Hart set for Man City exit as Blues close in on Barcelona goalkeeper?
Manchester City are close to reaching an agreement to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes in the summer, according to French newspaper L’Equipe.
The highly decorated 32-year-old, who has won a string of major honours at Barca, will leave the Catalan club when his contract expires in June.
And it seems as though he is edging closer to the Etihad, where he will link up with international team-mates David Silva, Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo.
The goalkeeper will also reunite with City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain, who previously held a senior role at the Nou Camp.
It was reported earlier this season that he had agreed to join Monaco, although it is claimed he can break that agreement to sign for another club if they pay a compensation fee to the Ligue 1 side.
Joe Hart came under fire earlier in the season but has bounced back well and is now considered one of Manuel Pellegrini's senior squad members.
But he could be on his way out of the Etihad in the summer - if the Blues sign Valdes
Pellegrini ready to splash cash for Shaw - Man City ready £30m Southampton raid
Manchester City are ready to splash £30m to lure Luke Shaw to the Etihad Stadium from Southampton, according to reports from Goal.
The Saints left-back has been one of the Premier League’s finest young players this term, with the 18-year-old’s performances having helped his side into a solid top half position and earned him a senior England debut.
Naturally a number of the division’s ‘big boys’ are now interested in the teenager, but City are ready to beat their rivals with a massive £30m offer.
The Sky Blues were tentatively linked with Shaw in January, but a winter deal was seen as unworkable.
But Manuel Pellegrini is ready to dedicate a vast chunk of his summer budget to landing the rampaging defender once the transfer window re-opens.
It is understood that hush-hush talks between the two clubs have taken place, and that City have been encouraged by the outcome of discussions.
Shaw is seen by the Middle Eastern-backed side as the ideal long-term left-back option, with both Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy having failed to convince Pellegrini of their worth.
Chelsea are also in the battle, and have long been tipped as favourites with Shaw known to be a Blues fan.
Yet City are confident that Cesar Azpilicueta’s emergence in the position under Jose Mournho may be enough to dissuade him from switching to the London club.
Tottenham and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in Shaw.
Gael Clichy: Manchester City cannot fail to win the league
GAEL CLICHY has admitted Manchester City’s players will see themselves as failures if they fail to win the Premier League this season and end up with only the Capital One Cup.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men have seen their hopes of an historic quadruple dashed with exits from the FA Cup and Champions League inside four days last week.
City have already bagged the Capital One Cup with victory over Sunderland at Wembley but Clichy said: “Just the Capital One Cup won’t be enough.
“If you don’t have this energy and desire for winning every single game no matter who you play, then you have nothing to do in City.
“So the project is fantastic, we are lucky to be here sharing this with the team-mates but, you know, its crunch time and we have to get the points until the end of the season.”
Vieira: City 'leaders' now stepping up
French legend and City's EDS coach Patrick Vieira can see the Blues' main men taking charge as the title race boils up.
City’s leaders are coming to the fore as the fight for the league title enters its final phase.
And Patrick Vieira, a man who knows all about leadership on and off the field, feels the strength and experience of the Blues’ main men could prove vital in the upcoming scrap.
The French legend skippered Arsenal’s Invincibles to the 2004 league title and two FA Cup triumphs and was a key figure in the great France team which won the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.
After joining City in the twilight of his career, even when the legs and lungs would not carry him as in his heyday, he proved an influential voice when the Blues won the 2011 FA Cup and qualified for the Champions League.
He also made himself available as a mentor to younger players during the following season, and was again a shoulder to lean on - and a wise voice - as City won the Premier League title
Now he is the head of City’s elite development squad, and making such a good job of it he is already being whispered about as a likely long-term successor to Manuel Pellegrini.
His youngsters are in the thick of the fight for the Under-21 Premier League title, were unlucky to lose to Benfica in the Uefa Youth League quarter-finals this week, are in the semi-finals of their League Cup and will face United in the Manchester Senior Cup final.
Now he is hoping the club can finish the season with a bang at all levels, led by the first team lifting the Premier League trophy in May.
And he sees signs that the big voices in the City dressing room, and their principals on the pitch, are rising to the task.
“If you want to win the title, you need your leaders to be at their best, on and off the field,” said Vieira. “When you look at our first team, there are so many strong characters, and so many leaders.
“There are different ways of being a leader - some are leaders on the field, and some outside of it. But as a team, the way we performed at Hull was a strong message, because to get a red card after 10 minutes and still win showed we are really strong.
“It was not just about character but the way we dictated the game, controlled it, that was fantastic. That game showed a really strong message.”
The man who came to the fore in that victory was David Silva - small of stature, slight of build and possibly the quietest man in the squad.
He led by example, something Vieira did, as a calm, measured man off the field.
“Since he joined the football club, I don’t think we have really said enough how good he is,” said Vieira. “He is one of the best players in the world, no doubt about it. For me he is up there.
“When you talk about Messi and Ronaldo, yes they are fantastic, but David can be put in the same category of players who could play in any team around the world.
“His football brain, his ability to control the ball and play football, is unbelievable. I am a huge fan.
“When the team is struggling, that is when the leaders come out, and David showed he is a leader. He may be very quiet but when he is on the field, he takes the responsibility, and that is the kind of leader you need in your team.
“When I was at Arsenal, that is the person I was. I was a different captain to Tony Adams, who was more vocal than me, but it didn’t stop me being a leader.
“If you have 11 of them on the field, it gives you a much better chance.”
Vincent Kompany will also be a key man in the closing stages of the season, says Vieira.
“I have huge respect for Vinny because he is a really determined player,” he said. “He is focussed and works hard, has a good plan and a good way of conducting himself. He is a leader and a real captain - we share the same kind of messages and leadership.”
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[/spoiler]Tomorrow is the chumps league quarterfinal draw. Bollox Towers predicts ....
Arsenal are targeting Toulouse right-back Serge Aurier, 21, as a replacement for Bacary Sagna, 31, whose contract expires in June. Daily Mirror
Manchester United are in advanced talks with Everton over the signing of full-back Seamus Coleman, 25. Metro
However, the Old Trafford club have been turned down by Paris St-Germain striker Edinson Cavani, as they cannot offer the 27-year-old the standard of football he wants. Daily Star
Inter Milan want Javier Hernandez, 25, to join Manchester United team-mate Nemanja Vidic, 32, at the San Siro next season and are in advanced negotiations for the Mexico striker. Daily Express
Stoke City boss Mark Hughes is planning to sign QPR's highly rated Canadian winger Michael Petrasso, 18. DSSC
Charlton Athletic midfielder Diego Poyet is a target for Spanish giants Barcelona. The 18-year-old is the son of Sunderland manager Gus Poyet. Sun
Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, 45, insists he must be given full control of the club's transfer policy if he remains at White Hart Lane next season. Daily Telegraph
Meanwhile, Sherwood says Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal - who has been tipped to replace him - is destined to take charge of a Premier League club. Van Gaal, 62, has also been linked with Manchester United. Sun
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard, 23, dreams of facing Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona's Lionel Messi in the quarter-finals of the Champions League ahead of Friday's draw in Nyon. Telegraph
Sunderland winger Adam Johnson, 26, fears playing for a team fighting relegation could harm his England World Cup hopes. Sunderland Echo
Everton are planning to reward midfielder James McCarthy, 23, signed from Wigan at the start of the season, with a new, improved contract. Liverpool Echo
Meanwhile, Toffees midfielder Ross Barkley, 20, says current boss Roberto Martinez is a better tactician than predecessor David Moyes. Daily Mirror
The pitch on which England will begin their World Cup campaign against Italy is undergoing emergency repair work after the overuse of fertiliser killed sections of the turf. Independent
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, 36, believes the club's experienced players will prove decisive in guiding the Blues to the Premier League title this season. Guardian
Real Madrid have made a £15m transfer offer for AC Milan's 21 year-old Italian defender Mattia De Sciglio. Tuttosport
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is willing to loan out their 29 year-old striker Fernando Torres and sign AS Monaco's Radamel Falcao, 28, and Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa, 25. Tuttosport
Transfer talks for Bayern Munich's 22-year-old Swiss defender Xherdan Shaqiri will begin in summer with Liverpool, Manchester United and Inter Milan interested. Bild
David Moyes has labelled 40-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs "a freak" after he helped Manchester United overturn a two-goal first leg deficit to win 3-2 on aggregate in the Champions League against Olympiakos at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Daily Express
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