ROUND-UP
A possible replacement for Carlos Tevez remains at the forefront of City speculation.
Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo is another name to have been linked with the Blues, but the Daily Express suggests City will have to go toe to toe with Atletico Madrid to secure his services.
The Italian international netted 16 times in Serie A last season, and is now reported to have caught the eye of several clubs across Europe.
Charles Perrin writes: “The Citizens are looking to freshen up their attacking line-up after seeing Carlos Tevez join Juventus for £10m.
“Though they are also tracking Brazil's Confederations Cup hero Fred, Osvaldo is also on their shortlist.
“A report in Spanish publication Marca suggests Atletico are plotting a move for Osvaldo as they seek to fill the void left behind by Radamel Falcao.”
Fred scored twice for Brazil against Spain in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday, and reports of a possible move were quick to emerge.
However, a story on goal.com suggests that Fluminese’s Director of Football, Rodrigo Caetano, has moved quickly to cool talk of the striker swapping Rio de Janeiro for Manchester.
The website quotes him as saying: "‘Fred is under contract with Fluminense, he is very happy at the club and we are very satisfied with him,’ Caetano told ESPN Brazil.
“The striker, who returned to his homeland from Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2009, would only have his head turned by ‘a really great offer’.
"‘I am doing great at Fluminense and I will only leave the club if there is a really great offer,’ he declared.”
Finally, Aleks Kolarov has been linked with Inter Milan and Juventus in recent weeks, but the Daily Express reports that Galatasaray have joined the chase to prise the 27-year-old away from the Etihad Stadium.
The article states: “Galatasaray have made a £1.25m offer to take the defender on loan, with the option to buy outright for £5m.
“City would prefer a sale to claw back some of their £16m outlay.
“Kolarov recently opened the door to the possibility of leaving the Etihad this summer, citing regular football as key to his future plans.”
However, it’s worth noting that the Serbian defender took to twitter last week to give his side of the story about press speculation at that time.
Aleksandar Kolarov@Kolarov13A
"I’m surprised to see myself quoted in the papers this week. I've not spoken to any journalists about my future!"
Welcome to Manchester, Manuel!
New City boss Pellegrini arrives in England ahead of taking over the reins at the Etihad
New Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has arrived in England as he prepares to take over from Roberto Mancini at the Etihad Stadium.
The Chilean spent time wandering around the city of Manchester and having a suit fitted in a Hugo Boss shop before he was unveiled holding a sky-blue shirt.
His new backroom team were with him on the flight over, including right-hand man Ruben Cousillas and fitness coach Jose Cabello.
The 59-year-old has joined from Malaga, and need to bring quick results if he wants to keep both the supporters and the club's top men happy.
His new rival in Manchester, David Moyes, begins his job at United on Monday, and Pellegrini will be looking to get a quick start under his belt, especially on the transfer front.
City have already lost out to Real Madrid for the signature of Pellegrini's old player Isco, who shone during the European Under 21 Championships in Israel for Spain.
With the sale of Carlos Tevez to Juventus, and the possible departure of Edin Dzeko, Pellegrini's first job may be bringing in another striker to partner Sergio Aguero in attack.
High up on his list of targets are Fluminense striker Fred, who will lead his country's attack in Sunday night's Confederations Cup final against Spain, and Benfica's Oscar Cardozo.
City and United are not the only team challenging for the title to bring in a new manager, as Chelsea are hoping that Jose Mourinho will turn round their Premier League fortunes.
The three changes at the helm make the next season one of the most anticipated of the decade, with the race even more wide open than usual.
JOLEON LESCOTT FACING MANCHESTER CITY D-DAY
JOLEON LESCOTT will quit Manchester City this summer unless he is part of boss Manuel Pellegrini’s plans.
Lescott is set for urgent talks with the new Blues manager next week when he returns for pre-season training.
The England defender found himself down the pecking order last season under former manager Roberto Mancini.
Lescott lost his place in the starting line-up to rising star Matija Nastasic and became frustrated at his lack of chances.
Now he wants to know if he has a future under Pellegrini, otherwise he will find a new club.
He knows he could miss out on next summer’s World Cup squad, provided England qualify, if he is not playing regular football.
City have sold Kolo Toure to Liverpool but Pellegrini wants to sign Pepe from Real Madrid and bolster his defensive options.
They have been told to stump up £22m for the Portugal star and talks between the two clubs are currently taking place.
But the fact Pellegrini wants to sign an established centre-back is not good news for Lescott.
A source said: “The situation is simple really. He wants to play and doesn’t want to spend next season sat on the bench.
“If he isn’t going to play regularly at City, then he can go to another club that will value him more.”
Lescott is entering the final 12 months of his current £90,000-a-week deal and wouldn’t be short of offers from rival clubs.
If he decides to leave, then it will spark a transfer scramble, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and West Ham all keeping close tabs on the situation. Lescott cost City £22m from Everton in 2009 and has gone on to win 26 England caps.
The centre-back turns 31 next month and he could be snapped up for as little as £5m as City continue to look to cut back on their massive wage bill.
Turkish giants come in for Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov
GALATASARAY have joined Juventus and Inter Milan in the hunt for Manchester City’s unsettled Aleksandar Kolarov.
Galatasaray have made a £1.25m offer to take the defender on loan, with the option to buy outright for £5m.
City would prefer a sale to claw back some of their £16m outlay.
Kolarov recently opened the door to the possibility of leaving the Eithad this summer, citing regular football as key to his future plans.
"I am happy at City but I want to play regularly, as I said to Roberto Mancini," he revealed.
"I'm in contact with my agent and soon we will understand what will happen. Money is not everything in life and I have no problem in revising my salary. Simply I want a place in the starting line-up."
The 27-year-old had been tipped to follow former Citizens team-mate Carlos Tevez to Juventus, but he now may be on his way to Turkey.
SNUB COUNT: 204
Argentine Starlet Geronimo Rulli Denies Talk of Man City Switch
Estudiantes La Plata goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has denied that he is in any rush to leave the club this summer after emerging as a reported target from English giants Manchester City, Sky Sports reports.
The 21-year-old became a first team regular at the club this season and has set records for consecutive clean sheets and minutes without conceding a goal, and his performances have caught the attention of a number of top sides all around Europe.
It is Manchester City and Portuguese champions Porto who are said to be leading the pack in terms of interest and the former are thought to be keen on agreeing a deal for Rulli, bringing him onto their books before sending him out to link up with the New York-based MLS team they are due to launch in partnership with the New York Yankees baseball club in 2015.
However, they will likely face difficulties putting a deal in place as Rulli has no desire to leave home and head for England any time soon.
On reports suggesting he could soon be snapped up by a top European side, the promising shot-stopper said: “I am not desperate for a transfer at this moment.”
Fluminense dismiss Fred to Manchester City reports
Fluminense have dismisses reports linking star striker Fred with a move to Premier League outfit Manchester City.
Fred has impressed whilst on international duty and with reports of a €2 million release clause inserted into his contract, he has been linked with a move abroad.
But director of football Rodrigo Caetano has scotched such reports and claims Fred is happy to stay at Fluminense.
"Fred is under contract with Fluminense, he is very happy at the club and we are very satisfied with him," Caetano told ESPN Brazil.
The striker, who returned to his homeland from Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2009, would only have his head turned by 'a really great offer'.
"I am doing great at Fluminense and I will only leave the club if there is a really great offer," Fred declared.
Manchester City striker worth more than Manchester United pair, FIFA backed study declares
Manchester City's Sergio Aguero has been listed as the most valuable striker in the Premier League beating off the challenge of local rivals Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. The Argentina international came fifth overall globally in the report conducted by the International Centre for Sport Studies to beat off the challenge from the likes of fellow attackers Radamel Falcao and ex Manchester City player Mario Balotelli, but still remained behind Napoli’s Edinson Cavani.
CIES comprised the list of the top players in world football showing their valuations based on a set key of parameters. This criteria is made up the player’s age, club, their performances for the national team, goals scored and the length they have left on their contracts. CIES are an independent sports centre which was created as a joint venture between FIFA and the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Their role is to provide research, top-level education and consulting services to the sports world.
The 25 year old signed for Manchester City in the summer of 2011 and since coming to England his value according to CIES has soared to £41.7 from the £35m the club bought him for from Atletico Madrid. This was enough to see him valued as the most expensive striker in the Premier League ahead of Van Persie who was valued at £33.8m placing him 16th in the list of 60 players from around the world. Wayne Rooney's value was put at £38m, but he hasn't had as good a season as Van Persie for Manchester United.
Aguero’s goals over the past two seasons will have helped in his valuation but he will have had an advantage over the Dutch international due to him being around five years younger, he's also three years younger than Wayne Rooney. Aguero was listed behind Uruguayan Cavani who was valued at £50m in 3rd place overall with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi making up the top two. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was seen as the most valuable player from England coming in just in front of Aguero in 4th position, with an estimated value of £47m.
Aguero has become something of a cult hero since scoring the winning goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011/12 season to bring the league title to the blue side of Manchester for the first time since 1968. Since arriving from La Liga he's been a major goal threat for the team scoring 35 goals in 64 games. Rumours had persisted of a move to Real Madrid but this summer there has been nothing much in Spain about that, and Manchester City have no pressure to sell anyway.
Death crash footballer Courtney Meppen-Walter freed from jail in error
Prison authorities are investigating how a footballer who killed two people in a car crash was released from jail by mistake.
Greater Manchester Police is searching for ex-Manchester City youth player and England under-18 captain Courtney Meppen-Walter to return him to custody.
Meppen-Walter, 18, walked free from prison yesterday, just a quarter of the way into a 16-month sentence after being jailed at Manchester Crown Court on February 28.
A Prison Service spokesman said: "Police have been informed after a prisoner was released in error on Monday July 1 to ensure he is promptly returned to custody.
"Releases in error are very rare and we take any incident extremely seriously. An investigation will take place into the circumstances that led to this release."
The footballer was driving at nearly double the 30mph speed limit when his Mercedes smashed into a Nissan Micra as it emerged from a side street.
The Nissan driver, Kulwant Singh, 32, from Salford, and his sister, front-seat passenger Ravel Kaur, 37, from Cheetham Hill, Manchester, were killed.
Moments earlier, the defendant had been "jockeying" and "playing games" with a friend in a VW Golf along a nearby dual carriageway, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Ms Kaur's two sons, aged 16 and 17, both back-seat passengers, were injured in the crash, which happened at the junction of Great Ducie Street and Sherborne Street in central Manchester at about 10.15pm on September 1 last year. They are now orphans after their father was killed in Afghanistan.
Meppen-Walter, from Blackley, Greater Manchester, was sentenced to 16 months concurrently on two charges of causing death by careless driving, which he admitted. He was also banned from driving for three years.
Yesterday one of Meppen-Walter's victims said she was "devastated" to learn that the footballer was now at liberty.
In a statement issued earlier today through her solicitors Pannone, Mr Singh's widow Kushwant said: "The news of Meppen-Walter's release from prison has devastated me. His original sentence of 16 months for causing death by careless driving to both my husband and his sister was not sufficient in the first place.
"He has now been released after serving just four months, which is a quarter of his sentence.
"I feel that I have been badly let down by the criminal justice system."
Deirdre Healy, of Pannone, said: "It is astounding that mistakes like this happen. It almost compounds the error.
"It's put our client through even more distress and trauma - as if she wasn't distressed and traumatised enough - to realise mistakes like this will happen."
ManCityFans THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=46217
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Chelsea could make a move for AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy, with the 20-year-old likely to command a fee in the region of £30m. Daily Express
Blues boss Jose Mourinho could offer striker Fernando Torres, 29, to Milan in exchange for El Shaarawy. talkSHIT
Elsewhere, it is rumoured that Napoli have rejected a bid from Chelsea of 50m euros (£42.8m), plus Torres, for Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, 26. Independent
Chelsea are also prepared to make a £20m offer to secure the signing of Wayne Rooney, 27, if he decides to leave Manchester United. Daily Telegraph
Newcastle director of football Joe Kinnear wants to make his first signing since taking on his new role at the club by Friday, with a second bid planned for Saint Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Journal
Tottenham have made a £17m offer for Valencia and Spain striker Roberto Soldado, 28. Daily Star
Manchester United will treble Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara's wages if the 22-year-old agrees a switch to Old Trafford. Metro
Bayern Munich are interested in Chelsea and Brazil centre-back David Luiz, 26. DSSC
Liverpool are not targeting 23-year-old Paris St-Germain centre-back Mamadou Sakho, despite the France international being "flattered" by their apparent interest. Liverpool Echo
And new Manchester United boss David Moyes will return to old club Everton with a £16m bid for left-back Leighton Baines, 28. Daily Star
Swansea are prepared to spend almost £20m to buy Vitesse Arnhem striker Wilfried Bony, 24, and Blackpool winger Tom Ince, 21.Independent
Liverpool's pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has not gone down well with Shakhtar boss Mircea Lucescu. Daily Mirror
Liverpool could yet pocket around £4m if former winger Thomas Ince leaves Blackpool for Cardiff or Swansea, thanks to a 50% sell-on clause. Daily Mirror
West Brom could become French striker Nicolas Anelka's sixth different Premier League club. The 34-year-old is a free agent after leaving Juventus. DSSC
Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner could finally end his long stay at Arsenal this week, with Eintracht Frankfurt ready to sign the 25-year-old. talkSHIT
Tottenham want to sell midfielder Tom Huddlestone, 26, with Sunderland considering a £5m bid for the midfielder. London Evening Standard
Newly promoted Crystal Palace have contacted Liverpool to enquire about taking midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on loan. Palace manager Ian Holloway took the 21-year-old player for two months on a temporary basis in late 2011 when he was in charge at Blackpool. Guardian
Former Sheffield United midfielder Glyn Hodges is set to join the coaching staff at Stoke City after leaving QPR, where he was head of coaching. Hodges, 50, worked with new Stoke boss Mark Hughes at Loftus Road. Stoke Sentinel
Brazil forward Neymar, 21, has revealed he will require minor throat surgery before he arrives at Barcelona following his 57m euro (£48.8m) move from Santos. Guardian
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has informed returning manager Jose Mourinho that - because of Uefa's financial fair play regulations - he must bring players through from the academy into the first team, rather than spend excessive sums on transfers. Independent
The Premier League could be thrown into chaos next season as a new Fifa amendment to the offside rule - and who is 'interfering with play' - has caused concerns among leading officials and could add to further confusion for fans. DSSC
Daily Express: “MANCHESTER CITY could launch a surprise £35million bid for Liverpool’s want-away striker Luis Suarez.”
They could. And, then again, they could not . . . More B*l**x later . . .
