Manchester City's hopes of keeping Carlos Tevez at the club have been hit by the news that that Inter Milan's new boss is set to be a fellow Argentinean.
Marcelo Bielsa is in line to take over at the San Siro, replacing Brazilian Leonardo who is on the verge of joining PSG, and he has encouraged Inter president Massimo Moratti to sign the City captain.
The former Manchester United striker's desire to leave City is one of the worst kept secrets in football and the Argentina international could now have his dream realised with a move to Italy.
City are believed to be holding out for £40million for the forward and The Nerazzurri would have no problems in raising the funds, especially if they sell Samuel Eto'o who is wanted by a range of clubs across Europe and has expressed a desire to move TalkSHITE
Modric fight! City plan £30m raid to see off Chelsea in race for Spurs ace
Manchester City are preparing to table a bid for Tottenham’s Luka Modric after Harry Redknapp branded Chelsea’s £22million offer 'ridiculous'.
Spurs manager Redknapp echoed his chairman Daniel Levy by insisting his much-admired Croatia midfielder is not for sale. But Sportsmail understands that high-level discussions have taken place between City and Tottenham, and a bid of nearer £30m is expected to arrive from Eastlands.
That may still not be enough, as a counter bid from Chelsea and an offer from Manchester United are expected to follow. It could take nearer £35m to prise the 25-year-old from north London.
Sources close to Modric believe City, with their vast wealth, will do everything in their power to prevent him joining one of their Barclays Premier League rivals.
But Redknapp said: ‘Luka is not for sale. If there has been a bid of £22m that is ridiculous. There are people being sold for £20m who are not fit to lace Luka’s boots.’
With the inexperienced Jordan Henderson moving from Sunderland to Liverpool for £16m last week, Redknapp appears to have a point. Modric put in a series of stunning displays last year in his best season at the club and Redknapp made it clear that he thinks Chelsea have seriously undervalued the player.
Despite scoring just four goals last season, Modric’s tireless running and brilliant vision played a big part in helping Spurs reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. His efforts, and those of Gareth Bale, meant reports linking the pair with moves to some of the Continent’s biggest clubs was inevitable.
Redknapp’s failure to guide Tottenham back into the Champions League added further fuel to those rumours, but the 64-year-old and Tottenham chairman Levy have remained steadfast in their promise to keep the club’s best players.
Levy assured Spurs fans on the final day of last season that the club were not under pressure to sell despite the drop in revenue that will come next year after their failure to make it into the top four.
Earlier this month, Modric told a Croatian newspaper he was happy at White Hart Lane, but would be open to a move if the club altered their stance and chose to sell him.
‘If an offer comes which is good for Tottenham and for me also, then a transfer is possible,’ said Modric, who attempted to quash rumours linking him with Manchester United by signing a new contract last year. Mail's not so exclusive EXCLUSIVE ...
THE MODRIC MERRY-GO-ROUNDIf Chelsea do manage to land Luka Modric for around £30m, Man Utd are likely to turn their attention back to Inter Milan’s £25m midfield star WESLEY SNEIJDER ... while also pursuing their interest in Arsenal’s £12m SAMIR NASRI ... aware that Man City might also go in for SNEIJDER and have the money to outbid them ... But if Chelsea are unsuccessful in luring Modric across London then Roman Abramovich is likely to target Palermo’s 21-year-old Argentine JAVIER PASTORE - although that could cost £45m... Finally Harry Redknapp will have to fill the hole in his midfield by ensuring he lands West Ham’s £4m SCOTT
Dzeko could be Edin to Real
EDIN DZEKO last night emerged as a summer target for Real Madrid.
Real boss Jose Mourinho is desperate to sign the Manchester City striker, who has flopped since his £27million move from Wolfsburg in January.
But Mourinho is ready to bid £20m for the Bosnian, 25, and believes he can persuade City to sell.
Dzeko signed a 4½-year deal at Eastlands but was a target for Real last year and in January.
And while some of his City goals have been vital, there were only an unimpressive six of them.
Eastlands manager Mancini is set to embark on a spending spree, which is set to include bids for Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Brazilian ace and Real target, Neymar.
If more strikers arrive, then Dzeko would find himself completely frozen out at Eastlands. Sun (on the ball as ever ...)
West Brom tracking Ghana midfielder Boateng and City keeper Given
West Bromwich are interested in Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng and are exploring the possibility of signing Shay Given from Manchester City.
However, the deals would be difficult with Getafe wanting £7million for Boateng and City unwilling to subsidise any loan for Given, 35, who will cost around £3.5m to buy and has wages of around £80,000 per week.
High earner: City keeper Shay Given
Boateng, 28, is also a target for Villa, Sunderland and Stoke.
Meanwhile, Samuel Eto'o has put Manchester City on alert by admitting he is ready to end his top-flight career in England.
The Cameroon striker, 30, said: 'It's true I've had offers from England. I'm 30 years old and this will be my last big contract.'
Arsenal and Manchester City are considering a move for Inter Milan's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o after he revealed he would like to try his hand in the Premier League this coming season. "I have already shown that I have what it takes to play in Italy and I now have the idea of proving myself in England," Eto'o told Corriere dello Sport.
OTHER BOLLOX
Former Manchester City frontman reflects on cancer battle
Beating cancer was the biggest battle of his life - now Uwe Rosler is battling to get Brentford out of League One.
The 42-year-old was confirmed as the new Bees boss on a two-year deal last week, as exclusively revealed by the Chronicle.
Rosler turned to management when his playing days were ended prematurely after a tumour was discovered in his chest while he was with Norwegian club Lillestrom in 2003.
The former Manchester City frontman, who also played in England with West Brom and Southampton, was told he had only a small chance of survival, but defied the odds after undergoing an intensive course of treatment.
Eight years on, the German has pitched up in west London after successful spells in charge of Lillestrom, Viking and Molde.
And Rosler is ready for another fight in a bid to get Brentford into the Championship.
He said: "I had scored 11 goals in 10 games, then I got the news that I would have a very small chance to survive, which was a big shock to me.
"But I had good luck in a bad situation by discovering it early enough. It was a long battle, probably the hardest battle of my life. I was undergoing treatment from April until October in 2003.
"I’ve been declared 100 per cent recovered after five years and I no longer need to have check-ups, but I do once a year.
"When you go to hospitals there’s always something in your head that reminds you of the bad days.
"But I’ve been in management six years, and can cope with the demands of the job. I keep myself fit and am training three times a week minimum."
Rosler is only too aware of the tough task he faces to get the Bees promoted into the second tier of English football.
League One is arguably the toughest it’s ever been, with Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston expected to mount promotion pushes, while Huddersfield, Charlton and MK Dons will also be in the mix.
"The level in League One compared to when I was a player has increased dramatically," said Rosler.
"Now we’ve got Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston - top teams and it’s a very tough league to get out of.
"It’s not going to be easy, even when you’re at a club with financial backing, so you have to make the right decisions and have lady luck on your side. I achieved everything as a player through hard work, and I want my team to be the same.
"We have a budget which is solid, but not in the same league as the top clubs. But hopefully we can be better than last year, and that means in contention for the play-offs. That’s the big target for us."
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is keeping tabs on Germany Under-17 striker Samed Yesil. The 17-year-old is yet to break into the first team at Bayer Leverkusen but has attracted the interest of a number of clubs across Europe after some dazzling form in the European U-17 Championship earlier this year. talkSHITE
The north London club could be on the verge of a double transfer coup after opening talks over signing Bolton defender Gary Cahill, and their former midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who is a free agent after leaving Birmingham. Metro
Wenger's side are also poised to complete the signing of Lille forward Gervinho for £10.6m in the next 48 hours. Daily Mirror
However, French club Lille are preparing to offer Gervinho a new contract in a last-ditch bid to ward off interest from the Gunners. talkSHITE
Liverpool are leading the chase to sign AC Milan striker Antonio Cassano, with sources close to the player suggesting he is keen on a move to England. talkSHITE
The Reds are also considering offering a contract to forward Jay Bothroyd, who is available on a free transfer after opting to leave Cardiff after his deal with them expired at the end of last season. Caught Offside
And the Anfield club are also due to unveil French midfielder Sylvan Marveaux, after signing the 28-year-old on a free transfer from Rennes. Marveaux has put pen to paper on a five-year deal worth £60,000 a week. the Sun
Chelsea will return to Tottenham this weekend with an increased bid of £28m for midfielder Luka Modric. Spurs rejected their London rivals' initial bid of £22m on Wednesday. Footy Bunker
Manchester United have made a £9.2m written offer for 18-year-old Lens defender Raphael Varane after the French club were relegated from Ligue 1 last season. the Independent
Real Madrid defender Jaime Navarro is set for a trial at Leyton Orient, after Cristiano Ronaldo told him to try his luck in England. The 19-year-old is available on a free transfer. talkSHITE
Stoke City have made a club record £12m bid for Birmingham centre back Scott Dann, with Liverpool and Tottenham also considering bids for the 24-year-old.Daily Mail
Aston Villa are set to infuriate Birmingham City fans even further following their pursuit of former Blues boss Alex McLeish by making a £10m offer for goalkeeper Ben Foster. the Sun
Wigan Athletic have told Newcastle United that midfielder Charles N'Zogbia will cost £10m despite the Frenchman having only 12 months left on his current deal. (the Times)
Swansea could pull off a coup by signing Spain's Euro 2008 winning midfielder Marcos Senna after the 34-year-old's contract expired with Villarreal. the Sun
The Swans are also battling it out with Everton and Norwich for Peterborough's £3m rated striker Craig Mackail-Smith after the his 25 goals last season earned Posh promotion to the Championship. the Sun
Norwich have tied up a season-long loan deal for 22-year-old Manchester United defender Richie De Laet. (the Daily Star)
Should England qualify for the Euro 2012 finals, they will go into the tournament not knowing who will replace current boss Fabio Capello. Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of football development, insists there are no plans to announce who will take on the job. the Sun
And Brooking has claimed that England need to produce 10 Jack Wilsheres if the country is to break the cycle of underachievement at international level. The Arsenal midfielder is one of the new generation of young players to break into Fabio Capello's side. Daily Mirror
Liverpool supporters have reacted angrily to the colour of the club's new third kit. The new white with blue trim strip has seen fans vent their anger on the official Liverpool website, with many saying they would not buy the shirt because it included the colour of their fierce local rivals Everton. Daily Mirror
BOLLOX BOLLOX
As has been highlighted by many on here, we must not fall for the diversive media tactics ...
How a Cristiano Ronaldo rumour divided Manchester City fans
The Sunday Mirror were cock-a-hoop with this week’s big exclusive. Cristiano Ronaldo was considering a move to Manchester City, if a number of demands were met.
These included being paid a mere £400,000 a week, the number 7 shirt, being guaranteed the captaincy and to always be the top paid player at City. Plus he wanted a private helipad at the City of Manchester stadium, Ryan Gigg’s SIM card, 200 swans in a moat at his house and a personal slave to follow him around the pitch fanning him on warm match days.
When I saw the article I was left shaking my head at the ludicrous nature of the claims. The idea that City had really sent him a picture of a Bentley covered in money was ridiculous, and as usual there were few quotes except from anonymous “sources”, and all offers to him were made from mysterious third parties. Whatever, it will surely never happen whatever the truth, especially with the new financial fair play rules coming in. City cannot pay a player £400,000 a week in the same way they cannot make a £150m purchase.
The response to the rumour from City fans was fairly predictable. The idea of the world’s 2nd best player (debatable, I know) coming to City seemed to appal many. There is the United connection of course, not that that has stopped City before (though the appointment of David Platt last season for example was met with a wave of opposition and anger), but it was his behaviour on the pitch and as a human being in general that seemed to put most off.
Personally I care little for whether he is the world’s nicest man or an odious arrogant, perma-tanned narcissist. He is without doubt one of a select band of players who would instantly take the team onto another level. Yes, City can be successful without him, but the fact is that with him success would be far more likely.
But for many, it would be a step too far. It would cross a line about who it is and isn’t acceptable to employ at the club. Don’t get me wrong, I am not totally apathetic to the character of new signings. There are certain players I would never want to see at this club, whatever their worth to the team. And there’s very little in the way that Ronaldo acts that endears me to him. Nor can I stand players who dive (he undoubtedly goes to ground very easily, as do a whole swathe of players nowadays), who whinge at referees, or who fancy themselves so much they burst into tears if a hair is misplaced after a crowded corner. But I could live with it. The fact is if Ronaldo had come through the ranks and was already a City player, every City fan would be defending his actions, just like United fans used to do. We are all hypocritical beasts, us football fans.
Either way, the discussion is redundant, apart from debating the hypotheticals of players you previously hated turning up at your club, as there is zero chance of Ronaldo moving to City, or anywhere else for that matter, this summer.
But what the whole story showed more than anything was how the media works – by Tuesday of this week The Sun’s EXCLUSIVE was how Ronaldo had snubbed City – yep, yet again a football club was snubbed by a player that they had probably never expressed any interest in. Only last week I personally snubbed Barcelona, and last year rejected a move to AC Milan. European football correspondent Antony Kastrinakis’s story about Cristiano Ronaldo turning down Manchester City’s offer was of course an EXCLUSIVE!
Kastrinakis got this exclusive by basically listening to an interview on Spanish radio. Though to be honest, he probably didn’t even do that.
Ideally of course I do want my club’s players to behave with decorum, respect and dignity at all times. I would love a team full of Vincent Kompanys and David Silvas. Players are repsentatives of the club, they affect its image, and the mentality of players like the two mentioned above are great for team spirit and for morale, as well as making the manager’s job a hundred times easier. But we are foolish to expect every player to be model professionals, as footballers have never been, and never will be good role models. I might not like him one bit, but if Cristiano Ronaldo had come to City he would never have been a club legend, but he would be welcome by me for what he would bring to the team. But the line any fan draws on who is and isn’t acceptable to buy is different for all, and it is understandable why many fans want nothing to do with him.
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