Juve, Kolarov o Clichy a giugno dal Manchester City
Secondo indiscrezioni provenienti dall'Inghilterra il nome della fascia sinistra bianconera arriverà da Manchester
«La Juve è su entrambi e uno tra Clichy e Kolarov lascerà il club a fine stagione, anche se non sappiamo ancora in che modo». A parlare così, secondo indiscrezioni della stampa inglese, sarebbe una fonte interna al Manchester City che rivela le mosse del club bianconero per rinforzare la fascia sinistra della squadra di Conte. Entrambi al momento si giocano il ruolo nei Citizens ma sarebbero pronti a fare le valigie per trovare una considerazione maggiore di un ballottaggio e fissare il proprio posto da titolare.
Manchester City ready with huge €25m package for star
The Lionel Messi and Manchester City rumours won't go away and each time they're reported in Spain they sound slightly less ridiculous than the previous time. The reasoning grows stronger on the Spanish side and yet again it's broadsheet El Confidencial leading with the claims that will be picked up elsewhere.
The newspaper claims that Messi can say he wants to end his career at Barcelona as many times as he likes and the president and vice president of the club can insist a renewal will be found, but they reckon that's far from the reality.
A renewal for Messi would be his seventh as a professional footballer at Barcelona and there's a wonder where it will all end. According to this week's edition of France Football, Messi is already the best paid player on the planet and there's a feeling in Barcelona that a new contract this year will be followed by another request for a rise soon enough.
Messi wants €25m, because El Confidencial say that's what Manchester City have told him they'd pay, and the Premier League club are also reportedly willing to pay his €200m release clause.
The newspaper say that right now the positions of Messi, his father, and Barcelona on a renewal are far apart. That has to be a worry especially with the uncertainty over the future of Tata Martino, a coach appointed largely on the wishes of the Messi family.
A Manchester City move is of course unlikely and El Confidencial are a Madrid based newspaper who will love stirring up Catalan trouble, but this is a story that won't go away and all doesn't appear well in paradise.
Sporting to Play Manchester City this Summer
Sporting KC announced today that the team will be playing a summer friendly this year as part of their Summer in the Soccer Capital. The first friendly since KC played Stoke City to a 1-1 draw at Sporting Park in 2012 will see Sporting KC take on a better English side, Manchester City on July 23rd.
Oriol Rosell had let word of the friendly slip back in December that the Capital One Cup winners this year would be traveling to Kansas City to play the defending MLS Cup champs at Sporting Park. It just took a few extra months to officially be announced. By the time these two teams play, City could have added Premier League Champs to their titles they've won this season.
City coming to Sporting Park would be the biggest team to play at Sporting Park and the biggest team to come to KC since Manchester United played the Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium in 2010.
The game falls on a Wednesday between two big league games, at home against LA and away at Toronto. So there will certainly be plenty of gnashing of teeth about that.
Another thing to be mindful of is that with the World Cup this summer, there's a chance we're not going to see some of City's World Cup players, depending on how far they advance. With players potentially representing England, Argentina, the Ivory Coast, France, Belgium, Spain, and Bosnia in Brazil, a number of first team players may not be traveling. Back in 2010 Sir Alex Ferguson left many of his World Cup veterans at home when they traveled to play KC just a few weeks after the World Cup.
A final thing to keep in mind if you're wanting to go to this, is expect to pay a bit more than you will for a regular Sporting game. With the game at Sporting Park and attendance likely capped around 20,000, the rules of supply and demand will certainly be in play here.
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[/spoiler]Roberto Mancini expects Manchester City and Chelsea to fight for Premier League title
Roberto Mancini believes his former club Manchester City are the 'best team' in the Premier League after his current Galatasaray side were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Chelsea.
First-half goals from Samuel Eto'o and Gary Cahill earned Chelsea a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to complete a 3-1 aggregate success over Galatasaray.
Chelsea currently lead the Premier League, but are in a four-way battle to win the title, alongside Liverpool, Arsenal and City.
Mancini expects Chelsea and City will be the last two left standing, but the Galatasaray coach has suggested his old club have the better team.
"I think that Manchester City's the best team," Mancini said. "They have the best players.
"I don't know if Liverpool, also doing very well in this moment, can win. I think it will be a fight till the end between City and Chelsea."
The Italian was unhappy with his team's performance against Chelsea after Galatasaray, with former Blues striker Didier Drogba in attack, rarely threatened.
He added: "The game was difficult. After we conceded after four minutes it was even more difficult, but this doesn't change the fact that we played really badly - we didn't deserve anything and Chelsea were much better.
"It is difficult to say something about the game because I am very disappointed that we didn't play well. We didn't create chances. I am very sorry for our supporters because they were the best players for us - I am very disappointed for them.
"I don't know why, it is really difficult to explain. After the game in Istanbul I was confident we could play here and have a chance to score. Our football was totally different and if we want to play at this level we need to work more.
"We prepared for this game. We started from 1-1 and it was really important to start this game and not concede a goal. Instead, we conceded after four minutes and that made it very difficult. We knew it would be a difficult game, but we knew we had a chance. I am very disappointed."
Rodgers warns Chelsea & Manchester City: Money can't buy what Liverpool have
The boss feels over-spending is unnecessary in football, insisting his more personal man-management style is just as effective as spending millions in the transfer market
Brendan Rodgers has taunted Liverpool's big-spending title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, insisting the qualities his squad possess cannot be bought.
A 3-0 win at Old Trafford over Manchester United saw the Reds' hopes of winning a first ever Premier League title increase on Saturday as the season's surprise packages continue to impress.
Both Chelsea and Manchester City have spent upwards of £100 million over the course of the past two transfer windows, but Rodgers feels his more personal man-management style is proving money is not everything in the modern game.
"Clubs spend a billion quid and it does not guarantee anything. We will be in the market for good and top players, but there is more to it than that," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.
"Once you put your ideas in place and once the players start to crack it, then we will have success. Money can’t buy that.
"It is about coaching and man-management and dealing with people. Having a great staff. Finding a cause for the players to fight for. All of that comes into it and that is something we have done in the period I have been here."
Traditionally there is a direct correlation between success and a large wage bill, but with Liverpool boasting just the sixth-highest Rodgers feels over-spending is unnecessary - but insists his club are competitive in the transfer market.
"The players believe in it and the work has got them the rewards. You know when you’re employed by Liverpool it is not to sit in seventh," he continued.
"You have to be up there and try to be the best. I’m not surprised by it. It’s a bit earlier that what I thought, maybe a year earlier, but I am not surprised.
"The money is great and we will be in the market to compete, but what is important is still having a vision of how you want the club to progress."
Standard Liege striker Michy Batshuayi, 20, says he would prefer to join Arsenal in the summer. He has also been linked to Everton. Daily Express
Liverpool have set their sights on PSV forward Zakaria Bakkali, 18, but the Belgian youngster has been linked with a move to Arsenal. Daily Express
Inter Milan's sporting director Piero Ausilio was at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to watch Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, 29, in action against Galatasaray. DSSC
Inter Milan midfielder Fredy Guarin, 27, will kill off any potential move to Chelsea by signing a new deal with the Serie A club. Daily Mirror
Manchester United are interested in 16-year-old FC Zurich forward Dimitri Oberlin, who is also a target for Udinese. Inside Futbol
Stoke and Cardiff want 26-year-old Hannover striker Mame Biram Diouf, formerly of Manchester United, when his contract ends in the summer. Talkshit
Manchester United midfielder Joe Rothwell, 19, is joining League Two promotion chasers Fleetwood on loan. Daily Star
Tottenham are interested in hiring Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino if they sack Tim Sherwood. Talkshit
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has tipped Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba, 36, to return to Stamford Bridge in the future as a possible coach. Metro
Drogba says he would have extended his stay at Chelsea if he and the club had agreed contract terms in 2012. Daily Star
Everton plan to offer a new contract to right-back Seamus Coleman, 25, to block transfer interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City. Daily Mirror
Coleman's fellow Republic of Ireland international James McCarthy, 23, and defender John Stones, 19, will also be offered new deals by the Goodison Park club. DSSC
Manchester United supporters blame former boss Sir Alex Ferguson for the club's current predicament under successor David Moyes. Daily Mirror
Liverpool coach Mike Marsh has played down any Premier League title talk and says a Champions League spot is still the target for the Reds this season. Liverpool Echo
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 22, is still wearing a protective boot two weeks after breaking his foot while on England duty against Denmark. DSSC
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers reckons he can match Manchester City and Chelsea's success without having to spend billions of pounds. Sun
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola says he left Barcelona last year because he could no longer motivate the players. Marca
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, 26, is negotiating for a substantial salary hike that could see him earn £209m over a five year period. AS.com
FC Barcelona say reports about manager Tata Martino leaving the club are "completely false" and the 51 year-old Argentine is focused on improving the team's performance. Marca
David Moyes hit another low this week after Tesco said it would not even consider hiring the Manchester United manager because he is not a winner. Metro
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