Sunderland have signed England winger Adam Johnson on a four-year deal from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee.
Liverpool and Tottenham were believed to be interested in the 25-year-old, who made 26 Premier League appearances in City's title-winning campaign.
"Adding quality players to the squad has been our main aim this summer and Adam certainly fits that bill," said Black Cats manager Martin O'Neill.
Johnson's move follows Sunderland's signing of Steven Fletcher from Wolves.
The transfer will mean a return to the North East for Johnson, who came through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough.
"He has terrific ability, great delivery and I'm sure he is a player who will excite our fans," said O'Neill.
"I couldn't be more delighted to have him at the football club."
Johnson has 11 England caps, scoring two goals, and started for Roy Hodgson's side in the recent friendly victory over Italy.
He scored 15 goals in 97 games for City but 43 of those appearances came as a substitute as he struggled to hold down a place in Roberto Mancini's side.
Then again you could always read about it in the week old thread .viewtopic.php?f=119&t=43749 or the new insightful thread: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=43802
MANCHESTER CITY TO BANK £15MILLION AS EDIN DZEKO HEADS FOR JUVENTUS
JUVENTUS are thought to be close to matching Manchester City's demands for striker Edin Dzeko.
The Premier League champions will not consider selling the Bosnian international for less than £15million.
But, after deeming Athletic Bilbao star Fernando Llorente too expensive, the Serie A side are ready to pay up for Dzeko reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.
With the 26-year-old facing competition from Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli at the Etihad, Dzeko has found playing-time scarce in Manchester.
And City are willing to offload the former Werder Bremen star as long as they can complete a deal for Swansea's Scott Sinclair.
Roberto Mancini hopes for further Manchester City signings
Roberto Mancini thinks the final week of the transfer window will define whether Manchester City can challenge for the Champions League this season.
The Manchester City manager hopes to sign a central midfielder and a central defender before the transfer window shuts next Friday.
"I think we need to improve for the Champions League," he said.
"If we do a good job in the last week we can arrive in the [Champions League] final. That should be our target."
Manchester City's spending on players since the Abu Dhabi United Group takeover in September 2008 has been estimated at £447.9m.
With £94m recouped in player sales, it works out as a net loss of £353.9m on transfer fees alone.
Manchester City failed to progress from the group stages of the Champions League last season and Mancini feels he needs to bring players to the club who are able to deal with the challenges of European football.
"The Premier League you can lose one goal, lose one game or make one mistake and you have time to recover," he said.
"In the Champions League, no. If we want to improve, we need to do this for the Champions League. We need to do other things [in the transfer window]."
Manchester City's only signing of the summer so far is the £15m capture of Jack Rodwell from Everton, but Mancini remains interested in Athletic Bilbao's Javi Martinez, even though City are not willing to match the Spanish club's valuation.
"It is difficult. His cost is too big. It is too high for me," Mancini said. "We have another week and I think we will do something in this week but at the moment it is important to think about [Sunday's Premier League match with] Liverpool."
Mancini also refused to rule out reviving his interest in Roma's Daniele De Rossi, despite the Italian international appearing to dismiss a move earlier this week.
"This is a difficult situation but I don't know what can happen," Mancini said.
"From my experience when the window is still open anything can happen for every player."
City remain keen to move on a number of players, but Mancini says the lack of depth in his squad makes it impossible to allow the likes of Edin Dzeko to move on until new signings are lined up.
Mancini added: "We can't sell our players if we don't bring other players in. It is impossible. We have 19 players at the moment, a few players injured."
Mancini admitted City had found this summer's market extremely difficult to navigate with clubs demanding inflated prices.
"The market was really difficult, more difficult for us," he added.
"Every club that spoke with us started at £30-40m. This was not correct. Every player can have a price."
One player who Mancini does not believe will be joining City this summer is Liverpool's Daniel Agger.
When asked if there was still a chance Agger could sign, Mancini said: "No, no, no. No chance."
Roberto Mancini hopes Mario Balotelli will mature this season
MARIO BALOTELLI will step in for his first appearance of the season for Manchester City tomorrow with Robert Mancini admitting the maverick striker will not change overnight.
Balo cost City a point at Anfield last November, when he was sent off for two cautions in an 18-minute substitute’s appearance.
Mancini hopes Balotelli’s impressive performances during Euro 2012, where Italy coach Cesare Prandelli trusted him to lead his country’s attack, will help him mature – but says it will be a long process.
When asked if he had noticed any change in Balotelli since he returned from the Euros, the City boss said:
“Mario is the same. I don’t think that he can change in one month.
“The European Championship is like the World Cup, one month with every player trying 100 per cent. But hopefully the Euros can help him to improve.
“He is not only an important player for Italy. He also has a big responsibility here because we spent a lot of money on him.
Mario is the same. I don’t think that he can change in one month
Roberto Mancini
“In two years he has helped us win the FA Cup and Premier League and he has done well. But I think he can do better and I’m sure he will improve.”
Balotelli will replace Sergio Aguero, who has found himself in the middle of a club versus country row after Argentina surprisingly called him up for their two World Cup qualifiers next month despite being ruled out for a month with a knee injury.
Mancini will refuse to release Aguero before he has returned to action for his club. He is pencilled in to play at Stoke on September 15.
Mancini said: “It is impossible because Sergio needs a minimum of two weeks without training and then maybe after that he can start [training] again. He can’t go.”
Argentina may demand that Aguero flies to Buenos Aires for a medical check but Mancini said: “He can go and then come straight back. These are the rules and we have to respect the rules. But that would be ridiculous.
“We are very lucky with Sergio because it could have been a very serious injury.”
Gareth Barry, meanwhile, launched his comeback following a hernia operation with a 45-minute run-out for the reserves last night.
CARLOS TEVEZ IS MY ROLE MODEL SAYS LUIS SUAREZ
LUIS SUAREZ is using Carlos Tevez as an unlikely role model to rebuild his own battered reputation.
Last season it was a toss up which fiery South American was English football’s ‘Public Enemy No.1’.
Tevez went AWOL in Argentina for four months after a bust-up with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, while Liverpool star Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
Suarez was banned for eight matches, heavily fined and then made things worse by publicly snubbing Evra’s handshake at their reunion.
But the Uruguayan, who was booed throughout the Olympics by unforgiving fans, comes face to face with Tevez tomorrow at Anfield admitting he is happy to follow the Argentine star’s lead.
“Like any other problem someone has, you put it behind you and move on,” said the ex-Ajax striker.
“Yes, Carlos, had some problems as well. But he is a mature person and has sorted out those problems. He’s an excellent player and everyone in England is enjoying watching him play at this moment.
“There were clubs that wanted to sign me, but my priority was always to stay and sign for Liverpool.
“I am very happy here and the manager said he wanted me to stay because he was happy with me as a player.
“That gave me the confidence that I was hoping for and that helped me to stay and sign for Liverpool.
“The club has trust in me because of the work I do on the football pitch and what happened in the past is in the past. It is over.”
“I watched Tevez when I was playing in Holland and I could see he was doing really well,” said Suarez.
“That’s one of the things that really motivated me to come and play in the Premier League. I thought that if Tevez can do really well, then I could do too because I have a similar physical stature.
“South American players should have no problems settling into the English game, given the way they play.”
Suarez admits he plays on the edge and this can lead to him stepping over the line.
He infamously bit a player in Holland, denied Ghana in the 2010 World Cup with a goalline handball, head- butted a referee in Uruguay and has developed a reputation as a diver.
“I think I play football in a different way,” he said. “I love football and I put 100 per cent into it all the time.
“I recognise that sometimes this can lead to unusual behaviour, but it is because I love the game so much and I am so passionate about it.
“I have worked very hard to get where I am today and the 90 minutes on the pitch are so important to me.
“That is why I fight so hard. It was very hard for me as a kid to get through as a footballer in Uruguay.
“I had to sacrifice a lot of things to get where I am. Now I don’t want to miss any of the opportunities that are open to me. That’s why I play so hard on the pitch.
“Is that kid still inside me? No, not now. But from time to time I do remember playing football without shoes.”
He has had to develop a thick skin against the abuse from opposition fans.
“The only thing I am interested in is the fans of Liverpool and the fans of the national team of Uruguay,” he added.
“The others fans are fanatical about their own teams and it is not as if they are going to support or try and help an opposition player anyway, so I am not really that interested in the reception they give me.”
While he is clearly not bothered about launching a charm offensive, he admits he needs to sharpen up in front of goal after missing a sackful of chances in Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at West Brom.
“I am the problem,” he said. “It is all down to me. I need to take my time more when I do have chances. Sometimes I am rushing at chances too much and I know the problem is mine. It is up to me to sort it out and to start scoring goals.
“I am annoyed about last Saturday. I did the hardest thing, which was to get free of my marker. And after that I missed the “In Holland I scored a lot of lucky goals. If you look back on my goals for Ajax, you will see that a lot of times I didn’t even hit them properly but they went in.
“If there is one thing that is missing in this country it is that bit of luck that can make a big difference. I am hoping that it will return.”
Man City Look to Conduct Offload Eight This Week as Mancini Looks to Balance the Books
ROBERTO MANCINI’S revolving doors transfer strategy at Manchester City shows no sign of slowing.
With one week left before the transfer window closes, Adam Johnson, Edin Dzeko and Stefan Savic could all be plying their trade elsewhere next month.
City are also looking to shift five other players to trim their squad numbers and wage bill. Kolo Toure, Roque Santa Cruz, Michael Johnson , John Guidetti and Dedryck Boyata are all available.
Man City are more well known for spending than selling and this has led to an Etihad Stadium squad that is wildly expansive and with UEFA’s FFP (Financial Fair Play) guidelines in operation Roberto Mancini will be looking to trim his squad, especially if he wishes to make any other additions this summer.
Mancini has managed to offload big earner Emmanuel Adebayor and the object of this clear-out may indeed more about balancing the club’s wage bill as much as it is trying to garner funds from player sales.
Of the eight players mentioned by this source one would imagine Man City would expect to get fairly decent sums for Adam Johnson, Edin Dzeko and perhaps youngster John Guidetti. The remaining five are not likely to attract huge fees but are certainly players who do not appear to have much of a future at the Etihad Stadium.
England international Adam Johnson has apparently been the subject of a great deal of interest and given that the former Middlesbrough man has never really been a first team regular you would assume Mancini would accept offers for the 25 year old, however the Italian does like to stockpile players, a habit he may need to re-think in order to keep the club ticking over on a more cost-effective basis.
Edin Dzeko scored regularly last term and netted in the club’s opener against Southampton, but that doesn’t mean he is necessarily part of Roberto Mancini’s plans, however having spent a whopping £27m on the Bosnian the Man City boss will probably be told to make the lions share of that outlay back on any sale, that could prove tricky.
Michael Johnson and Roque Santa Cruz are so out of the first team picture that it’s likely that some newer members of the squad have ever laid eyes on them. Expect both to be sold or loaned out before the end of this summer.
Kolo Toure is not happy with being a back-up option and recent speculation, and genuine bids, for Liverpool defender Daniel Agger won’t have impressed the Ivory Coast international. The 30 year old lost his spot during his drugs ban and is not likely to get it back. Expect a move to the continent in the final week of the transfer window, but only if any prospective suitor is willing to meet his current wage demands.
SNUB COUNT BOLLOX: 457
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[/spoiler]C*NTS CORNER - Part 4
OTHER BOLLOX
Everton manager David Moyes has pulled off another coup by signing 17-year-old French wonderkid M'Baye Niang for £2m from Caen. the Sun
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is considering a move for Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge if Andy Carroll leaves Anfield over the next few days.
Daily Mail deleted, impressive stuff, see 4 days running award:
Chelsea have told Barcelona that defender David Luiz is not for sale at any price. Daily Express
Reading are in talks with West Ham about buying Hammers striker Carlton Cole for £5m. Daily Mirror
Middlesbrough's Marvin Emnes and Blackpool's Tom Ince have emerged as leading targets for Swansea City. South Wales Evening Post
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel believes the Premier League title race will be the toughest ever this season - but insists the Blues can clinch the crown. talkSPORT
Theo Walcott is in talks with Arsenal over a new five-year contract at the Emirates. Daily Mirror
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez insists he has a nice side despite admitting he gets angry on the pitch. Guardian
AIK Stockholm fans took their "12th man" role to the extreme when they travelled to the hotel of their club's Europa League opponents, CSKA Moscow, and set off fireworks in the middle of the night.
C*NTS CORNER - Part 5
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