It is just possible that Aguero is not a replacement for Tevez, and that he may still be replaced.
At times last year we were struggling for strikers, with Tevez injured or off on one, Balotelli suspended or injured or both, and we just scraped through really. With all the demands of the season coming up, is Aguero, Balotelli and Dzeko enough? Bearing in mind that Bobby had 6 at Inter for one position. Gudetti has yet to comvince me at any rate.
So as it seems we are going to go for the title in a big way, with at least another 2 signings according to Mr M, a midfielder and a winger, is it possible the straight swap deal for Eto'o will help us to the title and scare the wits out of Scum, Chelski and any other deluded pretenders? As long as he doesn't piss about so much this time, which I dont think he will.
The Telegraph seems to think so today. And of course there is always the option of Tevez staying.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... -Etoo.html
Manchester City and Inter Milan will hold talks over a swap deal involving Carlos Tévez and Samuel Eto’o this weekend.
Both clubs are in Ireland for the Dublin Super Cup pre-season competition which also involves Celtic. Manchester City and Inter will meet on Sunday.
It is understood that the deal being proposed is a straight swap — valuing each player at around £40 million — with City keen to offload Tévez, who wants to leave, after signing Sergio Agüero for £38 million from Atlético Madrid as his replacement. Their wages are thought to be comparable.
Ironically City had hoped to pair Tévez and Eto’o as their strike-force two years ago. They signed Tévez but failed to land Eto’o after becoming frustrated with negotiations.
The club pulled out of talks with Barcelona, with chief executive Garry Cook making a public statement. The Cameroon striker then tried to resurrect the deal before he eventually moved to Inter, where he won the Champions League in his first season.
Eto’o, 30, is now believed to want to move to City and secure one final big contract before the end of his career. Preliminary talks have been held between the two clubs, over the phone, in the last few days and it is hoped they will be formalised in Dublin this weekend.
City held tentative discussions earlier this summer about the swap deal but that was abandoned again because of Eto’o’s demands. He has been trying to negotiate a new deal at Inter, without success, and is open to the move.
Despite a difficult campaign last season, Eto’o scored 21 goals while Tévez was the Premier League’s top scorer.
Tévez was close to securing a transfer back to South America, rejoining the Brazilian club Corinthians, but that collapsed. Corinthians ran out of time as the South American transfer window closed and there was dispute over the payments after a fee of £40 million was close to being agreed.
Inter have been one of three European clubs who have expressed an interest in Tévez, along with Juventus and Real Madrid, and it is thought that the player’s adviser, Kia Joorabchian, flew to Italy this week to see whether a deal was possible.
City had said they would not sell Tévez to a European club for less than £50 million but that is negotiable given the urgency for him to go and the possibility of Eto’o arriving.
Tévez, 27, cited a desire to be closer to his wife and two daughters — who struggled to settle in England — as the reason for wanting to quit City this summer, having already submitted a transfer request at the end of last year.
He had hoped that meant a move to Corinthians but it is believed that he would regard moving to Italy, and living in Milan, as a compromise that would persuade his wife, Vanessa, to spend more time in Europe.
Eto’o would expect to partner Agüero in a new-look City attack as they attempt to win the Premier League next season.
It means, however, that City also now have to concentrate their efforts on trying to off load Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy.
Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Adebayor but also want City to heavily subsidise his wages.
Real have pulled out of any move, for now, having in principle agreed to sign Neymar — who was wanted by Chelsea – from the Brazilian club Santos in January. City have also yet to decide whether to sell, or possibly loan, winger Adam Johnson, who appears to have fallen out of favour with manager Roberto Mancini.
Chelsea made an inquiry over Johnson’s availability earlier this summer but that interest has been put on hold as new manager Andre Villas-Boas assesses his options, especially as he has little room for manoeuvre in his squad without moving on some senior players.
Villas-Boas said that he felt City’s transfer dealings meant it was “pretty clear” they were genuine title contenders.
“They are building a squad to threaten for the title,” he said. “They are making good signings and they can threaten for the league as well. Agüero will do well, I think.”
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