Mario Balotelli and Joleon Lescott fate will dictate whether Roberto Mancini has the wriggle room to beef up his Etihad squad
City insist that they have no intention of doing any dealing in the winter transfer window – but with the rider that they will move if ‘an opportunity presents itself”.
Perhaps that is a wise policy, as last summer’s moves in the market have not proved a huge success, the title-winning squad being improved by the addition of Matija Nastasic but standing still in other areas.
No doubt Roberto Mancini is itching to add top quality to his group of players, as the club has persistently failed to bring in a top-class winger, having pursued both Alexis Sanchez and Eden Hazard without success.
Mancini clashed with Brian Marwood, the then football administrator over last summer’s transfer policy. Now Marwood, who was switched to taking charge of the club academy, is being linked with a move back to Arsenal where he made his name as a player.
The Blues also need another authoritative midfielder, a situation which will be highlighted next week, when Yaya Toure flies out on international duty, an absence of up to six matches depending on Ivory Coast’s progress.
With youngster Abdul Razak joining him in South Africa – along with brother Kolo – and with Jack Rodwell plagued by injury troubles and Samir Nasri facing a three-match ban if his appeal is unsuccessful, City will be down to four fit midfielders.
The uncertainty over the futures of Mario Balotelli and Joleon Lescott also offer intriguing possibilities when the window opens tonight.
City have been adamant all along that there will be no strikers coming in unless one heads out, but the signs are that Mancini has finally lost patience with Balotelli after his ‘illness’ over the Christmas period.
If they can find a buyer, City will sell Balotelli and may even be prepared to loan him out to a Serie A club for the second half of the season.
That would free up a place for a striker, and one possibility is that Barcelona ace David Villa – already wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal – could be tempted to join the Blues on a loan deal, especially with ex-Barca man Txiki Begiristain heading up City’s player acquisition team these days.
The Blues are also eyeing Atletico Madrid’s brilliant Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, although the £41million asking price would have to fall dramatically – he is more likely to be a summer target.
City have also been keeping tabs on Malaga’s precocious 20-year-old Isco.
Mancini has persistently said Lescott is an important part of his squad, but there has been talk of him being available for £8m – with Everton, Sunderland and QPR leading the interest.
However with Kolo Toure off on international duty, Lescott may have to wait until summer if he decides he wants to leave.
By then, 18-year-old Karim Rekik will be closer to first team level, and the Blues are believed to be lining up a move for one of Borussia Dortmund’s impressive central defensive duo Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels.
Serbian star Subotic is said to have agreed a new deal with Dortmund but Germany international Hummels is an attractive alternative.
Blue Moon to rise over Etihad Stadium
Manchester City Football Club has revealed plans to build an iconic landmark around the Etihad Stadium.
The club say the so-called City Circle has been inspired by fans and is dedicated to them.
It will take the form of thousands of supporter messages in the shape of personalised ‘Bluemoondiscs’ spelling out the lyrics of the fans’ favourite Club anthem, Blue Moon.
The new tribute will see all four verses of the terrace classic written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart recreated from approximately 40,000 circular disks and is set become the UK’s largest permanent fan tribute. Each letter will span more than two metres in height.
The disks, which feature the City crest and can be personalised with inscriptions, are available for supporters to pre-order at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/citycircle.
The club says City Circle is part of the Club’s on-going plans to enhance the Etihad Stadium and will not only ensure supporters have a permanent place in the club’s rich history, but also provide a lasting tribute to fans, players and individuals past and present.
Operations Director Steve Sayer said: “Manchester City has always been a Club built on its fans. They are part of our DNA and make up the very fabric of whom and what we are today.
''City Circle is our way of enabling supporters to get closer to the Club they love and actually become part of the foundations of the stadium, for many years to come.
“City Circle lets fans make their mark, be it birthday and memorial tributes, memories that have helped shape our history or messages that will hopefully inspire future generations of City fans to come.”
Phase one of the construction is set to commence in 2013, with subsequent phases to follow.
The Japanese wonderkid hoping to outshine Shinji Kagawa in Manchester
Hideki Ishige, pictured here picking up the 2011 Asian Young Footballer of the Year award, looks more like an innocent mascot than a footballer, but will get the chance to impress on trial at Man City this week
Alex Ferguson ensured Manchester would be big in Japan when he swooped for Far East favourite Shinji Kagawa in August 2012, and now his managerial rival Roberto Mancini has followed suit by taking last year's Asian Young Footballer of the Year on trial at Eastlands.
Name: Hideki Ishige
Date of birth: 21 September, 1994
Birthplace: Shizuoka, Japan
Position: Midfielder
Club: Shimuzu S-Pulse
Honours: Asian Young Footballer of the Year, 2011
After the completion of Japan's J League in December 2012, Shimizu S-Pulse have given 18-year-old midfield starlet Hideki Ishige permission to train with Man City this week. Although there is no indication that City will make this move permanent, the Japanese side will not stand in the youngster's way if and when an attractive offer from Europe is presented to them, placing added pressure on City's eagle-eyed coaching set-up to judge Ishige's potential accurately.
Did you know?
1) Following in Shinji Ono's footsteps, Ishige is the second central midfielder to emerge from Japan's Shizuoka region, with both players clinching Asia's Young Footballer of the Year gong at the start of their professional career. Ono is now in the twilight of his playing days after enjoying four impressive seasons in the Netherlands with Feyenoord and three years at Bochum in the Bundesliga.
2) Unlike Ono, who was swiftly snapped up by J League giants Urawa Red Diamonds after graduating from high school in Shizuoka, Ishige was offered professional terms by local mid-table outfit S-Pulse, while still at school. He has been gradually bedded into first team action this year, making 16 appearances in the Japanese league and league cup.
3) There are few doubts over Ishige's technical ability with the youngster earning rave reviews for his deft touch, long range passing ability and a football brain far beyond his tender years. The biggest concern remains Ishige's slight frame and at just 5ft 6in, he will need to invest in some protein shakes to compete at the highest level.
4) It's thought that S-Pulse's experienced manager Afshin Ghotbi was instrumental in the deal that sees Ishige fly over to Manchester with an opportunity to train alongside some of the world's finest players. Ghoti has previously served as assistant to Gus Hiddink with the South Korea national side, spent time coaching at LA Galaxy and managed the Iran senior team.
5) Ishige first caught the eye of Europe's top scouts with three goals and several impressive performances to help fire Japan's U17 side into the 2011 U17 FIFA World Cup. The Japanese were eventually edged out 3-2 by Brazil.
Sheikh prizes 'export' value of Balotelli
A major reason why Mario Balotelli is still at Manchester City is support from the club's owner, Sheikh Mansour.
In an interview with the Italian sports paper Gazzetta dello Sport, Roberto Mancini revealed that the sheikh is a fan of the 22-year-old, who has not played since a disastrous performance in the Manchester derby on 9 December.
The Manchester City manager said he might make the bench for this afternoon's game against Stoke City.
"Sheikh Mansour likes Balotelli because he recognises his talent and he exports the name of Manchester City all over the world," Mancini said. "We need to consider that Mario was a major investment and we are not a club that throws its money out of the window.
"I love him because we have been together for many years and I have seen him grow up, but our professional relationship is another thing and I have told Mario what I need from him.
"The time for cheap talk is over. Balotelli is 22 and I am asking for more commitment in training, a more stable private life and correct behaviour on the pitch."
He added that should follow the example of Francesco Totti, who is still playing for Roma at the age of 36.Independent
MANCINI’S REGRET OVER UNITED STAR ROBIN VAN PERSIE
ROBERTO MANCINI has admitted Manchester City’s failure to sign Robin van Persie could cost them the Premier League title.
Mancini made no secret that Van Persie was his top summer transfer target and claimed he was “very close” to signing him three or four months before his £24 ?million move to Manchester United in August.
Since then he has watched with increasing frustration as the former Arsenal star has clocked up 14 goals and eight assists in the Premier League to help United establish a seven-point lead over City.
Mancini claims Van Persie’s all-round talents and ability to play effectively in three positions – centre-forward, wide man and in the hole – is the only difference between the two title rivals.
“At this moment Robin van Persie is a very important player for United,” he said. “He has 14 goals in the Premier League and it is clear he has changed their situation. At the moment, he is the difference between us.
“We wanted Van Persie because we knew he was totally different from our other strikers. We wanted to improve our team, for the Premier League and for the Champions League.
“We were very close to signing him three or four months before he went to United and we were sure it would be very good for us.
“But it did not happen and now we can do nothing about it.
“I know what the reason was but I won’t say. It was not about money. I don’t know if he listened to his heart. He made his decision but three or four months before that we were there.”
Mancini may have been reluctant to discuss it yesterday but the two key reasons why he did not get his man are well documented.
Firstly, City dragged their heels over the deal because their board insisted on selling one of their other strikers first in order to balance the books, causing a great deal of friction between Mancini and the club’s former football administration director Brian Marwood, now in charge of their academy.
Secondly, and crucially, Van Persie preferred to join United, admitting that he listened to “the little boy inside” and was attracted not only to the club’s worldwide profile and history but Sir Alex Ferguson’s track record of winning trophies, citing the lack of silverware in his career as being the main reason he quit Arsenal.
Mancini’s criticism of his strikers for not scoring enough goals following the Boxing Day defeat at Sunderland brought a positive response in the 4-3 win at Norwich on Saturday when Edin Dzeko scored twice and Sergio Aguero once.
He also has Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli in a stable of forwards that cost City £112?m – but would still have loved to have signed Van Persie.
He added: “I am happy with my strikers because last season they scored more than anyone else in the Premier League. But when you can improve your team with other top players it is important to do it. With Van Persie it means you can sometimes play three strikers.”
Dzeko will keep his place against Stoke today but with a warning from Mancini he will only stay in the team if he keeps scoring. “If he scores two goals every game we don’t have a problem,” said Mancini.
“I hope he can continue to score and play well. We have 23 players in the squad who want to start games. This is impossible. When they have a chance to play, they should take their chance, like Edin did at Norwich.”
Quite apart from Van Persie’s sparkling form across town, Mancini has three reasons to be angry as he enters the New Year.
Firstly, he is furious that the Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, plus youngster Abdul Razak will miss Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Watford because they have been ordered to attend a pre-African Nations Cup squad meeting with the Ivory Coast.
Mancini said: “Their manager wants them for a meeting on Saturday at noon. It is incredible.”
Secondly, he will be without Samir Nasri for three games after City decided not to appeal against his red card for butting Bassong at Norwich.
Thirdly, he is incredulous that the FA are considering charging him with misconduct for suggesting Boxing Day referee Kevin Friend had “ate too much for Christmas”.
“It was a joke, “ he said, before pointing to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Boxing Day behaviour.
“Maybe next time I will go on the pitch and go like this [waving his arms] to the referee!”
GOLDEN BOLLOX 1/1/2009
Manchester City are plotting a January swoop for Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Inter Milan defender Maicon.Daily Mirror
Mancini is close to agreeing a deal to make Ivan Cordoba, Inter's Colombian defender, his first signing as City manager.
But with the Italian already targeting a top-four finish at Eastlands after succeeding the sacked Mark Hughes two weeks ago, he admits that City's financial power will enable him to pursue the world's best players if he can guide the club into the Champions League. Mancini said: "If City finish in the top four we will look for players of the highest level.
"I would like Maicon and, with 'Ibra', there's always been a rapport of great loyalty. He is world class. Which manager in the world wouldn't like Ibrahimovic? "City is the best club in the world for an ambitious manager. There are very good players there, but we must improve as it won't be easy to get into the top four." Mancini is set for his first taste of the FA Cup on Saturday when City travel to Middlesbrough for a third-round tie. Defenders Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge are all injured, while Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Adebayor have flown to Angola on African Cup of Nations duty. With Stephen Ireland and Roque Santa Cruz also injured, Mancini admits he has no option but to field his strongest team at the Riverside, despite the distraction of next Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final first-leg against Manchester United. Mancini said: "There can be no risks taken with anyone who is not fully fit, but I will play the strongest team that I can. I will not be thinking about the match against United. "We do not have a very big squad, but we do have some young players who have been training with the first team and one or two might have to play. "I have told the players that they should not be thinking about the semi-final. We must have full attention on the FA Cup and then prepare for the next game as soon as the final whistle goes. "Middlesbrough will be a tough side to play on their own pitch and will see the tie as one where they can relax and try to take the scalp of a Premier League team."
Manchester City are the latest club to show an interest in teenage Crystal Palace star Victor Moses but will refuse to meet the Eagles' £5m asking price. Daily Star
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
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Welcome to the LEGENDS lounge Bobbybrows john@staustell & Piccsnumberoneblue ... Enjoy!
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Liverpool have had a loan bid for Barcelona striker David Villa rejected. The Spanish club want a £16m permanent deal for the 31-year-old. DSSC
Arsenal have offered £10m for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez. This fails to meet the £14.7m release clause in the 24-year-old's contract though. Goal.com
Paris Saint-Germain say they have not approached Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, 32, about moving to France when his contract expires in the summer. ESPN
Swansea are ready to make a move for Bolton defender Marcos Alonso, 22, in the January transfer window. Sky Sports
Stoke have told veteran defender Danny Higginbotham, 34, he can leave the club in January, but it's unlikely he will join Ipswich, where he's been playing on loan. Sky Sports
Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will fight it out for the signature of Crystal Palace's £10m-rated forward Wilfried Zaha, 20. The Guardian
Sunderland are weighing up a move for 21-year-old Inter Milan midfielder Joel Obi, who is rated at £5m but has made just one Serie A appearance this season in a campaign blighted by injury. talkSHIT
Juventus are ready to offer £5m plus full-back Paolo De Ceglie in order to beat Manchester City to 20-year-old Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang. talkSHIT
Tottenham, Fulham, Stoke, West Brom, West Ham and Aston Villa all turned down the chance to sign Michu. The Spaniard, 26, instead moved to Swansea for £2.2m and is the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League, with 13. DSSC
Midfielder Joe Allen believes his Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez is "unstoppable" in his current form. Liverpool Echo
Chelsea's Victor Moses is glad he chose to play international football for Nigeria instead of England. Goal.com
Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla, 28, believes he has achieved "great things" since moving to Arsenal in the summer Arsenal.com
Former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf gave an excellent rendition of Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay on Portuguese television. Matro
GOLDEN BOLLOX 1/1/2011
It's obscene!
Ian Holloway launches a blistering attack on the greedy players he believes are ruining the game
Ian Holloway last night issued a frank New Year’s message to the sulking superstars and pampered prima donnas of the Barclays Premier League, admitting he would punch one of them if he was at a bigger club than Blackpool.
As Holloway takes the league’s paupers to face mega-rich Manchester City at Eastlands this afternoon, he criticised the ‘obscene’ amount of money his opponents’ wealthy owners have thrown at their club and insisted he would never want to swap places with manager Roberto Mancini.
City’s Italian boss has struggled to maintain harmony among his highly-paid stars, with both Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli guilty of snubbing their manager in public after being substituted in recent weeks.
Holloway said: ‘I would hate to have some fella who is not in my team or who I bring off treat me like that. At the moment, I am not experienced enough and I would try to fight them or knock them out.
‘My players have to earn the right before they get an ice-cream. They have to do what I want them to do and do it in the right way. But some of these players, who are of that
ilk, think they are better than they are and think they can get a manager the sack.
‘If you look at all the stable clubs who have a great tradition, the players know who the manager is and have to toe the line. If they don’t, they get bombed out and that is exactly how it should be.
‘The tail should not wag the dog. I don’t want Blackpool to be like that. I like the stability
of clubs that have been successful. You look at Bayern Munich, Manchester United,
Arsenal — there is structure to what they do.’
Holloway praised Mancini and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for the way
they have tackled player power by keeping Tevez and Wayne Rooney at their clubs this season.
He added: ‘Football is about how Liverpool used to be run. Can you imagine being part of Bill Shankly’s or Bob Paisley’s squad and stepping out of line? Those players were great but they knew who they were playing for and didn’t dare disrespect the club.
‘I think we’ve got to get back to that, and if Mancini can manage to bring that to
Manchester City like he’s dealt with Tevez then they might have half a chance.’
As City line up another £30million-plus signing in Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko,
Holloway warned that money was the biggest evil in football and no guarantee of long-term success.
‘I wouldn’t want their cash,’ he added. ‘It’s quite obscene at times. I would rather do
what we’re doing.
‘That sort of wage budget is going to cause all sorts of hassle. Money isn’t just the
biggest danger in football, it’s the biggest danger in the world. Greed is still one of the
seven deadly sins.
‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’
Holloway said his New Year’s resolution will be to join his backroom staff in having a
personal health check after youth-team coach Gary Parkinson suffered a severe
stroke in September.
But after leading Blackpool up to eighth place in the league with games in hand, he does not want 2010 to end. ‘I might just call the next one 2010 as well, rather than 2011,’ he said.
Man.City title talk just ‘kidology’, says Fletcher
Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher has insisted talk from title challengers Manchester City that the Premier League is the Red Devils to lose as nothing more than “kidology”.
Appropriately enough, the comment was made by Manchester City assistant manager Brian Kidd, once deputy to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who as a striker made his name at Old Trafford before also playing for City.
United, chasing a record-breaking 19th English title, head into the New Year on top of the Premier League table but on goal difference alone, although they do have two games in hand over City.
“It is just a bit of kidology,” said Scotland captain Fletcher ahead of United’s trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
“It is still early stages and a lot of teams will feel they are capable of winning the league. We are one of them.
“We are in a good position. We are top of the league with games in hand.
“But it is easy counting the points. You have to win your matches and your games in hand.”
London trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all close behind, with even fifth-placed Spurs, five points behind the Manchester duo, still in title contention. City were last crowned champions of England in 1968 — the same year a young Kidd scored for United as they beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley to become the first English club to lift the European Cup.
But backed by the vast wealth of their Abu Dhabi-based owner, the Eastlands club enter 2011 with a real shot at Premier League glory.
“Manchester City are realistic title challengers,” Fletcher said. “They are winning games and look solid defensively.”
United, who yet again this term dropped points late on in a 1-1 draw away to Birmingham in midweek, will look to return to winning ways against a Baggies side beaten 3-1 by Blackburn last time out.
City face a promoted Blackpool team who have provided one of the more heartwarming stories in English football this year by rising to eighth in the top-flight despite a budget that would barely cover a week’s wages for City’s expensively assembled squad.
January transfer window Bollox - is it worth spending money?
From Fernando Torres to Andrey Arshavin; Andy Carroll to Afonso Alves, the January transfer window is sure to deliver an eye-popping deal or two - but one thing it cannot guarantee is success.
Ten years have passed since British football introduced trading windows and still the concept divides opinion; exciting and upsetting in equal measure, while producing widely varying results.
While the £925m spent in the last nine winters is dwarfed by the £3.685bn outlay across the past 10 summers, there is a feeling this January could feature unprecedented levels of activity.
"There will be business opportunities like never before," ex-Liverpool and Tottenham director of football Damien Comolli told BBC Sport.
"With the new £3bn TV rights deal starting in July, Premier League clubs have a clear vision of their income for the next three years and know they've got a big ability to spend a lot of money.
"In addition, the rest of Europe is struggling financially. Teams in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are all looking at the Premier League and saying, 'You can have any of my players'.
"I've never seen a seller's market as it is now - you've got sides in Europe who are ready to write off their seasons and clear their wage bills. They are literally saying, 'everybody is for sale'."
The January window is not popular with everyone, but there can be little doubting its effect on the Premier League landscape.
It has the capacity to make or break seasons, ignite or halt a push for glory, aid or hamper survival bids and build or destroy reputations.
MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20793698
