Football Transfer: Manchester City Aim To Replace Robinho With Ronaldinho

Football Transfer Report: Manchester City Aim To Replace Robinho With Ronaldinho

It seems that fiscal heavyweights Manchester City are keen to recruit a new marquee signing if, as appears increasingly likely, Robinho is Barcelona-bound.

Former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, currently flourishing under the tutelage of fellow national Leonardo in the AC Milan set-up, is being linked once again with a mega-money move to the Citizens.

According to Sport, the Citizens will press Milan for an answer regarding the availability of Ronaldinho and, should the response be positive, then they will green-light the sale of Robinho to Barcelona.

Robinho has been consistently linked with a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium, and is allegedly regarded as a replacement for Thierry Henry, despite the Frenchman's current form on the left of the Catalan club's attacking trio.

City previously tried to seal a deal for Ronaldinho, prior to the Brazilian's switch to Serie A; however, the 29-year-old spurned Mark Hughes' advances.

A swoop for Ronaldinho's fellow national, Maicon, is expected to fall through, though, as the player's agent has distanced his client from the City speculation.

The Eastlands side have also been linked with moves for Henry, Yossi Benayoun, and Franck Ribery.


Ronaldinho in Manchester with Rooney? I think this would be the best Football transfer of the year, what do you think?

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Cristiano Ronaldo wants patience from Real Madrid teammates and fans

MADRID, Spain — Cristiano Ronaldo wants patience, both from his Real Madrid teammates and the Spanish club's demanding fans.

The Portugal winger, who moved to Madrid from Manchester United in the off-season, has scored nine goals in seven appearances - all wins - since leaving England. But an ankle injury has recently forced him to the sidelines, where he has been watching his star-studded team struggle.

"I've already missed some games to injury but it's not like I'm the saviour," Ronaldo said in an interview. "I'm just a player that will give to help the team to win, but the team needs to work. I think things will improve."

Ronaldo has missed Madrid's past six games, one of those being a 4-0 loss at Alcorcon in the first leg of the fourth round of the Copa del Rey. That result put pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini, who has pleaded for more time.

But how much more time can be given to a team that spent more than 250 million euros (C$398 million) in the off-season for players such as Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso?

"I don't know, only time will tell," Ronaldo said in Spanish. "I can't say to you tomorrow, or after a month. I just hope it's as quickly as possible because if not we'll lose games or points and that's not good for the club or for us the players, either.

"It's difficult when we lose a game, or another with a little pressure, but that's normal and it's a club that's used to it and players should be ready for that."

The biggest factor for the early season sluggishness, Ronaldo believes, is the return of Madrid president Florentino Perez and his purchase of several new players.

"It's a club where you can't learn, you have to be ready when you arrive here and us players have to give our best to continue improving," Ronaldo said. "I'm certain - 100 per cent certain - that the team will reach a high level, but that takes time."

In the Spanish league, Madrid trails defending champion Barcelona by one point and Ronaldo believes the difference in experience has much to do with their contrasting starts.

"We know if we get better we'll reach a good level and we'll be able to fight against (Barcelona), which has a clear base foundation of great players who go out playing the same way with the same difference," he said. "Madrid is not like that. But, little by little, I'm confident the team will improve and we will play well. I'm sure of that."

Lionel Messi is one of Barcelona's best players, and the Argentina forward is the clear favourite to take Ronaldo's Golden Ball and FIFA Player of the Year titles away after helping his team become the first Spanish club to win three major trophies in a season.

Ronaldo said Barcelona's never-changing system is the main reason for that.

"He's got a great team at his back and it's a lot easier when you have so many great players of quality around you," Ronaldo said. "When you play in a team under construction, it's much more difficult and Barca has a team that for many years has been great."

Ronaldo, however, isn't ready to concede the league title to Barcelona just yet.

"They are no favourites in my opinion," Ronaldo said. "The truth is Barca is playing really well, playing better than us. That's the reality and people know that. But accounts are settled at the end of the season and I'm confident we're going to improve and we're going to fight to the end of the season."

Although surrounded by press managers, photographers and bodyguards, Ronaldo stayed calm when asked about getting back on the field.

"I'm very relaxed and will keep working in the same way that I did at Manchester and I know things will work out little by little and the team will get better," said the 24-year-old Ronaldo, who will also begin modelling Armani clothes alongside Hollywood actress Megan Fox.

Not even a foot injury and luxury clothes could keep Ronaldo from juggling a football, when his normally stoic demeanour dropped momentarily as he described his life in the Spanish capital.

"Life is very good. It's very similar to Portugal, I knew that before and I'm very happy here. It's a very lovely city," Ronaldo said. "It's totally different (from Manchester). Here there is almost always sun. The personality of the people are very different. The league, the food - almost everything is different and for that it's been a very radical change."

Football transfer rumours: David Villa to Chelsea ... again?

Look at his face. Just look at his face. While the temptation to forego a round-up of the day's tabloid tittle-tattle in favour of a good old fashioned caption competition instead (the winning entrant will be chosen at 2.30pm and receive their choice of - Rumour Mill writer scans desk for free tat to give away - In The Shadow Of A Giant: The Autobiography of Arsenal and Wales Legend Mel Charles or Nobody Beats Us: The Inside Story of the 1970s Wales Rugby Team or a partially chewed blue biro missing its lid or the apparently discarded bicycle helmet of the Rumour Mill's colleague Mikey Stafford*), it would be a gross dereliction of journalistic duty not to list the contenders queuing up to plant their rumps in the managerial hotseat at Anfield: Jose Mourinho.

Yes, yes, it's well documented that Waldorf and Statler can't afford to sack Rafa Benitez and the Rumour Mill doesn't want to see any man lose his job in these difficult times, but in the wake of Saturday's comedy of errors at Craven Cottage and the run up to Wednesday's humiliation at the Stade Gerland, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Liverpool's American owners can't afford not to sack him, even though such a move could well ruin the fun for those of us sitting by the guillotine with knitting in hand, waiting to see exactly how much gas there is in this particular explosion/mixed metaphor. Whatever about finishing in the top four come season's end, at the rate they're shipping goals, players and points, Liverpool will be lucky to finish in the top 10 of the Premier League this season.

As you'd expect on a Monday morning following one of the more fascinating weekends in recent Premier League history, tabloid transfer tell-all is fairly thin on the ground, what with the papers devoting the lion's share of their column inchage to match reports, thundering opinion pieces and The X Factor. That said, the Mirror has made room for the obligatory whispers linking Valencia striker David Villa with a £33m move to Chelsea, a football club that is not prepared to let the small matter of a transfer ban curtail their spending on new talent during the January transfer window. While the Mirror reports that Villa would rather go to Manchester United and rejected Chelsea's advances during the summer, the Rumour Mill has it on good authority that he's quite the homebird and has no desire whatsoever to leave his nearest and dearest in Spain for a cold, wet, foreign country where he can't speak the lingo.

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Ronaldo calls for Rooney at Real

Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Manchester United star and current World Player of the Year, would love to see old teammate Wayne Rooney, and one time adversary, at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese winger, who moved to the Spanish capital in the summer for a record £80 million fee, claimed that Rooney would be ideally suited to life at the Bernabeu, although Rooney has stated on a number of occasions he plans to be a United player for a long time yet.

David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy have also made the switch from Old Trafford in the past, although neither made such an immediate impression with Ronaldo scoring nine goals in seven appearances before injury recently sidelined him.

“Wayne would be a sensation out here,” said Ronaldo. “He would be brilliant if he came here. This is the ideal place for the world's best players and there's little doubt he is one of them.”

Ronaldo did confess that the probability of 24-year-old Rooney making the switch was slim, but was quick to point out that anything is possible in football.

“I realise it would take a lot for him to move from England. He loves the country, he loves Manchester and he is a Liverpool boy. And United is a good club for him. But you never know what could happen in the future.''

Rooney has taken on the mantle of United talisman from Ronaldo this season, and chipped in with another superbly taken goal against Blackburn yesterday.

It was Rooney’s eighth goal of the season, and earned him high praise from the Premier League’s greatest-ever goalscorer. Alan Shearer said: “It was a fantastic finish by Wayne. It is a difficult skill to sweep the ball like that – with his wrong foot – but he did it superbly and gave the keeper no chance.”

One more good reason why United would never consider selling Wayne Rooney. Mind you, didn’t they say that about Beckham, Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo? Just a thought.

Source:http://www.givemefootball.com

Ronaldinho says smile is back on his face

MILAN, Italy — Ronaldinho said on Tuesday that he is finally happy again playing for Brazilian compatriot Leonardo at AC Milan.

The Italians tackle Real Madrid in the Champions League at the San Siro on Wednesday as the two most successful clubs in European competition go head to head for the second time in two weeks.

The 29-year-old has endured a difficult last two seasons, proving to be a shadow of the player he once was when he inspired Barcelona to Champions League glory and won successive world player of the year awards.

But he has been improving lately, and proving decisive for Milan by creating many crucial goals recently.

"With Leonardo (the coach) I'm happy. Football is like this, right now I feel good and I'm happy," Ronaldinho said.

"And when I feel like this, things work better. What's the secret? I've worked hard and I've had the time to do so.

"The coach and the physio are helping me, I'm going onto the pitch at 100 percent and my body is responding, things are coming easier to me.

"Last season I didn't play much, now I'm playing more and the coach has confidence in me."

Ronaldinho actually made a pretty good start to his Milan career last season, scoring the winner in the Milan derby with a rare header.

But injury and some ill-discipline during the winter break affected the second half of his season, in which he struggled to earn a place in the starting line up and rarely bristled even when he did play.

All he wants now is to start adding goals to his repertoire.

"I'm delighted to help my team-mates, I'm providing assists but I want to do better by scoring goals," he added.

"I'm expecting a great night for the whole team and I want to give my all."

Leonardo has been trying to boost his player's confidence by claiming he would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.

"Surely we have to insert Ronaldinho in the list of the top 10 players of all time," he said before turning attentions to Wednesday's game.

"These matches between Milan and Real have a history all of their own. Our results have been good, we've got a good atmosphere and it's always the right time for a game like this."

Milan are sweating over the fitness of centre-back Alessandro Nesta while Leonardo will have to decide who out of Filippo Inzaghi and Marco Borriello will partner Ronaldinho and Pato in his three-man attack.

While the game is probably the biggest in Europe this week, it is not a winner takes all clash for these two.

Whatever the result in this Group C match they will both come out of it still in a good position to qualify for the Champions League knock-out stages.

They both have six points with Marseille and FC Zurich three points back and Real's Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini is thinking more about top spot than qualifying.

"Both teams are aiming for first place in the group and will be trying to win," he said.

"We'll have a go from the first minute and we'll see what happens but I'm sure we'll play a great match."

Pellegrini also insisted his team had not taken Milan lightly in their first match in the Bernabeu, where the Italians scored a shock 3-2 win.

"We weren't over-confident, until they equalised (at 1-1) we had controlled the game," he said.

"Then we lost our shape and with the great players they have, Milan made the most of that."

Despite not scoring in six matches, France forward Karim Benzema looks likely to start alongside Argentine Gonzalo Higuain in attack with Raul dropping to the bench.