It's transfer deadline day 2014 – what to expect from Manchester City before 11pm
What do City need?
What do you get the side who has everything? I jest of course, but realistically there is very little for City to improve upon. Certainly in the attacking positions City are well served with all key players hitting form throughout the season.
Despite the addition of Martin Demichelis at the end of the last window, the central defensive area – while possessing depth – remains over-reliant on Vincent Kompany.
Manuel Pellegrini may also feel that the squad lacks a genuine quality alternative to either Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, particularly given the workload both have faced this season so far and will likely face over the coming months.
How much money is available to spend?
In theory, plenty should be available and if the right player is available then you feel the club will open the cheque book. That said, City spent big in the summer and had to offload the likes of Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez to ensure compliance with Financial Fair Play.
Who do you want?
The area that needs to be targeted, if any, is the centre of defence. Joleon Lescott will leave in the summer (if not sooner), Demichelis is serviceable but limited and Matija Nastasic has suffered a dip in form and one or two injuries.
The difficulty is that January is a notoriously difficult time to land quality players, given the best players are by and large at the top clubs who are battling for league titles and the Champions League.
And, of course, world-class central defenders are hard to come by – but if City could break the bank for anyone the chance to add Thiago Silva from PSG would be too tough to turn down.
What do you think we will get?
Pellegrini has kept his cards close to his chest with regards potential targets which points to the fact that he is either a canny operator (the power brokers at the club too are very inconspicuous) or the club has no intention of adding anyone in January.
You feel that City do have a wish list of players they want to target over the course of the next few transfer windows and if any became available at the last minute they would move, but the reality is that it will surely be a quiet last day of the window.
Will any players leave?
We have seen two younger players, John Guidetti and Albert Rusnak, leave on loan to Stoke and Birmingham respectively but the only first-team player linked with a move has been Lescott. Out of contract in the summer and unlikely to get a renewed deal (at least on comparable terms to his current contract) City may decide to accept a small bid to at least receive something for him.
Lescott too may see regular minutes elsewhere as the final chance to make England’s World Cup squad but unless City can bring in a replacement he will remain at the club until the end of the season.
Man City close in on stunning double deal for Porto stars
Manchester City are in talks with Porto over signing their star duo Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando.
French defender Mangala, 22, is rated among the hottest prospects in European football and is understood be valued at around £35million.
Fernando is available for much less, with the 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder out of contract at the end of the season.
Porto were keen to keep hold of the duo until the summer but their changing financial situation means they are ready to cash-in now and City have pounced.
The signings would be another remarkable statement of intent by Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who spent more than £100million last summer.
GOLDEN BOLLOX 31-1-1968
Reading fans off to Maine Road, 1968
Reading 0 Manchester City 7 - 46 years ago today
January 31, 1968 and another high scoring Reading FC match that didn't quite go to plan
In these high scoring days of Reading victories it's a sobering reminder that it's the 46th anniversary of a big victory for Manchester City at Elm Park.
Reading had travelled to Maine Road on Saturday, 27th for the FA Cup third round tie and come away with a creditable 0-0 draw.
The replay in front of more than 25, 000 at Elm Park didn't go so well.
Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott to see out remaining six months of contract at the Etihad
The centre-back has been linked with several clubs throughout the transfer window, but now appears likely to remain with the Premier League leaders
Lescott explored the possibility of leaving this month to play more football in a last bid to force his way into England's World Cup squad.
City were prepared to let him go and Besiktas, West Ham and Fulham all showed interest.
Tottenham were also linked with a move for the former Everton defender.
However the centre-half has decided to stay at City until the summer when he will leave on a free transfer.
Although the 31-year-old has made just seven Premier League starts, he has played five times in the cups this season and could end the campaign with a couple more winners' medals as the Blues chase the quadruple
City look to outwit Mourinho
Manchester City midfielder Jesus Navas believes that key to the Citizens' Premier League aspirations is the ability to outsmart Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
City currently top the league standings, one point clear of Arsenal and a further two ahead of Chelsea.
The Blues head to the Etihad on Monday night for a match that could prove pivotal in the title race.
Mourinho's ability to combine tactics and mind games with superb effect means that no team of his can ever be underestimated, a fact that Navas is well aware of.
"If you want to challenge for all the titles, you have to be ready for this type of weeks or months that are very demanding and you have very important matches," the Spaniard said of Monday's match.
"But we are working really hard and I think we are prepared to face any team.
"Mourinho's teams work especially hard, all the players.
"He has a special, winning mentality so it is always difficult to face teams that Mourinho manages."
When the two teams met at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, Chelsea notched up a 2-1 victory, one of only four defeats that City have suffered in the league thus far this season.
Manchester United to battle Man City for £12.3m defender
Manchester United could find themselves in a tug-of-war with derby rivals Manchester City on the final day of the transfer window over Porto defender Nicolas Otamendi.
According to reports from Duncan Castles, The Red Devils have lodged a £12.3 million bid for Porto’s central defender Nicolas Otamendi, but the Portuguese club have yet to make a decision whether to sell him.
The 25-year-old has been at Porto since 2010 and was a key member of Andre Villas-Boas’ side that won the treble.
However, Manchester United’s bid for the player is largely complicated by Manchester City’s attempt to sign another Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala.
According to reports from The Times, City are prepared to dish out a sum, more than 30m for the French defender, but Porto intend to retain him for the rest of the season.
The Times further reports that if City fail to reach an agreement for Mangala, they will switch their attention to Otamendi which could further complicate the situation.
Manchester City rising with a glow that draws all to behold
While West Ham were supposedly dragging football back to the 19th century this week, Manchester City staked a claim on the next few decades. This looks like one of those moments in the evolution of English football when everyone stops what they are doing to observe something special.
No European city can match the clash of empires now shaking the walls of Manchester. The dominant legacy of Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson urgently seeks a new form under David Moyes, while City show that the quickest path to hearts and minds is through entertainment. The impetus is unquestionably with City.
Roberto Mancini's hectoring and aloof approach produced the breakthrough, but the story has moved on without him, to what we saw at Spurs on Wednesday night: a 5-1 win that followed a 6-0 victory in Manchester, as well as thumping wins over Arsenal (6-3), West Ham (9-0 on aggregate in the League Capital Cup), Norwich (7-0) and United (4-1).
Here is a team taking flight, with nothing to show for it yet, but a quadruple of targets. The tightness and drama of this Premier League title race has denied City their full quota of praise and attention, as has Manuel Pellegrini's phobia for emotive language. But the rewards [/scroll]could hardly be more glittering as Chelsea gather themselves for the trip to Manchester on Monday night. February brings an opportunity to sweep Barcelona out of the Champions League and take their place as the most stylish team this side of Munich. Beyond this season's challenges, City must see that the strength of their squad and the generosity of their benefactor serves up a chance to supplant United as the city's biggest power.
This would have seemed unthinkable in the old days of gallows humour, annual managerial sackings, journeyman players and terrible kits. The United-City rivalry now pits American speculators against Middle Eastern spenders whose investments in Melbourne Heart and a new Major League Soccer team in New York demonstrate a wider policy of exploiting the football obsession on three continents. All this from an absentee owner - Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan - who watches the Etihad light show on a giant screen somewhere in Abu Dhabi.
The two Manchester clubs are now in an arms race, with the Glazers needing to service debt and protect United's status as England's No.1, and Sheikh Mansour encouraged by his success so far to believe that this money war is winnable.
City's style of play is certainly out in front. These are the moments that raise football above money, quenelles, commercial obsessions, vile crowd behaviour and diving. A new glow is created and everyone who loves the game for its own sake is drawn to watch a particular team, who themselves begin to see how good they are and ride the opportunity. Am I putting enough pressure on?
One Tottenham fan, who has been attending games at White Hart Lane for 40 years, said City's display in the first half-hour on Wednesday night was the best he had seen from a visiting club. We have seen this level of entertainment before, of course. The Manchester United side of Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona and Andrei Kanchelskis was Ferguson's first great attacking team, and others followed with Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes, not to mention the 2008 Champions League-winning side that was built around Cristiano Ronaldo.
Never, though, has such an exuberant team found itself in the hands of such a lugubrious manager. In public Pellegrini is the man who will not be drawn: on injuries, on transfers, on trophy targets. But Pellegrini is not the constructor of City's squad.
There are imperfections. Martin Demichelis appears at times like one of those classy old pros whose legs have slowed. There are days when Edin Dzeko still swipes and thrashes at chances. But a front two of Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo is pretty much unimproveable.
A shortage of defensive midfielders is another fault-line. If you score two, however, they will score five.
Even Barcelona will be twitching in their seats.
Revealed: the Bluest parts of Manchester
City's 2012-13 annual report that was released on Wednesday is well worth a read.
They've included some great info-graphics this year (one revealed that there were nearly 400 media representatives plus 16 live-commentary teams for the Champions League game against Madrid at the Ethiad) but what really struck my eye was the map of Greater Manchester listing the number of match-going supporters in each area (see below).
The financial figures have already been pored over elsewhere but the main summary is we're now debt free, made a £51.1m loss for the year, and probably handed Mancini a shed-load of money when we sacked him. For those interested in the finer points of the club's finances and Financial Fair Play implications, this Bluemoon thread (whose posters include Prestwich Blue, formerly a spokesman for the City Supporters Trust, and OB1, who is an accountant) is worth a read.
The report also revealed that last summer's net transfer spend was £84.1m. After a bit of googling it looks like the individual fees (excluding add-ons) break down like this: In: Demichelis (£3.5m), Jovetic (£22m), Negredo (£20m), Fernandinho (£34m), Navas (£14.9m) Out: Tevez (£10m)
The Tevez sale resulted in us taking a £37m loss on the player (in 2011 I wrote this piece showing that we signed him for £47m) which, added to the £40m or more we paid him in wages over his five year contract, means that his 59 goals cost us roughly £1.3m each.
Couple of final things that caught the eye. Our new Argentinian centre half is listed as DeMichelis in the report but Demichelis on the official site. Bearing in mind that a great deal of care goes into compiling an annual report I'm guessing that the capped 'M' probably the correct spelling.
And finally, the report announced that, as of 31 May 2013, the group's parent undertaking was 'City Football Group Limited'.
What, no 'Manchester'?
http://purelymancity.blogspot.co.uk
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]Nigel De Jong would make us stronger! Lucas urges Liverpool to sign former Man City star
LUCAS LEIVA is urging Liverpool to make a deadline day swoop to sign former Manchester City star Nigel De Jong from AC Milan.
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is hoping to add to his midfield options before tonight's 11pm deadline with the Dutch enforcer top of his list along with Ukraine winger Yevhen Konoplyanka.
Lucas is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines having picked up a knee ligament injury during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa at Anfield earlier this month.
And the injury stricken Brazilian is hoping the Reds can lure De Jong back to the Premier League to strengthen their midfield ranks in his absence.
"All I heard about that were rumours. We still have a few days until the window closes," Lucas told ESPN Brazil.
Lucas is current out having suffered a knee injury against Aston Villa [GETTY]
“If he comes, it will be good, because it will help to make the group stronger”
"Obviously my injury will keep me away for five, six weeks, but I don't that has a lot to do with it. Anyone who gets hired will be to strengthen the squad.
"We have very few midfielders in our team and especially in my position. It's nothing that I see as threatening. We'll just have to wait and see.
"De Jong is a player who was very successful here in Manchester City, he's a great player.
"If he comes, it will be good, because it will help to make the group stronger.
"Unfortunately, we had a few injury issues with some other big players, so it's always good to have a strong squad."
New Milan boss Clarence Seedorf last week brought Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien to the San Siro.
But Liverpool face a battle to convince Seedorf to part with De Jong, despite the arrival of Essien at Milan.
Seedorf, since being announced as Massimiliano Allegri's replacement, has made no indication that he is willing to let De Jong leave and will drive a high price for the midfielder.
Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has entered the race to sign Cagliari and Italy defender Davide Astori, 27. DSSC
Fulham are on the verge of four signings, with Greek striker Kostas Mitroglou, 25, set to be joined by Tottenham's Lewis Holtby, 23, and two Manchester United youngsters. goal.com
West Ham are attempting to hijack Fulham's capture of Mitroglou in a move which would see Dimitar Berbatov remain at Craven Cottage. Daily Mirror
Berbatov, however, has stationed himself in London as the 33-year-old hopes a return to Tottenham can be negotiated. Telegraph
French side Nantes hope to secure the signing of out-of-favour striker Arsenal Park Chu-Young, 28, and Newcastle's 27-year-old midfielder Sylvain Marveaux. Inside Futbol
Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, 21, looks to have completed his loan move to Cardiff City after he posted a photo of himself wearing the Welsh club's colours on social media. Daily Star
Tottenham have joined Italian side Inter Milan in the chase to sign Manchester United winger Nani, 27, on loan. Metro
Clement Grenier, the man Newcastle lined up to replace Yohan Cabaye, will remain at Lyon until the summer as the 23-year-old hopes to secure his World Cup place in the France squad. Sky's Talkshit
Manchester United manager David Moyes is eyeing up a move for Spurs winger Andros Townsend. Sun
Liverpool are embroiled in a race against time to try to land Ukraine international Yevhen Konoplyanka amid interest from Spurs. Daily Express
Arsenal's big-money move for Schalke striker Julian Draxler, 20, is set to collapse with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all set to join the hunt for the player at the end of the season if he stays in Germany. Daily Star
The future of Leeds United is shrouded in uncertainty after a takeover of the club by a consortium collapsed due to a lack of financial backing. Guardian
Liverpool, meanwhile, hope to submit plans to redevelop Anfield before the end of the season and complete work on an expanded main stand before 2018. Guardian
Manchester United's 18-year-old winger Adnan Januzaj will pledge his international future to England despite being eligible to represent a number of countries including Belgium. Sun
Unsettled Norwich midfielder Wes Hoolahan has launched a foul-mouthed attack on the club, with his future at the club in the balance after he had a transfer request turned down. Daily Star
Lazio midfielder Hernanes, 28, burst into tears in front of supporters as he left the club's training ground ahead of a proposed move to Napoli. Metro
Liverpool and Tottenham target Yevhen Konoplyanka, 24, is dismissed as a "headless chicken" by one of Ukraine's all-time greats, Oleg Luzhny. Sun
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