best-player-in-the-world tag but in South America it’s 20-year-old Neymar they see as the next No.1.
And City have an ace up their sleeve in the chase to land him – in the shape of Txiki Begiristain, their new recruitment supremo.
Begiristain spent months trying to sign Neymar when he was sporting director at Barcelona between 2008 and 2010 and believes the dialogue they opened then gives him a head start over rival clubs.
Reports suggest Barcelona are clear favourites to sign Neymar in the summer after paying £6m merely to secure first refusal.
But Santos insist no deal has been done by any club for Neymar, tipped to become the star of the 2014 World Cup in his homeland.
Mancini said: “I don’t know if it is true that Barcelona have already made a down-payment for Neymar.
“I think when Txiki starts to work here next week we can start to talk about the future for us because this is very important.
“Neymar is a Santos player and I don’t know what can happen with him in the future.
“But I am very happy to work now with the new sporting director because he gives us the chance to move very quickly regarding some players.
“If we work well together then the next three or four years for Manchester City can be very strong.”
Mancini believes it’s vital for City to sign Neymar to maintain progress after a disappointing summer transfer window.
The Italian wanted Roma midfield star Daniele de Rossi and Robin van Persie but City instead ended up with Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia.
City owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak believe enough money has been spent to defend the Premier League title and are disappointed City are struggling once again in the Champions League.
They are also thought to be disturbed by reports that Mancini flirted with Monaco earlier in the year.
That’s put pressure on Mancini and his position isn’t eased with Begiristain a close ally of former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, currently out of football.
If City’s owners become disillusioned with Mancini, the Barca legend would be an easy appointment to make despite the Italian’s five-year deal.
Mansour would think nothing of paying out £20million to get rid of Mancini if he could land Guardiola instead.MIRROR
'I STILL don't see any point in moving to City' Eriksen doesn't regret snubbing champions
'I feel much more at home at a club like Ajax. I really don’t want to swap this club for another yet' says Danish wonderkid
Ajax whizz-kid Christian Eriksen is aiming to once again make Roberto Mancini pay for the snub that made him to reject a move Manchester City.
Eriksen turned down the chance to join City 17 months ago when Mancini decided to go on a holiday rather than stay in Manchester to give the Dane a tour of the club.
Now, after dismantling City’s Champions League hopes in Amsterdam 11 days ago, Eriksen will look to take a wrecking ball to Mancini’s hopes of landing a Europa League consolation when he does arrive at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
Eriksen said: “I think many other players would have said ‘Yes’ to City’s offer, but I had my own reasons for turning them down.
“I remember my agent calling me to tell me that they had come in for me, but I told him straight away that I did not see any point in moving to Manchester City – and I still don’t. At the end of my career, we will see if I took the right decision.
“But I feel much more at home at a club like Ajax. I really don’t want to swap this club for another yet.”
Eriksen’s Monaco-based agent Martin Schoots had several meetings with City officials about a proposed £20m deal.
Schoots was in talks that were to pave the way to a deal which would have earned his client a six-fold income hike. But when Eriksen discovered that Mancini had departed on a family holiday to Sardinia after winning the FA Cup and securing a place in the Champions League, he didn’t feel wanted.
Eriksen added: “Age-wise, I am still a young boy. But I have played in both the World Cup and the Euros for Denmark.
“If you wanted a clothes size to judge my status, I would say that I am between medium and large.
“So, I still have some growing time to get to XL!”
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
+2PTS +3GD
Theo Walcott is set to leave Arsenal because of manager Arsene Wenger's continued refusal to start the 23-year-old England forward in Premier League games. Sunday Times
Manchester United and Arsenal face a struggle to sign Germany midfielder Lars Bender, 23, after Bayern Leverkusen's director Wolfgang Holzhauser said: "We won't sell anyone". Sun
Ajax midfielder Toby Alderweireld, 23, reportedly a target for Tottenham and Newcastle United, will only be allowed to leave in January if the Dutch club receive a "super transfer fee", according to coach Frank De Boer. Sky Sports
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, 39, says he has recruitment staff scouring the world for talent to bring to the club during the January transfer window. Liverpool Echo
And the Anfield side are ready to make a £6m bid for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, 29, after discovering that the Dutch striker is set to reject a final contract offer from Schalke. Sunday Mirror
Manchester United will not open talks about renewing the contract of 39-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs until the end of the season. Goal.com
Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 28, is wanted by Atletico Madrid, while the Spanish club are ready to part company with striker Radamel Falcao, a target for Chelsea and several other top clubs around Europe. the People
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, 29, says his respect for Arsenal stopped him from celebrating after he scored against his former club at Old Trafford on Saturday. Metro
However, some Arsenal fans chanted abuse at the club's chief executive Ivan Gazidis during that game after watching Van Persie open the scoring for United. DSSC
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans and ex-players have criticised Andre Santos after the defender asked former team-mate Van Persie for his shirt during half-time of the Londoners' 2-1 defeat by Manchester United. Sun
Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre believes Jack Wilshere's return to fitness can help end the club's long wait for a trophy in the Capital One Cup. talkSHIT
Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio wants to fine his players and has called his squad into training at 07:30 GMT on the morning after their FA Cup exit to non-League side Macclesfield. DSSC
MORE BOLLOX VERY SOON
Boy from Brazil: Mancini asks City bosses to bring him £50m Neymar
The Italian wants to beat Barcelona to the Santos sensation - but isn't sue if he'll still be at the club to greet him
Roberto Mancini will ask for the green light to sign Brazilian sensation Neymar when he meets Manchester City’s new director of football this week, writes The Sunday People.
The Blues boss has placed the £50million Santos superstar at the top of his wish-list for next summer..
But Mancini has told pals that even if Neymar arrives at the Etihad, he might not be around to greet him.
The Italian fears that, though he signed a five-year deal in the summer, City’s mega-rich owners will dump him if he doesn’t retain the Premier League crown, no matter what it costs them.
Mancini has been urging City’s money-men to splash the cash since last season ended – and Neymar is his dream signing.
European fans reckon Cristiano Ronaldo is Lionel Messi’s only rival for the best-player-in-the-world tag but in South America it’s 20-year-old Neymar they see as the next No.1.
And City have an ace up their sleeve in the chase to land him – in the shape of Txiki Begiristain, their new recruitment supremo.
Begiristain spent months trying to sign Neymar when he was sporting director at Barcelona between 2008 and 2010 and believes the dialogue they opened then gives him a head start over rival clubs.
Reports suggest Barcelona are clear favourites to sign Neymar in the summer after paying £6m merely to secure first refusal.
But Santos insist no deal has been done by any club for Neymar, tipped to become the star of the 2014 World Cup in his homeland.
Mancini said: “I don’t know if it is true that Barcelona have already made a down-payment for Neymar.
“I think when Txiki starts to work here next week we can start to talk about the future for us because this is very important.
“Neymar is a Santos player and I don’t know what can happen with him in the future.
“But I am very happy to work now with the new sporting director because he gives us the chance to move very quickly regarding some players.
“If we work well together then the next three or four years for Manchester City can be very strong.”
Mancini believes it’s vital for City to sign Neymar to maintain progress after a disappointing summer transfer window.
The Italian wanted Roma midfield star Daniele de Rossi and Robin van Persie but City instead ended up with Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia.
City owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak believe enough money has been spent to defend the Premier League title and are disappointed City are struggling once again in the Champions League.
They are also thought to be disturbed by reports that Mancini flirted with Monaco earlier in the year.
That’s put pressure on Mancini and his position isn’t eased with Begiristain a close ally of former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, currently out of football.
If City’s owners become disillusioned with Mancini, the Barca legend would be an easy appointment to make despite the Italian’s five-year deal.
Mansour would think nothing of paying out £20million to get rid of Mancini if he could land Guardiola instead.MIRROR
'I STILL don't see any point in moving to City' Eriksen doesn't regret snubbing champions
'I feel much more at home at a club like Ajax. I really don’t want to swap this club for another yet' says Danish wonderkid
Ajax whizz-kid Christian Eriksen is aiming to once again make Roberto Mancini pay for the snub that made him to reject a move Manchester City.
Eriksen turned down the chance to join City 17 months ago when Mancini decided to go on a holiday rather than stay in Manchester to give the Dane a tour of the club.
Now, after dismantling City’s Champions League hopes in Amsterdam 11 days ago, Eriksen will look to take a wrecking ball to Mancini’s hopes of landing a Europa League consolation when he does arrive at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
Eriksen said: “I think many other players would have said ‘Yes’ to City’s offer, but I had my own reasons for turning them down.
“I remember my agent calling me to tell me that they had come in for me, but I told him straight away that I did not see any point in moving to Manchester City – and I still don’t. At the end of my career, we will see if I took the right decision.
“But I feel much more at home at a club like Ajax. I really don’t want to swap this club for another yet.”
Eriksen’s Monaco-based agent Martin Schoots had several meetings with City officials about a proposed £20m deal.
Schoots was in talks that were to pave the way to a deal which would have earned his client a six-fold income hike. But when Eriksen discovered that Mancini had departed on a family holiday to Sardinia after winning the FA Cup and securing a place in the Champions League, he didn’t feel wanted.
Eriksen added: “Age-wise, I am still a young boy. But I have played in both the World Cup and the Euros for Denmark.
“If you wanted a clothes size to judge my status, I would say that I am between medium and large.
“So, I still have some growing time to get to XL!”
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
+2PTS +3GD
Theo Walcott is set to leave Arsenal because of manager Arsene Wenger's continued refusal to start the 23-year-old England forward in Premier League games. Sunday Times
Manchester United and Arsenal face a struggle to sign Germany midfielder Lars Bender, 23, after Bayern Leverkusen's director Wolfgang Holzhauser said: "We won't sell anyone". Sun
Ajax midfielder Toby Alderweireld, 23, reportedly a target for Tottenham and Newcastle United, will only be allowed to leave in January if the Dutch club receive a "super transfer fee", according to coach Frank De Boer. Sky Sports
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, 39, says he has recruitment staff scouring the world for talent to bring to the club during the January transfer window. Liverpool Echo
And the Anfield side are ready to make a £6m bid for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, 29, after discovering that the Dutch striker is set to reject a final contract offer from Schalke. Sunday Mirror
Manchester United will not open talks about renewing the contract of 39-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs until the end of the season. Goal.com
Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 28, is wanted by Atletico Madrid, while the Spanish club are ready to part company with striker Radamel Falcao, a target for Chelsea and several other top clubs around Europe. the People
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, 29, says his respect for Arsenal stopped him from celebrating after he scored against his former club at Old Trafford on Saturday. Metro
However, some Arsenal fans chanted abuse at the club's chief executive Ivan Gazidis during that game after watching Van Persie open the scoring for United. DSSC
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans and ex-players have criticised Andre Santos after the defender asked former team-mate Van Persie for his shirt during half-time of the Londoners' 2-1 defeat by Manchester United. Sun
Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre believes Jack Wilshere's return to fitness can help end the club's long wait for a trophy in the Capital One Cup. talkSHIT
Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio wants to fine his players and has called his squad into training at 07:30 GMT on the morning after their FA Cup exit to non-League side Macclesfield. DSSC
MORE BOLLOX VERY SOON