QPR weigh up January move for Manchester City outcast Bridge
Queens Park Rangers are considering giving Wayne Bridge a route out of his Manchester City nightmare.
Manager Neil Warnock is looking to recruit a left back as Armand Traore is set to miss a significant part of next month to join up with Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Warnock believes signing Bridge could be the answer and may make a bid when the January transfer window opens.
The former England full back, 31, is still trying to negotiate a severance package with City to ensure his release as a free agent next month — which could pave the way for a move.
But Rangers would not be prepared to take on all of Bridge’s £95,000-per-week wages and negotiating a suitable pay package would be a key to any deal taking place.
Arsenal are also keen on Bridge as they look for a short-term solution to their left-back problem, with Andre Santos and Kieran Gibbs both out injured. Bridge has made just one appearance for City this season, in the Carling Cup.
In an exclusive interview with Sportsmail last week, Bridge spoke of his frustration at City, claiming communication with manager Roberto Mancini had all but broken down.
Manchester City are bracing themselves for January bids for promising young striker John Guidetti after Spanish side Espanyol admitted their interest in the young Swede. Catalan SPORT
Inter to rival AC Milan for Tevez signature
Inter Milan are prepared to battle with city rivals AC Milan to secure the signature of wantaway Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez.
All recent speculation has pointed to Tevez making a move to the red half of Milan in January, but reports in Italian newspaper La Repubblica suggest that Inter have not given up on signing the Argentinian forward and that the club will send one of its directors to negotiate with City officials next week.
Tevez hasn’t featured for Manchester City since September and City boss Roberto Mancini expects the troubled forward to leave Manchester in January.
Inter manager Claudio Ranieri is expected to sanction several departures as he looks to freshen up his squad, and could finance the signing of Tevez by selling Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder.
Aguero's fairytale ending to a special year! City striker steps out at Disneyland Paris
As a superstar Premier League and international striker on an astronomical wage who just so happens to have married in to the first family of Argentinian football, Sergio Aguero must sometimes think he's living in a fairytale.
So what better place to spend a short Christmas break than Disneyland Paris.
The Manchester City man faced nights in West Bromwich and, to come, in Sunderland over the festive period and chose to enjoy a brief excursion in the French capital between the two games.
Visiting the resort with wife Giannina, the daughter of arguably the planet's finest ever footballer, Diego Maradona, and son Benjamin, Aguero tweeted a picture of him and his young family alongside Disney characters Donald Duck and Daisy Duck.
The beaming portrait is in keeping with the way Aguero plays his football.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a stellar start to life at the Etihad Stadium, grabbing a brace and a spectacular assist in just 20 minutes on his first appearance for the club.
He has gone on to score 15 goals in 19 starts, helping City to the summit of the Premier League and into the Carling Cup semi-final, where they play Liverpool next month.
Stub it out, Mario!
City boss Mancini begs Balotelli to quit his five-a-day smoking habit That's a wrap! Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli turns his £100k white Maserati black Aguero's fairytale ending to a special year! City striker steps out at Disneyland Paris
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed that controversial striker Mario Balotelli is refusing to give up a smoking habit thought to involve up to two packets of cigarettes a week.
Vital Sunderland trio could miss Man City game
MARTIN O’Neill admits the depth of Sunderland’s squad is being tested, with up to three players likely to miss tomorrow’s visit of Manchester City.
Defenders Phil Bardsley (thigh) and Titus Bramble (Achilles/calf) are almost certainly out of the Stadium of Light clash after being forced off in Boxing Day’s draw with Everton, while the duo are also unlikely to feature in Tuesday’s trip to struggling Wigan Athletic.
The versatile Kieran Richardson is another major doubt for tomorrow’s game after struggling with a virus all week – leaving O’Neill’s defensive options desperately thin, with Michael Turner on the sidelines for another month with a knee injury.
The likes of rookies John Egan and Louis Laing, along with in-from-the-cold Matt Kilgallon, could be pressed into action in the back four, although midfielders Jack Colback, Craig Gardner and Ahmed Elmohamady are perhaps likelier options as makeshift full-backs.
O’Neill said: “We’re stretched at this minute.
“Kieran has been ill for the last three or four days.
“At the beginning of the week, it didn’t cause me any concern because we had a few days to try to resolve it.
“But it still seems to be hovering. He was in yesterday and we want to get some training into him.
“Bardsley and Bramble will be struggling for the game and for Tuesday as well. At this minute, I don’t know if they will be longer.
“That is a major blow to us because they are obviously two players in the defence and we have not got the largest of squads to choose from. It is a concern with Michael Turner out as well.
“Matt Kilgallon and a number of players who have not played might find themselves playing in the team.
“In an ideal world, it would be great to have our best defenders available. But if it’s not the case, we will have to make do.”
Neither Fraizer Campbell or Connor Wickham will feature in the match-day squad either as both make their way back from knee injury lay-offs.
“Connor is making progress, but we just have to be a wee bit careful with him,” said O’Neill.
“Fraizer trained with us the other day and he had a wee bit of a setback when he felt the bottom of his hamstring.
“But I’m hoping that was a little bit of tightness rather than anything else.”
O’Neill added that the spate of defensive injuries may alter his thinking in the January transfer window, but reiterated his stance of playing down expectations of significant recruitment.
“This is the last opportunity that you get before the window closes up,” he said.
“I have said repeatedly here that it was not the promise of things that may or may not happen in January which saw me take the job.
“But it is a concern, with having so many injuries and recovery time for some of them being longer than you expect.”
DISGUSTING BOLLOX
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini offers journalists a celebratory tipple and proposes a toast to the new year and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who celebrates his 70th birthday on 31 December.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16364533.stm
Sacked Manchester City security man 'told he put squad at risk of Taliban attack’ by helping fan
A SECURITY guard at Manchester City has been sacked after being told he had put the team at risk of a Taliban attack.
Bosses at G4S, which runs security for the club, fired Mike Corbett after telling a fan when they would be at Manchester Airport.
Mr Corbett, 65, said he was told that his call to the disabled fan could have been intercepted by terrorists.
Mr Corbett, from Cadishead, Salford, said: “The fan is harmless and all the players know her.
“She was frantic with worry that she had missed the team at the airport and called me so I told her the bus was on the way to calm her down. I went on holiday and when I got back I had to go to a disciplinary meeting where they sacked me.
“They said the Taliban could have got hold of the message and blown the team up.”
Mike has worked as a gate man at the Blues’ Carrington training complex after stints at both Maine Road and the Etihad Stadium.
He has a framed letter from former chief executive Garry Cook thanking him for his service and a shirt signed by all the players given to him for his 65th birthday.
He said: “The club have always been brilliant with me. The TV in my front room was given to me by Carlos Tevez when he bought 17 for the staff one Christmas.
“This was not City’s decision. But I hoped that when they found out they might have got involved. I just want to go back to the job I love for another five years and then I can retire.”
A spokesman for G4S said: “We can confirm that following an internal investigation a member of staff has been dismissed.
“G4S operates the highest standards of security and we will take all necessary action to ensure these are maintained at all times.”
A City spokesman said the club only found out about Mr Corbett’s sacking after it had happened.
He added that it could not interfere with G4S company
policy.
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[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Liverpool are trying to gazump Chelsea's move for Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill. The England defender had been expected to join the Blues after a £7m deal was agreed. But there has been a disagreement over personal terms and Liverpool are poised to take advantage.Daily Mirror
Manchester United striker Federico Macheda is 95% certain to join Queens Park Rangers on loan in January, according to his agent. skysports.com
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has revealed the club look set to offer defender Ledley King a new contract. Daily Mail
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is battling with old club Southampton for Dutch goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter, who currently plays for FC Volendam. the Sun
Former Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper looks set to reject QPR and Sunderland to stay at Celtic. Metro
Blackburn manager Steve Kean has been told there is no bumper transfer 'war chest' available to him in January - as owner's Venky's consider selling some of Rovers' prized assets to finance any squad rebuild. Lancashire Telegraph
Arsenal and Stoke sent scouts to watch Toulouse full-back Aymen Abdennour play for Tunisia against Catalonia in a friendly on Friday. insidefutbol.com
Fulham are closing in on a loan deal for Marseille forward Andre-Pierre Gignac and could bid for his international team-mate Guillaume Hoarau. talkSHIT
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has told midfielder Josh McEachran he can leave the club on loan next month - with Bolton favourites to sign him. talkSHIT
The Blues are also believed to be in pole position to sign midfielder Jack Rodwell from Everton but want the player's £20m price tag reduced. Daily Mirror
Norwich are hoping to land both Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong on loan in January as they look to avoid relegation. Footybunker
Aston Villa are giving a trial to Nigerian defender Chibuzor Okonkwo, who currently plays for Heartland in Nigeria. the Sun
Former England captain David Beckham is believed to have urged Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard to join LA Galaxy. the Sun
Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic is on course to return to action next season after successfully undergoing knee surgery, but striker Michael Owen and midfielder Tom Cleverley are still some way off returning from injury. manutd.com
Wolves' Scottish striker Steven Fletcher looks set to tell Olympic bosses he will play for Team GB in London 2012. the Sun
Nick Barmby has warned Hull's owners he could quit as manager if they sell his best players in January. Daily Mirror
Liverpool legend Ian Rush insists striker Andy Carroll will be a success at Anfield. talkSHIT
Arsene Wenger has dismissed QPR captain Joey Barton's claims that he nearly signed for Arsenal. Daily Mirror
Tottenham's Gareth Bale is the player Barcelona fans want as their star signing next summer. The Spurs playmaker got 57% of votes in a poll of 3000 fans of the Spanish giants.El Mundo Deportivo
