http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Ma ... 40721.htmlManchester City have launched a daring swoop for David Silva and three other La Liga stars.
City chief executive Garry Cook met Valencia president Manuel Llorente in Spain last night to discuss Silva after earlier holding talks with Real Madrid about Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.
Cook told Llorente that City were determined to sign the £25million-rated Silva, who has also been a target for Manchester United and Liverpool.
In a sign of City's vast spending power, he also met Real's director general Jorge Valdano and sporting director Miguel Pardeza to discuss Higuain, Van der Vaart and Gago.
Real are open to offers for the trio to help fund Jose Mourinho's raid on the Premier League for Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard.
City nearly signed midfield hardman Gago in January and have also been monitoring striker Higuain, who was Real's top scorer in La Liga last season and who is in a contract dispute with the Spanish giants.
They have now added Van der Vaart to their shopping list, who is also on Sir Alex Ferguson's radar, and the Dutch playmaker is not see as part of Real's future.
10 things you need to know about David Silva
1) David Josua Jimanez Silva was born on 8 January 1986 in Arguineguin, Gran Canaria, to a Spanish father and an Asian mother.
2) He came up through the Valencia youth team, but made his first team debut on loan to second division side SD Eibar in 2005, for whom he made 35 appearances and scored five goals.
3) He was loaned to top-flight side Celta Vigo for the 2005-06 season, where he again impressed, notching four goals in 31 games and helping the team secure qualification for the UEFA Cup.
4) Those exploits at Celta Vigo attracted a great deal of attention, and led to Valencia tying him down to a seven-year contract in 2007.
5) He's made more than 140 appearances for Valencia and scored 20 goals. Chelsea fans might remember the corker below from the Champions League in 2007.
6) He was joint top scorer with four goals in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships, helping Spain to the quarter-finals.
7) He made his senior Spanish debut in a 1-0 defeat against Romania on November 15th, 2006, and scored his first goals in a 3-2 win over Greece on August 22nd, 2007.
8) He played a key role in Spain's Euro 2008-winning side and got on the scoresheet in the semi-final victory over Russia. He was substituted in the final, however, after becoming embroiled in a violent feud with German striker Lukas Podolski which saw the pair going head to head... You can see the butt below
9) He was the subject of an internet prank when a rumour was circulated that, because of his Asian roots, he was a skilled machete fighter. Unfortunately it's not true - which is probably just as well, given the state of knife crime in Britain right now…
10) He's primarily an attacking midfielder, but can play anywhere across the middle and also as a second striker in the hole. David spent most of the last two seasons playing on the right wing for Valencia and is regarded as one of the brightest talents in Spanish football - as the dazzling compilation below demonstrates...
