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Manchester City prepare to snare £164m Lionel Messi in world-record transfer
MANCHESTER CITY are ready to launch a world-record bid for Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Reports in Spain claim Manuel Pellegrini's side have prepared an eye-watering £164million offer as they look to bring one of the planet's best players to the Etihad.
City owner Sheikh Mansour has been keeping tabs on Messi since taking control of the Sky Blues in 2008, and feels the time is right to go after a player some believe to be the greatest of all time.
The four-time Ballon d'Or winner has been in good form for the Catalan giants this season, scoring 40 times in 43 games under Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.
However the Argentinian international has suffered a number of injury setbacks, and has occasionally failed to produce his best in Barcelona's poor La Liga and Champions League campaigns
Messi has struggled to reach the same heights that saw him score 73 goals two seasons ago, and many pundits believe he is stalling on a new contract in the hope that a move to one of Europe's emerging giants materialises.
Oil-rich Paris St-Germain have also been linked with the talismanic forward, but City believe their former Barcelona duo Txiki Beguiristain and Ferran Soriano can convince Messi to link up with fellow countryman Sergio Aguero and set the Premier League alight.
Barcelona could be tempted to cash in as they attempt to rebuild their ageing squad and replace veterans including Carlos Puyol and Victor Valdes.
Giving the green light would also allow Brazilian golden-boy Neymar to take centre-stage after failing to impress since joining from Santos for £50million last summer.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has been playing though the pain during title run-in but he is now back to full fitness
City skipper injured himself in build-up to Liverpool game
Has been playing despite the injury to his knee
But Kompany insists that he is now fully fit and ready to win title
Vincent Kompany has admitted he has been forced to play in pain in a bid to drive Manchester City towards the title.
The Belgium defender was injured during the build-up to City’s game with Liverpool on April 13 and he played in that fixture as though he was hampered by fitness issues, being culpable for two of the three goals his side conceded.
He looked back to his best form in the 3-2 win against Everton on Saturday — the victory that could define the campaign — and his performance was characterised by one imperious tackle on Ross Barkley.
But, ahead of Wednesday’s game against Aston Villa, City’s captain revealed he has been hindered to such an extent that it felt as if he had ‘been playing with a plaster around my knee’.
Kompany added: ‘I’ve really had some tough weeks. I had to manage the pain and only been able to play, not train too much. Now I feel fine.
‘It gives you a good feeling to be at the top — and at the right time too. I think you need a lot of mental strength to be in a position like ours.’
Martinez eyes Milner - Everton plot move for Man City ace
Everton are planning a summer move for Manchester City midfielder James Milner, according to reports from The Mirror.
The England international has been an infrequent starter for the Sky Blues this season, with Manuel Pellegrini having often overlooked him in favour of David Silva, Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri.
This has alerted the Toffees, who are keen to offer the 28-year-old an escape route.
Milner – who has made 18 of his of his 29 Premier League outings from the bench this term – is said to be looking to assess his options this summer, which could open up the possibility of a move.
Everton already have Gareth Barry on loan from the Etihad Stadium, but with the midfielder now entering the back end of his career it remains unclear as to whether or not Roberto Martinez will push to keep him.
Milner is seen as an ideal replacement for the veteran, with the former Leeds youth star able to play effectively in central areas as well as on the wing.
City are likely to want a sizable free for the 28-year-old, who has two years remaining on his contract and cost £26m in 2010.
Tottenham are also interested, but the player himself is settled in the north west.
City, Nasri ‘love Crystal Palace so much’ after putting title in grasp
Liverpool’s extraordinary 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace means that Manchester City can close to within touching distance of the Premier League title by beating Aston Villa on Wednesday.
With the top two neck-and-neck on 80 points and with two games to play each, City were braced for a repeat of the 2012 campaign, when they pipped Manchester United to the title on goal difference on the final day.
However, Liverpool’s late capitulation at Selhurst Park on Monday, when they let a 3-0 lead slip in the last 11 minutes, means that City now effectively need only four points to regain the title.
Both their last matches are at home, with West Ham United following Villa to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and with a goal difference of plus-59 to Liverpool’s plus-50, they can afford to drop two points and still finish on top.
City midfielder Samir Nasri was unable to contain his delight at Liverpool’s slip-up, tweeting shortly after the game: “What a game, what a league. I love Crystal Palace so much. Now our turn to do the job.”
While both Villa and West Ham have nothing to play for this season, Yaya Toure has warned his City team-mates not to take them lightly.
“Both Aston Villa and West Ham are sharp and will come to just enjoy the games, but we have a league to play for,” said the Ivorian midfielder.
“I hope we complete the job, but it depends how sharp we are, how we prepare mentally and physically.
“Our target was always to win something, but for us the League Cup is not enough. The Premier League was always our target, so now we need to be at our optimum levels when Aston Villa come to our stadium on Wednesday.”
He added: “We definitely expect to win it. As a team at the top, you always expect to win.
“We have worked so hard this year and, if we don’t win, it would be a massive disappointment for us, for the fans and for the club as well.”
Toure has declared himself fit after being substituted during the second half of Saturday’s 3-2 win at Everton.
City also hope that Sergio Aguero will be able to lead the line against Villa despite having gone off due to a groin complaint in the first half of Saturday’s game.
The Argentine left the fray in the 28th minute at Goodison Park, but he subsequently took to Twitter to reveal that his substitution had merely been “a precaution”.
Villa also have concerns over the fitness of a key forward, after Gabriel Agbonlahor was forced off during the 3-1 defeat of Hull City on Saturday with a knee problem.
Manchester City could face opposition from Premier League and Champions league rivals over Financial Fair Play breach and television revenue cut
City's overspending could be considered by City's group opponents CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen to have impacted their Champions League prize-money
The potential for rival clubs to challenge Manchester City’s place in next season’s Champions League is more widespread than previously thought, with CSKA Moscow – the club at loggerheads with them five months ago – one of those entitled to mount a legal challenge this week.
The Independent on Sunday revealed three months ago that detailed new Financial Fair Play rules gave a “directly affected party” ten days to appeal any deal if City are in breach of the guidelines.
Rival British clubs have told this newspaper that they are reserving judgement on what to do. It had been thought that only those who miss out on a Premier League top four place could appeal but now it has emerged that even those English sides who have secured Champions League football plus CSKA Moscow and Czech side Viktoria Plzen, who City eliminated in this season’s group stage, could each mount a challenge.
Top four finishers like Liverpool and Chelsea could argue that their potential cut of next season’s Champions League TV money has been affected by the unfair level of City’s spending. The champions secure 50%, the runners-up 30 per cent, third placed team 20 per cent and fourth-placed side 10 percent.
CSKA and Plzen can argue that City have used an unfair level of financial losses to help eliminate them at the group stage. CSKA have motive to do so, having been at loggerheads with City over their fans’ racial abuse of Yaya Toure when the two sides met last autumn. The Russians refused to admit the racism but were punished for it by Uefa.
Details of City’s “settlement agreement” with Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), including a fine and probable squad restrictions in next season’s Champions League, are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The detailed assessment of who might challenge City comes from FFP lawyer Daniel Geey, a football law specialist at the firm Field Fisher Waterhouse and co-author of an annual FFP report, which was jointly published by his firm and lawyers BDO last week. (close) “It is not necessarily those sides outside of next season’s Champions League who could challenge the settlement,” Geey said. “It could be those who have qualified but who want a higher European placement, with the considerable financial benefit that brings.”
But overturning any agreement struck between a club and the governing body will be tough - because the legal bar is high. The rules dictate that a challenge must prove it was “grossly disproportionate” of Uefa to strike the agreement with City. Even if a challenge is successful, City would not find themselves automatically subject to a ban. Instead, the CFCB would have to reconsider the severity of punishment.
The plea bargaining system, and the right it gives clubs to challenge City’s penalty, is “the most important [of FFP] that has changed the landscape,” Geey said. “It was not a part of the FFP regulations published in 2010 and updated in 2012. It was simply published on Uefa’s website [three months ago] and happened by stealth.
The days of paying a ‘City Price’ for foreign players are over at the Etihad and in their place is a club structure to be admired. by Ian Herbert
When The Independent published a gentle editorial praising the managerial press conference debut of Ryan Giggs a few weeks ago, it provoked the type of abuse in my direction from Manchester City fans which I’ve written about in this space once before as a phenomenon. It had not entirely abated at the weekend. “Knob” one City fan tweeted me to say on Sunday, when you might have imagined he would have had better things to do, like celebrate the prospect of a domestic title.
But it’s in weeks like this that you realise where some of it is coming from. The prospect of winning the league will be clouded, probably on Friday, by a detailed picture of Uefa’s sanctions against City for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations. City will most probably – and quite ludicrously – be bracketed with Paris Saint-Germain, the team which has viewed FFP with contempt and made no attempt to comply with its strictures. There will be the same mildly racist inference that has existed about City ever since Abu Dhabi investment arrived five years ago: that this club is all about Arabs with money spending their stash in a wild and profligate way.
Well, they certainly did spend wildly for a time. Delivering a modest club to the big stage involves vast front-end investment in the squad. The players who can take you to the top just don’t fancy a team who only claim they can get there. Hence the madness. Nabbing Gareth Barry ahead of a bitterly disappointed Rafael Benitez and Liverpool, by getting him into a cab from Dubai to join up with the Manchester City squad in Abu Dhabi. Putting up with the sneering first response of Yaya Touré’s agent – “why should he leave Barcelona for you” – during the initial meeting at a hotel in Rome. And saying “yes” to Roberto Mancini’s demands for a vast backroom staff (including the man they called “the butler”) at the critical meeting on Sardinia, when there was urgent need for someone to take things on from Mark Hughes. The salaries that City paid back in those days provide a taste of what Manchester United face in the next three months. “Every agent knows you have a patchy squad and are desperate,” says one who saw that period up close at City.
But the last of the players for whom the club paid what was grimly known as a “City Price” in wages – Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge and Gareth Barry – are gone or on the point of going, reducing the breathtaking most recent £233m wage figure which included hefty pay-offs for Mancini and his entourage. That leaves City on course to break even at the end of this year, having halved their losses from £189.9m (2011), to £97.9m (2012) and £51.6m (2013.) Yes, there is wealth, City did win the lottery in 2009 and have bought success, but the spending this summer – on Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando and Bacary Sagna they hope – will be the squad refinements they always wanted to move towards.
The black and whites of FFP don’t tell us anything about the philosophy behind the spending. Football remains a deeply unreconstructed business world in many ways: a world so ridiculous that one of its greatest clubs, Manchester United, were last week waiting on the result of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to decide if the losing manager might perhaps fancy the role of spending £150m and rebuilding the entire structure after the Sir Alex Ferguson era. And because neither Carlo Ancelotti nor Pep Guardiola was available, they will go now with a manager who has a diametrically different personality to either of those, in Louis van Gaal. Where is the philosophy in that?
The comments City chief executive Ferran Soriano made at a Dubai seminar three months ago came to light last week, and though his observations on Van Gaal’s autocratic management style grabbed attention, his thoughts on managerial recruitment – incredibly relevant to United – were the more significant. “Before you decide how to manage your team, decide what you need,” Soriano said. “Do you need to be more direct? Do you need to delegate more? Do you need to be more of a coach?” City’s decision to appoint Manuel Pellegrini was based on the decision that they needed the latter, because that is how to exact optimum commitment from the complex dynamics of the dressing room. “In the competitive environment of football, just a bit less commitment means losing,” as Soriano put it.
It’s a personal view that Pellegrini’s uncommunicative nature in press conferences is more of a problem than City realise. He, more than anyone, could articulate the fact that City have taught old school British football a few things, while investing more on infrastructure and player development than any other club in this country. And that they have put in place the talent identification and player acquisition systems that means City are no longer at the mercy of agents – power-brokers in a sport which just can’t get to grips with learning its own business properly. Tony Pulis, current flavour of the month, left no infrastructure behind at Stoke and is not interested in developing young players. One of Crystal Palace’s best, Johnny Williams, is out on loan at Ipswich.
City’s reluctance to explain in fine detail some of the income figures which Uefa is scrutinising, has been a source of suspicion – to me and others. The £22.45m they say they have earned by selling intellectual property is puzzling, though my understanding is that the figure includes the “sale” of a raft of expertise, including know-how to other clubs which want to replicate elements of City’s Etihad Campus, which brings Academy and first team together from next summer. Creating an area where young players work and live, for example, has taken three years to develop.
The hope that this will help City develop a supply-line of young talent is tempered by a knowledge that such an achievement will take far longer than the five years they have already been committing to it. City’s young players reached last week’s Under-21 Premier League semi-final, losing on penalties to Chelsea, but it is actually the Under-12s and Under-14s where the future might lie. “No one ever believes it until you do it,” one insider says of the view that City are only about paying foreign signings to deliver success.
There will be more talk this week of Arabs and petrodollars and inconspicuous wealth and more succinct 140-character abuse will flow back in response. But behind all that, a significant story about a way of doing football business is going on.
Sergio Aguero took up FISHING during his free time before recovering from injury
Nolberto Solano plays the trumpet, Duncan Ferguson is a pigeon fancier, and Jody Craddock is a keen artist. But there's something rather fishy about Sergio Aguero's favourite past-time outside of football.
According to The Sun, the Manchester City man enjoys a spot of angling to help him relax outside the stresses and strains of the game.
He is now searching for some fishing hot spots around the North West, as City look to reel in the Premier League title in the next week.
A source said: 'He's had a lot of bad luck with injuries and there's a lot of free time after rehab.
'He was encouraged to give it a go by a pal, but he didn't get off to a good start - he failed to land a single fish.
'Sergio heard about fishing off the Blackpool coast and it's a good way to unwind.'
Manchester City players took to twitter on Monday night to celebrate Crystal Palace's dramatic draw with Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers' men let a three-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 at Selhurst Park and a trio of Blues players must have been watching ahead of Wednesday's game against Aston Villa.
Samir Nasri tweeted: "What a game, what a league, I love Crystal Palace so much now our turn to do the job."
Edin Dzeko, two-goal hero against Everton at the weekend, added: "Get in! #believe #together #mcfc"
And the normally dead-pan full back Aleks Kolarov tweeted: "100% the best league in the world!!! Now is the time- COME ON CITY!!!"
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]One of the men heavily linked with the vacant Manchester United manager's post - Pep Guardiola - is said to have been told he is wanted at Manchester City.
Reported Manchester United managerial target Pep Guardiola has already been contacted about the possibility of taking over at Manchester City according to a story in Spain.
Following the departure of Davied Moyes from Old Trafford, it was widely reported that Louis van Gaal would be named as his replacement. And yet with each passing day, stories emanate from the media suggesting United are looking long and hard at other options – most notably Guardiola.
The Bayern Munich boss is under some pressure following his side’s Champions League mauling at the hands of Real Madrid, and he did not ease the speculation when he said, “I know if we don’t win, I’m in danger,” in relation to the upcoming German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund.
But a report in Spain suggests it may not be United Guardiola heads to if he leaves Germany, but their closest rivals.
Spanish newspaper Voz Populi has published a story claiming City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain has already told Guardiola that there is a job at City if he wants it.
Given that Manuel Pellegrini is closing in on the Premier League title, it would be unfair on the Chilean if he is ousted after a single – potentially double-winning – campaign. But given the Barcelona links between Begiristain and Guardiola, the report does make an element of sense.
There are a lots of ifs, buts and maybes attached to this story, but if Guardiola does head to City, it will be an almighty blow for those United fans who would prefer the younger model over the 62-year-old van Gaal.
Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has told forward Thomas Muller, 24, that he needs to ask if he wants to leave for Manchester United this summer, with the price tag put at £37m. DSSC
Liverpool are tracking Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo. The 24-year-old Argentina international, who can player at left-back or centre-back, has a reported £25m release clause in his contract. Metro
Borussia Dortmund are lining up a summer transfer bid for Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony. Daily Mirror
Chelsea defenders John Terry and Ashley Cole, both 33, fear they may have already played their last match at Stamford Bridge. The pair are out of contract at the end of this season and are yet to receive assurances over their future at the club. Daily Telegraph
But other reports say Terry will stay at Chelsea after agreeing to halve his £160,000-a-week wage. Daily Star
The Blues are facing a battle to keep Cole, with clubs such as Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain and LA Galaxy said to be interested in the England international left-back. Evening Standard
Valencia will reject any offers from Everton for midfielder Carles Gil, 21, who is approaching the end of his second season-long loan at Elche. TalkSHIT
Barcelona's 22-year-old forward Cristian Tello could be set to spark a transfer scramble between Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal after telling his club he won't stay if Gerardo Martino remains in charge. Daily Express
Arsenal will not sign 31-year-old Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom when his loan from Spartak Moscow expires at the end of the season. Sun
Tottenham want Everton boss Roberto Martinez to replace Tim Sherwood. Daily Star
Louis van Gaal will offer 40-year-old Manchester United interim manager Ryan Giggs a senior coaching role if he is named as new United boss. Guardian
Nemanja Vidic will bid a special farewell to Manchester United fans at Tuesday's home match against Hull City. The 32-year-old centre-back will join Inter Milan on a free transfer at the end of this season. Sun
Manchester United interim boss Ryan Giggs, 40, is set to name himself in the squad to face Hull City in what is likely to be his last playing appearance. The Irish Times
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 22, is set to start in Arsenal's final game of the season in a bid to prove his World Cup fitness after two months out with a broken foot. Daily Mirror
Hull City manager Steve Bruce says 32-year-old goalkeeper Allan McGregor has made a "remarkable" recovery from a serious kidney injury and could be fit for the FA Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley on 17 May. Daily Telegraph
Uefa has urged Spanish football authorities to tackle the problem of racism in the country after Levante midfielder Pape Diop was abused by Atletico Madrid fans on Sunday. Guardian
Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale, 28, says his experience of helping Hull secure promotion to the Premier League in 2012 can help the Cottagers make a swift return from the Championship next season. Times
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is contemplating bringing back on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 21, from Atletico Madrid as a buffer for the injured Peter Cech. AS
Louis van Gaal will look to sign 30-year-old Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben for Manchester United if he is appointed as manager. Bild
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez flew to Italy to initiate negotiations with Juventus for the transfer of their 21-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba AS
Palermo's owner Maurizio Zamparini says striker Abel Hernandez, 23, wants to leave the Serie A club at the end of the season. Tuttosport
Chile and Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is in danger of missing the World Cup in Brazil because of a knee injury. Mundo Deportivo
Spain U21 manager Julen Lopetegui is the favourite to replace Luis Castro as the head coach of FC Porto from next season. Marca
Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has made a fleeting return to the limelight by starring in Snoop Dogg's new music video. Metro
more bollox shortly
