First major New York City signing

[john@staustell]

Yaya?

http://www.espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1828620?cc=5739

Manchester City will soon announce a big-name signing for their recently formed club New York City FC, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said.

New York City FC, created by a partnership between City and the New York Yankees baseball club, will enter Major League Soccer in 2015.

The designated player rule in operation in North America allows clubs to sign up to three players whose wages are exempt from the team salary cap.

NYCFC are expected to pursue some high-profile players and Al Mubarak told City's website: "Very soon you will be hearing about our first signing for our club in New York and it will be a very pleasant surprise I hope for our fans."

NYCFC will start life by playing at Yankee Stadium before a new ground can be built and will be the first MLS franchise playing in one of New York's five boroughs, with the Red Bulls being based in New Jersey.

Al Mubarak added: "This is a very exciting project we have embarked on. We have a wonderful team of individuals over there that is being set up, led by Tim [Pernetti], our CEO. We have a great coach in Jason [Kreis].

"This will be another story of organic development. This is a club that is in a wonderful city, with a great fanbase. I love how the fans selected our crest. It is a wonderful story and I think it is going to be a great success story. I am very excited about next year."

City have also invested in Japanese club Yokohama F-Marinos and own Australian club Melbourne Heart and Al Mubarak said: "It is a global sporting platform that is coming to fruition."

[Nigels Tackle]

strong rumours that it's yaya
as part of the deal they are cloning him 365 times so that they can celebrate his birthday every single day
you heard it here first!

[Ted Hughes]

Robinho ?

[Lee_R]

Messi!

[Original Dub]

Eto'o

[Nigels Tackle]

Robinho ?

sweep???

he can move in with bradley

[sidSmith]

Barry

[Wonderwall]

I think it will be one of the top US players to get their attention, then the bigger global name will come after.

I personally think it will be Landon Donovan, LA galaxy player and recently pissed off at having the captaincy taken from him.

[Lee_R]

Tom Selleck

[Chinners]

Barry

THIS^

[john@staustell]

Someone who plans well ahead, obviously.

[mancitymark]

Sylvester Stallone .... As Goalkeeper


Some heroic saves in Escape to Victory

Obviously Summerbee recommended him

[Moonchesteri]

Mido?

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Benjani

[Dameerto]

Barry

THIS^

That's my thought too.

[Moonchesteri]

I could see Ferdinand going there.

[Blue Since 76]

Barry

Much as I like Barry, I'm not sure he'd even excite many fans in England. In the colonies, the question would probably be "Barry who?"

They like rounders and netball, so the players who attract their interest are always going to be the ones who score the most goalshots. Considering they're going to be in New York, it would help if they were a half Irish, half Italian, half Hispanic Jew.

[Hazy2]

Ballo

[Ted Hughes]

If you're starting a club in NY with all the associated carry on ( you have the cheerleaders, performing dolphins & reanimated corpse of Frank Sinatra to sing "New York" etc) do you really then go: "And now, please make some noise for our first signing...that successful but underrated defensive midfielder...Gareth Barry!" ?

Surely it has to be a Robinho or Eto type player; someone the public have admired from afar & can now see up close, something to stir the imagination & put bums on seats ?

Introducing Barry at the opening ceremony wouldn't exactly be PT fucking Barnum would it ?

[Renato_CTID]

Balotelli! AC hasn't finished to pay for him yet ...