HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANUEL
Benjamin Mendy only wanted to play for Manchester City and would have snubbed a move to Chelsea
Vadim Vasilyev has revealed that the full-back always had his heart set on a move to City
Monaco’s vice president Vadim Vasilyev has revealed that full-back Benjamin Mendy never had any interest in joining Premier League champions Chelsea, and always had his heart set on a move to Manchester City so that he could link up with Pep Guardiola.
A number of Europe’s biggest clubs attempted to sign Mendy this summer, after his superb debut season at Monaco during which the club won Ligue 1 and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
But the 23-year-old France international eventually decided on a move to the Etihad Stadium, for a reported £52m – with Vasilyev admitting Mendy’s desire to work with Guardiola was at the root of his decision.
“For a while, we held off,” Vasilyev told L’Equipe. “And then, we thought - in spite of the offers that we had had for him and him indicating that he wanted to leave - could he have another season like the last one?
“At first, I said, ‘no, you’re staying’. He replied: ‘But Vadim, I really want to go to City and link up with Guardiola.’
“On numerous occasions he said to me: ‘If it was Chelsea, I’d stay; but if it’s a chance to work with Guardiola, I want to go.’
“He’d spoken so frankly with me. So, when City met the asking price and when he became the most expensive defender in the world, there were no more arguments to have with him. We weighed up the for and against and said to him: “OK, you can go.”
Vasilyev added that there was little point in Monaco attempting to keep Mendy as his mind had been made up.
“He’s a good kid but you can never be sure about a player’s psychology,” he said. “It wasn’t just a good offer; it was the championship of his dreams, the manager of his dreams.”
Pep Guardiola has relaxed his wifi ban at Manchester City
- but issued a list of social media rules his players must follow.
The Catalan shocked members of his squad when implementing blackout zones at the club’s academy last season - including the physio and dressing rooms.
But he has softened that hard line approach, with even the Etihad’s new state of the art changing rooms - opened last month - wifi friendly.
“They can communicate, it’s part of their lives now,” said Guardiola when asked if a ban was still in place.
But in a meeting with his players, he has made it clear they must show respect through their various social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
He said: “Today is a different world than what I lived in.
“Maybe in my period if we had Twitter I’d use Twitter.
“I just want respect for the other ones. I don’t want to see disrespect for team-mates, the opposition, the club, for the fans, for the issues happening in the world.
“That I don’t want to see from my players, and we spoke about that.”
Summer signing Benjamin Mendy has already sparked controversy when accused of taking a ‘cheap shot’ at Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan after conceding an own goal during City’s 2-0 win last month.
The French international tweeted “bullet header” after Lewis Dunk inadvertently put through his own net.
BT Sport pundit Steven Gerrard said at the time: “I think it’s disrespectful to a fellow professional and I just think there’s totally no need for it at all.”
Mendy has already developed a reputation on Twitter
Ex City midfielder Frank Lampard added: “Why don’t you just have a few seconds to double check that that’s the right thing to say?”
Mendy later apologised for any offence.
Guardiola added: “Of course, everybody is free.
“I’m not a guy to say ‘ban that, ban that’, they are adults. Some of them are fathers - but respect, be careful what you write.
“Be careful what you say because I don’t want other guys to feel uncomfortable with what they say on Twitter.
“I’m not a guard. If you are using it, just be careful.
“It’s part of our lives now, our kids use Twitter, Instagram, it’s impossible to be apart from that. It’s impossible.
“Use it to communicate with each other, but just be careful.
“I don’t like when my players aren’t respectful of the club, or managers of other clubs. I think the guys we have are exceptional in that sense. They laugh, so no problem.
“Some of them are funny. They communicate through Twitter, Instagram more than face to face.”
Pep Guardiola has urged Brahim Diaz to resist the lure of Real Madrid.
But the Manchester City manager admits he may not be able to prevent the starlet from following Jadon Sancho out of the Etihad for one of Europe's giants.
Back-to-back Champions League winners Real have identified Diaz as one of the most exciting prospects in Europe.
And despite the 18-year-old being under contract until 2019, Guardiola raised some doubt over City’s hopes of keeping hold of him in the face of interest from the Bernabeu.
Sancho rejected a professional deal this summer, completing an £8m deadline day move to Dortmund.
And Guardiola has raised the prospect of Diaz departing too.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola opens up on Yaya Toure issue
“We want him,” said the City manager. “But today the market is the market, the wishes from the clubs, maybe we can’t control it.
“I spoke with him many times. I know his commitment to stay here and play for Manchester City.
“City gave him the opportunity to play. It’s not easy to play at the top level teams.
“In the end, his performance on the pitch decides it.”
City have faced increasing criticism over their failure to provide clear route from their celebrated academy to the first team.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insisted this summer that talents such as Sancho, Diaz and Phil Foden would not have their prospects blocked by expensive signings.
Brahim Diaz is one of the brightest stars of City's academy
But Sancho became the first of that highly-rated trio to break ranks when insisting his development would be better served at Dortmund.
Guardiola added: “It depends on the desire of the player.
“Of course the clubs with huge talented players make the effort to keep them with the salary. We did it with Sancho, with Tosin (Adarabioyo).”
Interest from Real could prompt City to offer Diaz improved terms on the deal he signed last season.
Guardiola insists he will have no control over his contract.
“Many clubs here the managers control these things,” he said. “But I am not involved in that.
“Txiki (Begiristain) and Feran (Soriano) take the decisions and speak with the managers (agents).”
Manchester City's Danilo:
Playing in Premier League a dream come true
Brazil international defender Danilo has no regrets about choosing Manchester City and says the club has huge potential to win trophies.
The former Real Madrid player revealed in the summer that he turned down Chelsea because of the opportunity to work with City boss Pep Guardiola.
Real boss Zinedine Zidane even tried to convince him to stay at the Bernabeu Stadium, but the 26-year-old says a move to the Premier League and a chance to work with Guardiola is a dream come true.
"Before working under his command, I have always been an admirer of his teams. Not only for the trophies he won, but for the way he did it. Attacking football, ball possession, advanced lines, I'm a fan of that style of play," Danilo said.
"It was fantastic for me to have this opportunity. In addition, on the day-to-day, he is a very demanding manager, it demands a lot from you, it makes you involved in every training session. For me it's been wonderful and a unique experience.
"Playing [in the Premier League] was a dream I had since I was a child. It's coming true now at Manchester City."
Danilo had a difficult time at Real where he struggled to find his best form. But he has settled quickly at the Etihad Stadium and believes he has already improved as a player -- particularly working in City's strong squad.
"Competition is part of my career and part of the career of any player at a high level," he added. "Competition makes me a better player everyday, fighting and competing with my teammates for a place in the starting XI.
"I'm very happy to be able to help the team, no matter which position it is. I have already showed what I can do in the first four games of the season, playing as a right-back, left-back, centre-back, midfield -- I'm enjoying football at the highest level in the best way possible."
And the former Porto and Santos player believes that strength in depth means they should be challenging for silverware at the end of the season.
"When you see Man City's squad with lots of quality players, the experience mixed with the youth we have, that can only give us confidence for all the challenges we have to face this season," he said.
"We are aware about the difficulty of the task, we know that every week we are going to have more games in our legs, we will be more tired, there will be unexpected things along the way, but hopefully we will be able to fight for all the trophies and manage to win as much as possible."
5 potential replacements for Manchester City's David Silva
Five possible options to replace the ageing Manchester City playmaker.
In King Arthur's tales, Merlin was a magician who would grow younger as every year passed by. But, that does not seem to be the case with David Silva, City's own little magician. As the sand swiftly falls down the hourglass, so does the silky Spaniard's young age.
Since Sheikh Mansour took over the Citizens, the Merlin of Manchester has been an indispensable part of the Blues rising domination in the Premier League. His jaw-dropping sorcery has delighted fans beyond their wildest dreams. Along with Aguero and Toure, he has been the spine of City's attack in the last few years, winning an FA Cup, a Community Shield, two League titles and two English League Cups.
Silva possesses a majestic vision when it comes to creating chances for his teammates. Even the most hardcore United fans can't help but eulogise the silky Spaniard's talent with the ball. Yaya Toure has been right enough in comparing him to Barcelona legends, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
But, things are never meant to be forever. The 31-year-old has made up his mind to return to his home country. Silva has already had a verbal agreement with second-tier club Las Palmas after in 2019, provided they qualify for the top tier. He has rejected the likes of Madrid and Barcelona to stay with the Citizens till 2019.
A player of Silva's quality is hard to find. But with cross-town rivals becoming increasingly strong every year, City must find a worthy replacement for the beating heart of their attack. The following five players could be considered to fill in the boots of the Merlin of Manchester.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/5- ... avid-silva
WATFORD SQUAD BOLLOX
The next Manchester City match is upon us! The Blues travel to Vicarage Road for what promises to be a very tough Premier League match against Watford FC, and Pep Guardiola has nearly his entire squad available for selection (18 players will be in uniform).
This is the full squad:
Goalkeepers: 1. Claudio Bravo, 31. Éderson Moraes
Defenders: 2. Kyle Walker, 3. Danilo Luiz, 5. John Stones, 15. Eliaquim Mangala, 22. Benjamin Mendy, 24. Tosin Adarabioyo, 30. Nicolas Otamendi
Midfielders: 8. Ilkay Gundogan, 17. Kevin De Bruyne, 18. Fabian Delph, 19. Leroy Sané, 20. Bernardo Silva, 21. David Silva, 25. Fernandinho, 47. Phil Foden
Forwards: 7. Raheem Sterling, 10. Sergio Agüero, 33. Gabriel Jesus, 55. Brahim Díaz
The only absence is captain Vincent Kompany, though the skipper is back in training after missing the last two weeks with a calf problem. Ilkay Gundogan could make his season debut in this match, and Pep Guardiola could once again use a back three in the league.
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Inter Milan are hoping to beat Arsenal and Tottenham to the signing of 22-year-old Paris St-Germain and France midfielder Adrien Rabiot. ( Talkshyte)
Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, 28, says he is concentrating on trying to win trophies with Spurs while the Belgium international's father and agent sort out his contract. (Talkshyte)
RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner is open to a move to the Premier League, but Real Madrid are likely to rival any bid for the 21-year-old Germany international. (Daily Star)
PSG defender Thomas Meunier, 26, says Belgium team-mate and Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 25, would be a good addition for the French club. (Daily Star)
Manchester United should sign Real Madrid and France defender Raphael Varane, 24, and Borussia Dortmund's 28-year-old Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, says former United striker Louis Saha. (Daily Mirror)
Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland believes he can become England number one while playing for the Potters, but the 24-year-old also wants Champions League football. (Daily Mirror)
Bayern Munich and Germany forward Thomas Muller, 28, has admitted he considered leaving the Bundesliga champions for Manchester United in 2015. (Independent)
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has sent scouts to watch 21-year-old Benfica's Serbiawinger Andrija Zivkovic. (Metro)
Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is confident defender and captain Jamaal Lascelles, 23, will soon sign an improved contract. (Newcastle Chronicle)
West Brom's owners have rejected an approach from a US investor to buy the club. ( Birmingham Mail)
Everton have to sign a number nine in the January transfer window to stand any chance of qualifying for Europe, says former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves. (BBC Radio 5 live)
Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte, 23, will reject a move to Barcelona in order to sign for Real Madrid. (Don Balon )
From Bob Marley to Muhammad Ali, Watford striker Andre Gray has revealed the story behind his many tattoos. (Telegraph)
Newcastle's 22-year-old midfielder Isaac Hayden is a regular helper at one of the city's food banks. (Independent)
Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti wants to stay with the club "for a long time", despite speculation surrounding his future. (FourFourTwo)
Liverpool fans have suggested former midfielder Steven Gerrard looks more like Reds right-back Jon Flanagan after he was brought back as one of the club's 'legends' in Pro Evolution Soccer 2018. (Sun)
Rafa Benitez says he missed part of Newcastle United's 1-0 victory at Swansea last Sunday while watching at home on television - because a storm knocked out his signal. (Daily Mail)
GOLDEN BOLLOX
On this day in 2012
Man City Prepared to Sell £58m England International Trio
Set them three? Milner, Barry and Lescott sweating on their City futures
All three players have entered the final two years of their contracts, but with new signings arriving there is no guarantee they will stay at Eastlands
Manchester City are still to decide whether to offer new contracts to £58m trio James Milner, Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott.
All three players have entered the final two years of their current deals – which is when City usually open talks about contract extensions – but so far there has been no contact from the club about extending their stays at the Etihad.
All three England internationals named may well fear for their futures, especially given the players Roberto Mancini brought in over the summer.
The Italian is well known for re-shuffling his pack and could feel that he can improve on the positions this trio fill in his Man City squad.
The arrivals of Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell will certainly worry Gareth Barry who is working his way back from a hernia operation but the former Aston Villa man may well find himself warming the bench for some time and could well have to consider his options.
James Milner is an adaptable talent who has most often been used out in a wide midfield role but the signing of Scott Sinclair may see the England man struggle for first team action. Indeed the 26 year old has started just one of Man City’s four Premier League matches this term.
Of the trio Joleon Lescott is perhaps the player with the least to fear. The former Everton man forged an excellent centre back partnership with Vincent Kompany, forcing Kolo Toure out of the picture, and young Serbian signing Matija Nastasic may still be some way off a first team starting role for the Premier League title holders. Caughtlyingoffside via the Mirror
Jose taunts Mancini
JOSE MOURINHO’S hair may have turned fifty shades of grey but there are no grey areas at all when it comes to discussing Real Madrid.
It is simple. The best boss in the world is at the best club in the world and it is not a matter that’s open for debate.
Yes, the Special One accepts that this week’s Champions League clash with Manchester City here in Madrid is a rather special one.
The football equivalent of the brash, nouveau riche up against the old money of the Establishment.
But Mourinho says moneybags City simply cannot compare with the might and glory of the greatest football club on the planet.
The Bernabeu boss declared: “Real Madrid is Real Madrid, it’s the real thing. A club no football result, no cup competition, no coach, no player can ever change.
“Quite simply Real Madrid is a club like no other. It’s incomparable with any other club in the world.
“There is no team anywhere that can be compared with Real Madrid. None.
“Remember I was in Portugal, in England and in Italy before coming here to Madrid, so I know what I am saying. There are great clubs but the pressure and the expectation is the greatest here at Real Madrid.
“It is huge but it is an enjoyable pressure, not a suffocating one.”
A look at Madrid’s awesome 110-year history powerfully reinforces 49-year-old Mourinho’s words.
When the Whites kick off against City in the Bernabeu on Tuesday they will be seeking to become European champions for the TENTH time.
Their current haul of nine is already a record. In stark contrast City will be striving for their first.
It is a similarly one-sided list when it comes to winning the league with Real having amassed an amazing 32 La Liga titles to City’s three.
No wonder Madrid were handed the ‘Best Club of the 20th Century’ award by FIFA.
And no wonder Mourinho quipped: “There are some things that money can’t buy — trophies and history.”
The Portuguese coach also has the edge over rival boss Roberto Mancini, the man he replaced at Inter and went on to win an historic treble in 2010 — the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup.
Mourinho has also triumphed in Portugal, England and Spain. He becomes only the fourth man to win four titles in four countries along with Giovanni Trapattoni, Ernst Happel and Tomislav Ivic.
And one of only three bosses to win the Champions League with two different clubs — Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld the others.Now he is aiming to become “the only one” to win it with a third club and move out on his own — where he loves to be.
He added: “A lot of top managers and clubs have never won a Champions League. So if I have won it twice and Real have won it a record nine times... well we should say ‘Thanks to God’.
“And if a third comes for me and a 10th title comes for Real Madrid this season — amazing.
“We will accept it all with a smile. But there is no pressure on us. There is no obsession to win it here.”
That could be perceived as a veiled dig at City, whose incredible spending in recent years has so far brought FA Cup and Premier League success but which Mourinho feels is ultimately aimed at dominating Europe. He added: “This is a team being created to lift the Champions League, that’s their aim.”
Which is why Mourinho is taking the threat of City very seriously.
He explained: “I went over to see City play because I want my job to be done as close to perfection as possible. I wanted to analyse our opponents not just by video or stats but to see them first hand.
“OK a match against QPR is not a good game to make a direct transfer to a match in the Bernabeu. But it was good enough to see some aspects of the City team.
“And what I do know is they have very good players — and are a powerful side.”
Mourinho only singled out two City stars. He said: “I don’t like to speak about opponents individually but it’s no problem to say that we respect Carlos Tevez a lot.
“I also know Mario Balotelli and the player he is because we were together at Inter for two years and so he certainly has nothing to prove to me.”
And with that he was gone — just like in the book a man in total control, a man who knows exactly what he wants.
But the final chapter will not be written until Tuesday evening when we learn whether sexy City do submit to Mourinho’s insatiable desire for domination. Sun
Real Madrid v Man City
What sort of form are Man City in?
STEADY but unspectacular start to title defence. Have yet to recapture levels they reached at the end of last season. Must raise it considerably at the Bernabeu.
Have the champions got any injury worries?
A BIG one — last season’s title hero Sergio Aguero, who has been out with knee problem. But Mario Balotelli and Gareth Barry returned from lay-offs here.
What can we expect from Real Madrid?
THEY have not started brilliantly either but there’s no doubting their quality or European pedigree. Home fans will expect relative rookies City to be pushed aside.
WHAT a night it promises to be. Even a draw would be a superb start. However it is likely to prove beyond City against such a European heavyweight. A narrow defeat.
Twatter Bollox
Vincent Kompany admitted Manchester City had chances to claim three points after the Premier League champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Stoke City on Saturday.
