David Silva has adapted to Premier League football and the English way of life
SPAIN star David Silva has admitted he only joined Manchester City last summer to help ease Valencia’s desperate financial plight.
Silva was happy at Valencia but was told they could not afford to reject Manchester City’s £27 million offer for him – which far exceeded any other bids – and he moved just weeks after former team-mate David Villa had joined Barcelona for £35m.
He said: “Why did I leave Valencia? Because the club needed me to. I was happy there and wouldn’t have left, but the situation the club was in demanded it.
“It was a big injection of money and it was good for them. My life has always gone step by step. It was time to take the next one.
“City showed a great interest and I wanted to settle it quickly. It was a very interesting offer, a good club , and I didn’t have to think too much.”
After struggling to make the expected impact earlier in the season, playmaker Silva has adapted to Premier League football and the English way of life.
Asked to describe his life in England, he said: “A lot of games, a lot of tranquillity.
“My life in Manchester is very tranquil. I live in the suburbs. The little free time I have I spend at home and walking around the town.
“The worst part has been the cold but I’m happy and comfortable with everything else.
“The tranquillity is incredible and the passion with which the fans l ove football is wonderful. British people are fun.”
CITY IN FOR STEAL
The Manchester club look set to try and steel a march on United, Chelsea and Liverpool to sign Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean forward is hot property right now as top European clubs looks set to go for his signature in the summer. As well as English clubs, Inter Milan, Juventus and Barcelona have also shown an interest but City want to tie up a deal before the others get a chance.
Newspapers have reported that Chief Executive Garry Cook is to fly out to Udinese at the weekend to tie up a deal somewhere in the region of £25 million.
However the deal is still to be ironed out with the player who may wish to wait until City have guaranteed a Champions League place before making a decision. Sanchez’s current employers are having a good season and may well finish amongst the Champions league places themselves. Therefore the forward may wait until the summer to see what other offers are available to him.
Nevertheless a City source claimed that they were confident a deal could be done struck, citing their riches as a key factor in the deal with the idea of possibly trebling the forwards wages.
Sanchez is one of the rising stars in World football, known for his superb technical ability, he mostly operates as a forward but can also play on the right side midfield. Even at 22 he has made over 30 appearances for his country and played in all of their 2010 World Cup games.
With money on object at City, they look set to purchase another top talent to add to their star studded squad. Whether there is any room for the Chilean at Eastlands only time will tell, but their transfer policy looks set to continue settling for only the very best. Other potential suitors must now hope Sanchez decides to wait till the summer before deciding on a switch somewhere else.
Arsenal and Man City tracking Scotland keeper
Scotland goalkeeper Matt Gilks has hinted he may yet sign a new deal with Blackpool.
Gilks, 28, is out of contract in the summer and is expected to quit Bloomfield Road with Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly tracking him.
However he claims his priority is to play again and he is close to returning after breaking his knee cap at West Ham in November.
"The most important thing for this football club is staying in the league, not Matt Gilks' contract," he said.
"So if we can secure our status in the league, which is what everyone wants, then we can sit down after that and see what is said.
"But I need to be playing to either earn a new contract, which hasn't arrived yet or been talked about, or get another club. So it is in my best interests to simply get back playing. I've been out far too long now."
Liverpool to Turn to Manchester City Wide Man to Add Natural Width to Attacking Options
Liverpool will reportedly attempt an audacious move to sign Manchester City winger Adam Johnson this summer. The England international has made his displeasure known at his lack of first team opportunities at Eastlands and Anfield boss Kenny Dalglish this could aid a move to bring the talented wide man to the Merseyside club this summer.
Since his arrival at Man City from Middlesbrough on February 1st last year, Johnson has spent the majority of his time sitting on the club’s bench biding his time and waiting for a chance to prove himself and has apparently had his run-ins with Mancini in the process, leading many to believe the Sunderland born winger may well be offloaded and Liverpool are hoping to complete a deal that would greatly improve their attacking options.
Johnson has started just eight Premier League matches this term and has made a further 15 appearances from the bench and as a result many believe he could be interested in a move away from Man City as his first team chances appear to have been dealt a blow with the arrival of David Silva, James Milner and others last summer.
Liverpool could well do with some natural wide options as using the likes of Maxi, Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Dirk Kuyt has not provided a great deal of ammunition for the club’s front men, whereas an expert crosser like Adam Johnson could have the desired effect and indeed could also add some more goals from the midfield area.
Manchester City purchased Johnson for a fee of £7m and would be looking for a fee in excess of that before they would entertain the notion of selling the former Newcastle United youth team player.
Blooper Mario to be fined again
MARIO BALOTELLI is set to be fined another week's wages of £100,000 and given an official warning about his behaviour.
The Manchester City striker, 20, will be docked the money after throwing darts at youth team players from a window at the club's training ground.
He was recently fined two weeks' wages for being sent off against Dynamo Kiev.
Now he will also be summoned to showdown talks with Roberto Mancini and a club executive to address his increasingly alarming conduct. City officials had previously been happy to accept Balotelli was merely young, immature and struggling to settle after a summer move from Italy.
But his latest misdemeanour has particularly angered the club hierarchy, who are increasingly beginning to feel the £24million buy from Inter Milan is proving an expensive mistake.
Balotelli's actions are proving expensive to him, too, with his fines this month hitting £300,000. While Balotelli has 10 goals to his name, otherwise he has been nothing but trouble for City.
He was injured on his debut and out for three months, then red-carded two starts into his return.
He has had a training ground bust-up with Jerome Boateng and threw strops after being subbed against West Ham and Notts County.
During another spell out injured and back in Italy, he drove through the open gates of a women's prison just to have a look around.
On the pitch he has received nine yellow cards and two red.
It seems nobody was injured in the most recent incident. But throwing darts is clearly seen as dangerous enough to merit disciplinary action.
Bernstein sorts out Capello contract Bollox - Video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9440109.stm
OTHER BOLLOX
Tottenham are close to beating Arsenal and Manchester United to the £15m capture of teenage Ipswich striker Connor Wickham. Daily Mirror
Atletico Madrid's Uruguay striker Diego Forlan said he would consider a good offer from Spurs this summer. Metro
Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjcar has warned he is ready to leave Tottenham unless he gets more regular football before the end of the season. Daily Mirror
Manchester United will launch a fresh attempt to sign David de Gea, 20, after Atletico Madrid rejected their offer of £17.5m for the Spain Under-21 goalkeeper. The Times
Manchester United have agreed a first option on Chilean striker Angelo Henriquez, 16. The Universidad de Chile youngster has impressed in the South American Under-17 Championship in Ecuador, and has trained in Manchester. Daily Mail
Arsenal are weighing up the option of signing Italy's veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, 33, who will be available on a free transfer from Juventus this summer. Daily Mail
Alberto Aquilani is willing to return to Liverpool at the end of the season if Juventus do not make the 26-year-old Italian's loan deal permanent. The Times
Chelsea target Neymar is going nowhere, insists the president of the Brazil strikers' current club Santos. Daily Mirror
Newcastle have watched Reading striker Shane Long impress against Macedonia and Uruguay for Ireland in the last week, but will face competition from Wolves, Aston Villa, West Ham and Stoke. Daily Mail
Everton and Tottenham are interested in signing Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc, 31, from Fiorentina. Daily Star
Wigan and Portsmouth want Ipswich captain David Norris, 30, when the midfielder's contract expires this summer. Daily Star
England Under-21 goalkeeper Frank Fielding is set to sign for Nigel Clough's Derby in a £400,000 switch from Blackburn. Daily Mirror
Brighton striker Glenn Murray, 27, is being tracked by Derby and Millwall.Daily Star
France striker Karim Benzema is an injury doubt for Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Tottenham at the Bernabeu on Tuesday after the 23-year-old suffered a knock to his thigh while on international duty. Daily Mail
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has wanted to leave the club for "one or two years" according to one of his former Anfield understudies. Daily Mirror
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has a poor attitude and the Blues should sell, says ex-boss Luiz Felipe Scolari. Metro
Meanwhile, Chelsea's plan to sell the naming rights to Stamford Bridge has failed to get a single serious bid after dozens of blue-chip companies baulked at Chelsea's price of £100m for a 10-year deal. the Sun
Everton manager David Moyes has said: "I should have signed another striker last summer." talkSPORT
Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun has given Chelsea a huge lift by targeting a first-team return within a fortnight after six months out injured. Daily Mirror
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce said his club will try to sign England striker Danny Welbeck on a permanent deal, with the forward currently on loan at the Black Cats from Manchester United. talkSPORT
Welbeck made his senior England debut in the 1-1 friendly draw with Ghana on Tuesday but the 20-year-old could still change his mind and represent the Black Stars in the future as he is eligible for both sides until he plays an official Fifa competitive game. the Sun
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard believes midfielder Jack Wilshere and striker Andy Carroll should have the final say on whether they play for England in the Under-21 Euro Championship. Daily Mirror
Ajax's board of directors announce their resignation over a disagreement with Johan Cruyff over how the club should be run.
"It is about the importance of Ajax. We have taken this decision in the interests of the club," chairman Uri Coronel said. "Johan Cruyff is not just anyone. He's a demi-god here, or maybe a whole god."
Former player Cruyff returned to the club in February to advise on technical, financial and association issues. Ajax.nl
The Football Association are writing to companies in a bid to save the FA Cup as sponsors E.ON prepare to walk away. The FA have so far been unable to find a new sponsor for the famous competition. Daily Express
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is beaten by a brilliant effort from his son Shaqueel. Metro
The mancityfans.net football forum
The BEST FORUM in all the land and all the world
