Sunday's B*ll*x (updated)

[Chinners]

Official mcfc.co.uk B*ll*x
They say a week is a long time in politics, and 24 hours can feel similar when it comes to coverage of football.
With English clubs dotted all over the world, time differences mean there is comment and reaction constantly flying around the ether.
Roberto Mancini's comments about Samir Nasri & Sergio Aguero in an interview recorded in California elicited a response from Arsene Wenger, in China.
Still with us? That led to a host of headlines, with "Wenger blasts City counterpart" on Setanta a fairly standard example. But a few hours later City played in San Francisco and Roberto was asked questions on the subject once again. His words are everywhere, and Goal.com's version has the boss "shrugging off" the Arsenal manager's criticism.
The future of Carlos Tevez is, of course, the subject of enormous speculation once again, but there's a new potential destination on the radar. The Daily Star on Sunday claim that newly-enriched Malaga are ready to make a bid for the skipper
"Spanish club Malaga, like Manchester City now bankrolled by Arab money, have let it be known they will meet Carlos Tevez’s £230,000-a-week pay packet," writes Paul Hetherington.
"And they also intend to top an improved offer of £40million made to City for the Argentine striker by Brazilian club Corinthians."
But Argentina's departure from the Copa America on penalties is almost certain to mean even more talk about Tevez. And, centre of attention as ever, it was the man himself who missed the crucial spot-kick.
Goal.com's Daniel Edwards sums it up thus:
"As the Uruguayans rushed to mob penalty hero Martin Caceres and the Charrua section of Santa Fe erupted in flares and song, there were two figures in the Argentine camp more dejected than anyone else. Carlos Tevez, the man who saw his penalty saved by Fernando Muslera to put his team on the back foot and Sergio Batista, the coach who was convinced Carlitos should not be at the Copa America before going back on his decision."

Wenger fury shocks Mancini
City boss responds to criticism in Nasri row
Roberto Mancini has admitted he was surprised to be criticised so fiercely by Arsene Wenger over comments made about Samir Nasri. The Arsenal manager hit out at his Manchester City counterpart on Saturday, accusing him of breaking the 'basic rules of football' by discussing a desire to sign another club's player.
Mancini had stated that he was eager to sign Nasri 'by the end of the month', although City later clarified that he was talking about general transfer targets and not Nasri specifically.
The Italian has now tried to further play down his remarks about Nasri, insisting that he had said little to anger Wenger.
"I said only that Nasri, (Sergio) Aguero are two good players and I said also that Nasri is under contract with Arsenal," said Mancini. "I don't know why he's upset, but only this.
"Because the question was about some good players, I say that like this. I said also that Nasri is under contract with Arsenal, it's difficult. Only this."

Man City beats America in San Francisco
Shaun Wright-Phillips provided a reminder that he may still have a role to play at Manchester City by scoring the second goal in the club's 2-0 win over Mexican club America in a friendly at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Saturday.
Wright-Phillips, who is the subject of seemingly permanent transfer speculation as super-rich City continues to cram its squad with top-class players, scored in the 27th minute.
Ryan McGivern, who has spent the past two seasons on loan at Leicester City and Walsall, opened the scoring in the 17th. Edin Dzeko and Wright-Phillips easily worked the ball downfield through America's defense to set up the 21 year-old from Northern Ireland.
It was exactly the type of game manager Roberto Mancini hoped for when he told Wright-Phillips that he needed to play well this summer for a chance to stay at the club.
''Shaun is a good player and it turned out to be a good day for him,'' Mancini said. ''He's a good guy. Every time that that I have to choose a player for these games it's difficult because these are good guys. Today he played very well and scored a goal.''
Of more concern to Mancini would be the ongoing effort to seek a good transfer deal for captain Carlos Tevez, who has expressed a wish to return to South America to be nearer his family.
Tevez, who missed the crucial penalty in Argentina's shootout loss to Uruguay in the Copa America quarterfinals on Saturday, is the subject of interest from Brazilian club Corinthians, who had reportedly upped their transfer offer to $63 million.
''Probably I will speak to him, but not tonight,'' Mancini said. ''I'm very sorry for him because for Argentina it was really important (to play well in) Copa America.''
Dzeko played a role in the second goal, controlling the ball then dishing it to Wright-Phillips, whose 20-yard shot easily beat America goalie Armando Navarrete.
''I saw a glimpse of the goal and I thought I would try to get a clean strike,'' Wright-Phillips said. ''Normally I pass in that situation but I got the shot off and it went in.''
America missed two chances early after halftime and didn't get much else going while losing for the first time in four matches this summer.
''We were very lax in the beginning and that was something that I really didn't like too much,'' America coach Carlos Reinoso said. ''America has to be a very serious team, especially when matches like this come. We're on a good path.''
The game, played before a sparse crowd of 11,000, is part of a three-week summer tour across North America that includes Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Manchester City will play a against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Monday

Gael Clichy - Arsenal's trophy drought prompted me to join Manchester City
French left-back admits that he got tired of perennially being the also-rans and believes that his move to Eastlands will bring him and his new employers success in the future
Gael Clichy has admitted that he joined Manchester City because of Arsenal's trophy drought.
The Gunners have been consistently challenging for honours in the past six years, but have failed to win a single piece of silverware during that time.
And the full-back insists that he only made the move to Eastlands because of his desire to win trophies, rather than just compete for honours.
"After spending eight years with Arsenal it would have been easy to sign a new contract to stay there because they are a fantastic club that will always be challenging for trophies," said Clichy, according to The Mirror.
"But it got to a point for me where I didn’t just want to challenge for the titles only to be disappointed in the final weeks of the season. I wanted to play for a club that would win them.
"This isn’t meant as a criticism of Arsenal but I joined City because I felt that this was a club ready to win important trophies over the next few years.
"People might question how I can leave Arsenal for Manchester City but look at last season. At Arsenal we were challenging for all four trophies at one point.
"We were fighting for the league, in the knock-out stages of the Champions League, the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the final of the Carling Cup.
"But in the end we finished fourth and without a trophy. City came third and won the FA Cup. So I am joining a club that are winning trophies. I don’t feel I have joined a club that is inferior to Arsenal."
Clichy picked up a Premier League winner's medal with Arsenal in 2004, and the Gunners have won the league title 13 times in their history - as opposed to City's two triumphs, the most recent of which was 43 years ago.
But in recent years - since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour - the Eastlands club have been buying up the talent to taste success, and only last season broke their own trophy drought to win the FA Cup.
"Okay, Arsenal have a great history, but when you are a footballer you think only of what the future will bring.
"Of course, nothing is guaranteed here. It never is in football. But I believe I have made the right decision based on how I have watched this club develop over the last two years."
Clichy added: "I’ve only been at City a week but I look around and see a squad that is strong.
"I see a group of players good enough to allow the manager to rotate - and that is what makes a successful club.
"I know Arsenal’s fans are not happy that I have left, but I would still like to thank them and hope they understand that the time was right for me to take another challenge."

Tevez to quit City with Sergio Aguero as replacement zzzzzzz
Carlos Tevez is set to quit ­Manchester City this week, with €51m Sergio Aguero replacing him.
The FA Cup holders have decided to ditch their ­wantaway striker.
Tevez is primed to join ­Brazilian outfit ­Corinthians if the clubs agree a fee before Wednesday’s ­transfer ­deadline in Brazil.
City will immediately go for Tevez’s Argentina team-mate ­Aguero, who wants to leave ­Atletico ­Madrid.
Tevez’s exit marks a change in direction for City, who accept they can no longer keep their unhappy talisman.
City boss Roberto Mancini will be given the Tevez cash to recruit Aguero. He has a£45million get-out clause in his current contract.
Mancini, in San Francisco as City kicked off their pre-season tour of the United States with a game against Club America, admitted he was sympathetic to homesick Tevez's cause. City were hoping to raise £50million for their captain, but are now willing to lower their asking price.
Mancini said: "Carlos is a fantastic player, a good guy for me. If we lose him, we lose an important player. But it is important that every player is happy to stay here or in our team. This is the most important thing."

With the demise of NOTW we turn to the Star for tip top over the top bollox
MANCHESTER CITY are ready to spend almost £86million – on three players who are already at the club!
England goalkeeper Joe Hart and captain-elect Vincent Kompany will be rewarded with new five-year contracts worth £120,000 a week.
And defender Micah Richards, 23, has opened talks on a new deal which is expected to see his pay jump from £55,000 a week to £90,000.
Richards has two years left on his current contract and has been linked with Chelsea and Tottenham.
But he has told City that he is happy to stay at the Etihad Stadium and a new five-year deal is being discussed.
The biggest winner in the pay-hike stakes, though, will be Hart, 24, whose wage will rocket by £90,000-a-week from his present weekly wage of £30,000.
And those contracts will be enhanced further through bonuses for success and individual improvement.
Hart, Richards and Kompany, 25, are in the age group with which manager Roberto Mancini ideally wants to work.
Kompany will become captain at City if current skipper Carlos Tevez secures the move he is seeking.
Mega-rich City, though, are also looking to slash £500,000 a week OFF the wage bill.
They hope to achieve the cuts through the departures of strikers Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Jo, plus full-back Wayne Bridge.
Striker Mario Balotelli, meanwhile, has been told to take it easy in pre-season training after complaining of pain in the knee on which he had a clean-up operation just before Christmas.
Balotelli has been training on his own as he builds up his fitness and Mancini will strike fast to sign Atletico Madrid hitman Sergio Aguero, 23, and Arsenal’s Samir Nasri, 24, in a £65m double swoop.
The Italian coach believes Aguero will help make his new frontline, alongside Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, a fearsome and potent force.
Mancini said: “At the moment I am waiting because if we lose Carlos Tevez, Aguero is a player who can play for Manchester City. He is young and he is a good player, like Carlos.
“He can score a lot of goals and can play with Mario and with Edin. Will I make a bid? Probably yes. But I think in this moment we only have to wait.”
Mancini added: “Samir is under contract with Arsenal. It depends on many things. It is difficult for him.
“But I hope this player can arrive before the end of the month.”

Newcastle confident of securing deal for Wayne Bridge
NEWCASTLE UNITED boss Alan Pardew wants to sign Wayne Bridge whether Jose Enrique goes or not.
The former England left-back is one of many players surplus to requirements at Manchester City, and would be available for a nominal fee.
But the major stumbling block for Newcastle and other clubs interested in the 30-year-old are his reported £90,000-a-week wages.
Bridge will have to agree to a significant wage cut to secure a move.He would appear to be at odds with the current transfer policy favoured by owner Mike Ashley, who prefers to sign players with potential sell-on value.
And there have been no firm offers yet for contract rebel Enrique, whocurrently occupies the left-back spot.
But a St James Park source told People Sport: We would definitely be interested in Bridge. He would be a valuable addition to our squad, whether or not we sell Jose. But he would have to show us he still wants to play football and take a drop in his wages.
City have brought in former Blackburn chairman John Williams specifically to get the likes of Bridge, Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy off their wage bill and would be willing to cut a deal with the Toon on his wages.

Shay Given excited about Aston Villa glove affair, says Richard Dunne
SHAY Given is excited about starting a glove affair with Aston Villa, according to close pal Richard Dunne, and is confident of keeping up Brad Friedel’s shot-stopping standards.
Given is expected to be unveiled as Villa’s new No.1 tomorrow after undergoing a medical and finalising the personal terms of his £3.5 million switch from Manchester City yesterday and today.
The 35-year-old goalie is determined to kick-start his career at Villa Park after losing his jersey to Joe Hart last season and spending the past 12 months kicking his heels at Eastlands.
Given was reunited with former City team-mate and current Republic of Ireland international colleague Dunne during a tour of Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground on Friday afternoon.
And Dunne is convinced Irish and Brummie eyes will be smiling with Given joining an emerald green contingent which also includes midfielder Stephen Ireland and defender Ciaran Clark.
Dunne has been in regular contact with Given this summer and admits his goalkeeping compatriot is buzzing about the prospect of regular football for the claret and blues next season.
“I spoke to him earlier in the week, he just wanted to get here and get started,” said Dunne.
“He was frustrated over the way things have gone over the last year, I think he just wants to get playing again and he’ll be looking forward to it.



OTHER BOLLOX
Tottenham are closing in on a loan deal for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, despite a last-gasp bid of £7m from Aston Villa. Metro

QPR manager Neil Warnock is launching an ambitious bid to bring Spurs striker Peter Crouch back to Loftus Road. the People

Chelsea are ready to make a final £22m bid for 18-year-old Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku. the People

Manchester United are chasing Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, who has been dubbed the new Kaka. the People

Newcastle United club captain Fabricio Coloccini is still wanted by Sevilla. The La Liga club are poised to make a bid for the Argentine player early next week. Footie Online

West Ham United and Birmingham City are interested in Sunderland centre-back Anton Ferdinand, with the defender looking to leave the Stadium of Light following the arrival of defenders Wes Brown and John O'Shea from Manchester United. Footy Bunker

Arsenal will try to fill the void left by midfielder Cesc Fabregas's departure to Barcelona by making a concerted effort to bring Napoli's Marek Hamsik to the club. Fanatix

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will make the final decision on whether or not to sign West Ham's Scott Parker next week. Sunday Mirror

Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff has blasted Barcelona for dragging their heels over signing Cesc Fabregas. Sunday Mirror

EuroMillions jackpot winner Colin Weir has already identified football as his top priority for spending his £161m fortune - but instead of splashing out to buy local club Partick Thistle, he's going to invest in a luxury box at Barcelona. Metro

Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder's wife Yolanthe could hold the key to breaking the deadlock in his proposed £35m move to Manchester United.Mail on Sunday

Paul Lake was the B*ll*x
Paul Lake was Manchester born, a City fan from birth. His footballing talent was spotted at a young age and, in 1985, he signed coveted schoolboy forms for City. Just three years later he was handed the team captaincy, becoming the youngest ever City captain. An international career soon beckoned and, after turning out for the England under-21 and B teams, he received a call-up to the England training camp for Italia '90.

Despite missing out on a place in the final squad he suitably impressed the management, with Bobby Robson earmarking him as an England captain in the making. As a rising star Paul became a target for top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool, but he always stayed loyal to his beloved club, deeming Maine Road the spiritual home at which his destiny lay. But then, in September 1990, disaster struck. Paul ruptured his cruciate ligament and sustained the worst possible injury that a footballer can suffer. And so began his nightmare. Neglected, ignored and misunderstood by his club after a career-saving operation was irreversibly botched, Paul's career began to fall apart.Watching from the sidelines as similarly injured players regained their fitness, he spiralled into a prolonged bout of severe depression. With an enforced retirement from the game he adored, the death of his father and the collapse of his marriage, Paul was left a broken man. Set against the backdrop of one of the world's wealthiest football clubs at the end of their era at Maine Road, "I'm Not Really Here" is the powerful story of love and loss and the cruel, irreparable damage of injury; of determination, spirit and resilience and of unfulfilled potential and broken dreams.
http://www.play.com/Books/Books/-/100/1 ... type=genre

Couple of book signings have been lined up at the Stadium City Store on 25th August and the Arndale store on 26th August

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Hi Chinners

I'm just a bit surprised that there's no mention of Liverpool in today's commendable offering.

After all is said and done, King Kenny has only spent £105 million on players since January and surely the American coffers aren't empty yet ?? I would have thought that there was room for a tasty £35million bid for Cahill and even an astute £20million offer for Wayne Bridge; both deals conforming to the now accepted 'Liverpool Premium' (for overrated and overpriced English players) which is automatically activated when the Scousers come calling.

Or is it me just being cynical ??

By the way, today's Wag looks devishly attractive and interesting; would you care to tell us who she is and whose bicycle she might be riding ??

[Chinners]

Ok, some Liverpool shirty B*ll*x and splashing cash B*ll*x ... and the WAG is Matteo Ferrari's other half, the dirty looking Aida Yespica, so good I've added a WAG bonus below as a Sunday [strike]roast[/strike] treat.

He's a legend: Wayne Rooney hails fan who wore his No. 10 Manchester United shirt to Liverpool tour
Wayne Rooney has spoken out in praise of a fan who dared to turn up to a Liverpool training session in Malaysia wearing Rooney's Number 10 Manchester United shirt.
The supporter has become a YouTube sensation after footage was posted of him surrounded by hundreds of Liverpool fans at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil earlier this week.
The crowd, who were waiting to see Liverpool players run out to train as part of the club's tour of Malaysia, turned on the United fan in their midst chanting 'buka, buka' meaning 'take it off' *- but he refused.
[youtube]s0dcdoU51rk[/youtube]
When the shirt was finally forcibly removed from his back, he sat down bare-chested with arms defiantly folded to prevent the rival fans putting a Liverpool shirt over his shoulders.
He was finally escorted out of the stadium to cheers from the Liverpool supporters.
The un-named fan was praised by Rooney, who posted a message on his Twitter account saying: "The lad who went to watch Liverpool train in MUFC top with my name on the back is a legend.

* I thought that ment to cover ones face with man wee

Kenny Dalglish Splashes Cash As Liverpool Spirits Rise
The Kop lives in mortal fear of the mediocre buy, the non‑Liverpool signing: a dread that dates back to Phil Babb, Neil Ruddock, Julian Dicks and Jimmy Carter. These unwitting souls are among those blamed for the dilution of the great Anfield tradition of recruiting only aristocrats capable of maintaining the lustre of the Shankly‑Paisley era.
This understandable defensiveness is a problem for modern Liverpool managers because each new acquisition undergoes an especially fierce scrutiny, especially if he is British and therefore known to the Anfield jury. Buying an average player to perform a specific function stirs the anxieties of supporters who can reel off the duds of the past 10 years, from Paul Konchesky to Salif Diao, Fernando Morientes and Andrea Dossena, who still guarantee a rueful shake of the head on Merseyside.
Supporters who have witnessed five European Cup wins are within their rights to demand the highest possible standards, but in the current phase of mass transition there is little prospect of instant elevation to the Premier League's top spot. Kenny Dalglish is rebuilding not for a title push but a solid top-three place from which a proper challenge can then be mounted.
Unless my eyes fail me, Dalglish is organising a staged recovery. And it could be no other way, given the sheer number of passengers and stowaways who packed the squad over a decade of experimentation under Gérard Houllier and Rafael Benítez. The legacy of that transfer trawling still confronts Dalglish, who has so far managed to cull only Konchesky in his summer dealings.
The Englishman, bought by Roy Hodgson to perform a limited service at left-back, was perhaps the unhappiest of all recent temporary Anfield residents. His mother's brief declaration on Facebook that Liverpool fans were "scouse scum" was unlikely to endear her to the locals. This miserable relationship ended when the son trudged off to the King Power Stadium and Sven‑Goran Eriksson's Leicester City.
Plainly no tears will be shed if he is joined by Alberto Aquilani, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Milan Jovanovic or David Ngog. For all Dalglish's recent flourishes in the transfer shop, Liverpool's followers will only really relax when they no longer have to look at players who are emblematic of strategic failings stretching back to the Graeme Souness reign.
With Dalglish back in charge and more sensible American owners at the controls, you can sense a burning urge for there to be no more flops on the recruitment front. In that context, the £20m spent on Stewart Downing this week is bound to seem more risky than Liverpool fans would like. Each new face is cast against the backdrop of Robbie Keane, Ryan Babel and Bruno Cheyrou.
But a clear policy is emerging under Dalglish and Damien Comolli, the director of football whose presence is bound to cause friction at some point between manager and executive floor. First, Dalglish has employed his knowledge of the youth setup to hurry along John Flanagan, Conor Coady, Jack Robinson and probably now Raheem Sterling, a teenage firefly in wide positions.
At the core, Liverpool are investing in mid-twentysomethings, to escape the Europa League trap. Jordan Henderson, 21, and Andy Carroll, 22, are further down that scale, but this summer the main action has come closer to the point of full maturity, with Charlie Adam, 25, joining from Blackpool and Downing, 26, arriving just as his career starts bearing fruit.
To see Liverpool spending £36m on Henderson and Downing is bound to unsettle the congregation, especially after the £35m splurge on Carroll, who was listed in Newcastle's accounts only 18 months ago as a £500,000 asset.
In the deepest recesses of Anfield there is mounting anxiety about Carroll's prospects of graduating to Ian Rush level. Aspects of his "lifestyle" suggest a less than austere approach to life away from the pitch, which may explain the club's interest in the similarly meaty 18-year-old Connor Wickham, who moved instead to Sunderland.
Extending the contract of Glen Johnson, 26, was another act of mid‑range consolidation, and while these names are unlikely to revive memories of John Barnes, Kevin Keegan, Souness or Dalglish himself, they are a realistic first response to the might of Manchester United, the capriciousness of Chelsea and the petro-wealth of Manchester City, whose £400m deal with Etihad Airlines has so upset the Anfield board.
At this moment in their rise from upper mid-table it is less about instant Hollywood sparkle than assembling a core of hardened pros who can lift some of the burden off Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. When John Henry's firm ousted the speculator-clowns Tom Hicks and George Gillett, we all ran off with the Moneyball theory about cheap talent acquisition.
In the event, Liverpool have had to pay well over the odds for players whose price tags massively outweigh their achievements, but it still feels like a shift in the right direction. In this needy age, the CV and star profile are everything but Liverpool are still in the business of restoring something far more precious: their spirit.

[Slim]

Hi Chinners

I'm just a bit surprised that there's no mention of Liverpool in today's commendable offering.

After all is said and done, King Kenny has only spent £105 million on players since January and surely the American coffers aren't empty yet ?? I would have thought that there was room for a tasty £35million bid for Cahill and even an astute £20million offer for Wayne Bridge; both deals conforming to the now accepted 'Liverpool Premium' (for overrated and overpriced English players) which is automatically activated when the Scousers come calling.

Or is it me just being cynical ??

By the way, today's Wag looks devishly attractive and interesting; would you care to tell us who she is and whose bicycle she might be riding ??

http://www.celebrityonlines.com/post/Ai ... hotos.html

[paddyblue]

“But I hope this player can arrive before the end of the month.”

did mancini really say that? i thought he said we need a couple of players an i hope they arrive before the end of the month.
of course i may be wrong

[Chinners]

Milner targets improvement
Versatile midfielder hoping to play his part in bright future for City
James Milner admits Manchester City will be looking to better their achievements from last season in 2011/12.
The ambitious Blues started to see a return on Sheikh Mansour's considerable investment last term, as Roberto Mancini's star-studded squad began to fulfil their undoubted potential.
A third-place finish was secured in the Premier League, sealing a place in the UEFA Champions League, while FA Cup glory saw the club end their 35-year wait for major silverware.
City are not prepared to sit back and bask in that glory, though, with it their intention to climb to the very summit of English and European football.
Fresh faces have been drafted in once again this summer, bringing further competition for places, and they are expected to challenge on multiple fronts in the forthcoming campaign.
Milner and his colleagues appreciate that ongoing improvement is imperative, with City still some way short of hitting their lofty targets.
"The main thing is to push Manchester City forward as a club," the England international told Sky Sports News.
"We had a good season last season but it's all about bettering that. To do what we did again last season, you have to keep pushing on and keep improving year on year."
While progress is the aim, Milner claims the club are not setting any specific targets.
He added: "We had a good season (last year), third in the league is a good achievement.
"Every team has strengthened their squad as well and there are obviously a lot of top teams. The Champions League is going to be a new experience for us as a squad, so we will see what happens and take things as they come. We will try and improve on last year.
"Last year we didn't really give ourselves targets, we knew that the target was fourth place but we didn't just settle for that, we kept going and seeing what we could achieve.
"I'm sure we will do that this year and who knows what we can achieve."

Carlos Tévez can be replaced as Manchester City's figurehead by Sergio Agüero
Diego Maradona has already given his son-in-law his blessing.
Now all that stands between Sergio Agüero’s move to Manchester City and possible greatness is the small matter of a payment of £38 million to Atlético Madrid. Which will not be a problem. Not only do the owners of Manchester City, the Abu Dhabi United Group, still have money to burn, they are also about to turn a big profit on Carlos Tévez, bought for £23 million when he left Manchester City two years ago, and now on the brink of a £40 million move to his former club Corinthians.

There has also been a growing desperation within the newly-named Etihad Stadium for the arrival of not just another big-money signing, but the capture of someone who will assume the identity of the next phase of Sheikh Mansour’s Blue Moon blueprint for global domination.
The childish, churlish Mario Balotelli has failed to accept such a mantle and Edin Dzeko has miserably underwhelmed as a capturer of the imagination, far less a scorer of goals.
Tévez was supposed to be the muse and local billboards celebrated his standing as the icon of new beginnings, much to the annoyance of Sir Alex Ferguson, but for all of his considerable contribution he always gave the impression of being someone in transit. He is now about to move into the departure lounge.
What Roberto Mancini, Mansour and the club’s supporters have been looking for all along is someone to romance their hearts, a figurehead no matter how expensive or even cheap, who can take them beyond mere financial machinations and into the fantasy land that all of them seek so much.
Agüero may just be the man to do that. He is aged only 23, but he already has five years of life in La Liga behind him, during which he has scored 74 goals in 175 games. Even a basic grasp of mathematics suggests he has what it takes.
Back home in Argentina he became the youngest ever to play in the First Division at the very tender age of 15 years and 35 days. The previous record holder was Maradona.
The pair are now family in a different sense. Agüero is married to Maradona’s youngest daughter Giannina and the couple have a two-year-old son, Benjamin. Agüero has declared he will not return to Atlético after the Copa America ends this month, his father-in-law has said he is right, and has said that he would be happy for him to move to City or Chelsea.
Agüero has a £38 million escape clause in his contract and City will trigger it because they now accept that Tévez is a goner. The feeling inside the club is that it will be better off on two counts.
Agüero is very keen on a move to Manchester while Tévez is just not keen on staying because he wants to be closer to his two daughters in South America and it is now recognised that nothing can change his mindset.
Mancini wants only to move forward. Tévez is blocking that process and while the original asking price was £50 million, City will take £10 million less just to be done with the drama of it all.
City’s manager has already been talking up a future with Argentina’s newest star, saying: “Agüero is a player that can play for Manchester City because he is young and he is a good player like Carlos. He can score a lot of goals and can play with Mario, with Edin ... it could be [that he joins].”
Agüero has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid, as well as to Juventus but City sources confirmed last night that Mancini believes he will get Agüero, just as he has begun to accept that Tévez will leave, and with the Brazilian transfer window slowing on Wednesday that departure may well be sooner rather than later.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Hi Chinners

I'm just a bit surprised that there's no mention of Liverpool in today's commendable offering.

After all is said and done, King Kenny has only spent £105 million on players since January and surely the American coffers aren't empty yet ?? I would have thought that there was room for a tasty £35million bid for Cahill and even an astute £20million offer for Wayne Bridge; both deals conforming to the now accepted 'Liverpool Premium' (for overrated and overpriced English players) which is automatically activated when the Scousers come calling.

Or is it me just being cynical ??

By the way, today's Wag looks devishly attractive and interesting; would you care to tell us who she is and whose bicycle she might be riding ??

http://www.celebrityonlines.com/post/Ai ... hotos.html

Thanks for that, Slim.....she looks good enough to be in the Tour de France.