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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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Football Transfer: Manchester City Aim To Replace Robinho With Ronaldinho
Monday, November 2, 2009
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
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wayne Rooney vs Cristiano Ronaldo vs Kaka vs Lionel Messi
Let's have some fun guys. Who do you think is the best among this awesome footballers: Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Lionel Messi.
Wayne Rooney
Age: 23
Position: Forward
Club: Manchester United
United's very own Roy of the Rovers, Rooney made his mark in Manchester with a stunning Champions League hat-trick in a 6-2 thrashing of Fenerbahce, which included a beautifully flighted free-kick.
Rooney, who is set to make his 50th Champions League appearance for United on Wednesday, already has a considerable medal collection having helped the Old Trafford club to three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup - to name but a few.
The former Everton player has the ability to terrorise defences with his speed, strength and vision, and he is equally adept at tackling and tracking back.
Arguably a genius in the making, an incendiary element to his character is the only flaw in his well-rounded game. His kicking of a corner flag at Craven Cottage following his sending off in a 2-0 defeat to Fulham in March merely illustrates this. If he can follow Kipling's advice and keep his head, Rooney will have the world at his feet.
Rating: 7/10.
Kaká
Age: 27
Position: Forward
Club: Real Madrid.
The Fifa 2007 World Player of the Year had the Midas touch at Milan and helped the Rossoneri win the Champions League in the same season, scoring 10 goals during the tournament. He may not have the blistering pace of a Cristiano Ronaldo, but Kaká can see the game from a bird's eye perspective and is as much a creator of goals as a supreme finisher.
After completing his £68.5 million move to Real Madrid in the summer, the Brazilian will be keen to impress again in a World Cup season.
Rating: 8/10.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 24
Position: Forward
Club: Real Madrid.
A player who is just as fast with or without the ball at his feet, Ronaldo can leave the best defenders with twisted blood.
The Portuguese, who scooped two Football Writer's Player of the Year awards and a brace of PFA accolades during his time in England, helped Manchester United win the Champions League in 2008 with the opening goal in their defeat of Chelsea.
Crowned Fifa World Player of the Year for 2008 with the Ballon d'Or already in his possession, the one remaining trophy that Ronaldo would dearly love to get his hands on is the World Cup.
Rating: 9/10.
Lionel Messi
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Club: Barcelona.
The catalyst for Barcelona's Champions League triumph over Manchester United last season, this diminutive genius would appear to be the safest bet for this year's Fifa World Player of the Year.
One of a string of Argentine players to have been compared to the great Diego Maradona - and the first to deserve such comparisons - Messi seemingly sows his boot to the ball as he fillets opposition defences.
Proclaimed to be the best in the world by none other than England manager Fabio Capello, Messi may not be the greatest goal scorer, but he is a scorer of great goals.
Rating: 9/10.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Rooney hospitalised after stumbling over his yacht
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who is holidaying on the French Riviera, ended up in a hospital after stumbling over his luxury yacht.
According to reports, his pregnant wife Coleen took him to a hospital in St Tropez after he toppled over on the deck.
Doctors feared that Ronney might have suffered a concussion, following which he was kept under observation for two and a half hours.
“He cut his head and everyone was worried he may have a concussion. So, he was taken for a check-up,” The Mirror.co quoted an insider, as saying.
“Wayne might have looked like he was trying to keep a low profile by wearing a cap and hoodie but he was probably trying to hide his cut,” he added.
The Man U star was finally discharged, when doctors were satisfied that the medical reports showed no serious injury. (ANI)
Source
Monday, July 27, 2009
Manchester City test John Terry's loyalty with £40m bid
Manchester City will make an increased bid of £40 million for John Terry, although any transfer is likely to be dependent on the England captain’s willingness to force the issue.
Chelsea suspect that Terry may be using City’s interest as leverage in an effort to secure an improved contract, but if he is serious about leaving Stamford Bridge, the club will insist that the defender submits a transfer request as they are determined not to be painted as the villains in any prospective sale.
City would not have pursued Terry so rigorously had they not been given grounds for encouragement and are refusing to concede defeat despite having a £30 million bid rejected last week.
Terry would stand to earn about £200,000 a week at City — compared with his existing wages of £135,000 a week at Chelsea — and is said to be impressed by the scale of City’s ambitions, although the club must be aware that they could be being used as a bargaining tool.
Chelsea would consider opening talks with Terry, whose present contract has three years left to run, about a new deal, but they will not be held to ransom and know that £40 million is a lot of money for City to offer for a player who turns 29 in December.
The tone of the statement Chelsea released last week, confirming that they had “completely rejected” City’s offer, reflected their frustration, but despite encouraging Terry to reiterate his commitment to the club, the defender has yet to do so.
City lodged an initial bid for Terry in January, despite being warned off by Chelsea before that, but the situation is intriguing not least because it pits the two of the richest owners in world football against each other for the second time in less than a year.
Sheikh Mansour, the City owner and Arab billionaire, won the previous battle of wills in September last year, with Roman Abramovich, his Chelsea counterpart, refusing to match City’s £34.2 million British record bid for Robinho, the Brazil forward.
Mark Hughes, the City manager, has made it clear that he covets Terry over most others and believes that his leadership qualities, along with his defensive nous and goalscoring prowess from set-pieces, will greatly strengthen a rearguard that still has a fragile look.
Reports that Hughes and Terry were on holiday at the same hotel complex in Dubai last week will only add fuel to the heated speculation.
Hughes wants to pair Terry and Joleon Lescott, of Everton, in central defence next season, although the City manager may wait to see how the Terry situation pans out before stepping up his efforts for Lescott. Everton’s £20 million-plus valuation of Terry’s England team-mate may prove a sticking point.
If a second bid for Terry fails, Hughes is likely to turn to Kolo Touré, the Arsenal defender who is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium next summer and who would be available for about £14 million.
City are still awaiting a decision from Samuel Eto’o, the Cameroon striker, who is locked in a dispute with Barcelona.
Manchester United also inquired about Eto’o this summer but it seems unlikely that Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, will sign another striker now that Michael Owen has joined on a free transfer.
Despite the uncertainty over Terry and Eto’o, however, Carlos Tévez’s £25.5 million transfer to City should finally be ratified this week, with the former United striker rejecting suggestions that a cross-city move would be an act of betrayal.
“If I play for Manchester City I don’t think the United fans will feel I am a traitor,” Tévez said.
¤ Christopher Samba has put Manchester City on red alert by refusing to pledge his future to Blackburn Rovers (Graham Chase writes). The centre back was brought to Ewood Park by Mark Hughes in January 2007 and the City manager wanted to take him to Manchester last summer.
The 25-year-old defender has also been linked with Everton and West Ham United and has left himself open to a move away from Blackburn.
“I am still at Blackburn, so I can’t comment,” he said. “Whoever wants me will need to talk to Blackburn Rovers and we will see. I am calm and waiting.”
Source
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Owen Will Be Better Than Tevez For Manchester United
Former England manager Glen Hoddle has insisted that Michael Owen will be a better attacking option than Carlos Tevez for Manchester United.
Owen went from Newcastle United to Old Trafford on Friday in a move that has taken the football world by surprise.
However, Hoddle insisted the transfer would suit Owen perfectly and he tipped the striker to thrive at his new club.
“The way United play will suit Michael down to the ground,” Hoddle told the Sunday Mirror.
“Possession football and a lot of chances. It couldn't be better for him.
“At United, he won't be the focal point of the team. He will have the likes of Rooney, Berbatov and Valencia around him. They are match-winners as well. He will thrive at United.”
Hoddle also insisted that Owen would outscore Tevez, who rejected the chance to stay on at the club and now looks set to move to Manchester City instead.
“It is a superb bit of business by Sir Alex Ferguson. I'm convinced it could be the shrewdest signing of the summer,” he added.
“If Michael can stay relatively fit and be involved in 30 or so games, he can be better for United in front of goal than Tevez.”
Source
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wayne Rooney: I can be central to Manchester United
Wayne Rooney believes he can compensate for the summer exodus of attacking talent from Manchester United - after admitting he has not been given the chance to shine so far at Old Trafford.
Key men Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have left the Barclays Premier League champions since the end of the season.
Already, it has been suggested that Rooney must step up and fulfil his potential this season if United are to maintain their lofty standards of recent campaigns.
And the England striker feels more than ready to meet that obligation.
"We've lost two key players and obviously I hope we can get a few players in," Rooney told The Times.
"Between them Cristiano and Carlos scored a lot of goals for us last season and the season before, but I would like to think I'm capable of filling that gap.
"I've said before that, if I can play in my right position, I'm capable of doing that."
Rooney has often been asked to operate out wide by manager Sir Alex Ferguson since joining from Everton.
The Liverpudlian is adamant that has prevented him from showing his best form on a consistent basis, and believes the time is right to make a permanent switch to the centre.
"I want to play in the position where I feel I'm best," he said.
"A lot of people think I'm best as a centre forward.
"To play in a Champions League final and to play week in, week out for Manchester United is a privilege and it's something I'm very lucky to be doing, but I don't think playing on the wing I can express myself as much as I like to."
Source
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Carlos Tevez decides to leave Man United
MANCHESTER, England — Carlos Tevez is considering joining Chelsea or Manchester City after rejecting a five-year deal with Manchester United.
The Argentina striker, who would have become one of United's top-earners, left the Premier League champions because he felt unwanted, but wants to continue playing in England.
Despite United's cross-town rival Manchester City not being able to offer Tevez European football next season, its wealthy Abu Dhabi ownership is targeting the world's best players to create a title-winning side.
"City and Chelsea probably would be the two clubs that are on the table," Tevez's adviser Kia Joorabchian said Saturday. "City have obviously been in contact with us. I've spoken to (City executive chairman) Garry (Cook) and to (manager) Mark (Hughes) on several occasions.
"We haven't talked to them about a contract, we haven't talked to Chelsea either about that because we've respected the fact that Carlos is a Manchester United player."
Liverpool was ruled out by Tevez because of the club's rivalry with United.
Tevez was brought to England in 2006 through a contentious loan move to West Ham by the investment company that will relinquish his rights when he seals a permanent deal.
The Red Devils said they had wanted to keep Tevez and were willing to pay 25.5 million pounds (C$47.9 million) to turn his two-year loan deal into a permanent contract.
"Disappointingly, however, his advisers informed the club that, despite the success he has enjoyed during one of the club's most successful periods, he does not wish to continue playing for Manchester United," the Old Trafford team said.
Tevez decided to leave Old Trafford, having previously said that United disrespected him by not explaining why he was dropped so often from the team.
He joined United before the 2007-08 season and quickly become a fan favourite. After the final home match of the season in May, more than a thousand supporters converged on the directors' exit and players' tunnel to chant at manager Sir Alex Ferguson: "Fergie, sign him up."
Joorabchian said the decision to reject United's offer was not down to money, but the club's long delay in making the offer.
"If it was, let's say, Wayne Rooney's contract finishing six months before, or Cristiano Ronaldo's contract finishing six months before, would they have offered a better deal to them at that time or would they have tried to secure their services a bit sooner?" Joorabchian asked. "He has that little bit of a feeling that maybe he wasn't the most wanted person at United."
Tevez's exit will leave Ferguson searching for another attacking player to complement Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov while also seeking a replacement for Ronaldo, who is set to complete a move to Real Madrid.
Teenagers Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck made impressive contributions last season, but lack the experience Man United requires as it seeks to rebound following its Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.
Source
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Manchester United target £45m David Villa
Villa, the Spain striker, is expected to leave Valencia this summer due to crippling financial problems at the Mestalla.
And the Mirror claims Ferguson hopes to spend a large chunk of the £80 million United will receive for Ronaldo on Villa, the leading scorer at Euro 2008.
Should United land Villa, the fee would break the British transfer record set when Robinho moved to Manchester City last summer.
However, United will face fierce competition from Madrid, who announced last week that Villa would join Kaka and Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.
Chelsea had been monitoring Villa's situation at Valencia, with the Spanish club under pressure to strip their prized assets as they lumber under debts of around £400 million, but the former Sporting Gijon forward has always made clear his preference for staying in Spain.
Valencia are thought to have turned down an inquiry from Chelsea for the striker last week.
Source
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Rooney Is A Genuine World Class Player
Emile Heskey once again stated which, to most United fans at least, is blindingly obvious: that Wayne Rooney is a world class player. The United striker scored a stunningly brilliant goal for England at Kazakhstan and was excelling in the free role behind Heskey throughout the game. His strike partner was very impressed with him.
'Wayne is a great player and has shown it for both United and England on many occasions,' he said.
'It's working well and hopefully we can continue to link-up well.
'Wayne is a great player and is up there with the best in the world. He is playing in positions he has never played in and is doing a great job.'
And it's clear that his best position is still behind the main striker. It's a pity that so often at United he's always shunted wide or stuck up front alone to accomodate others. Imagine Rooney playing just behind Cristiano Ronaldo with two hard-working, pacy, skilled wingers... oh, mouthwatering.
Source
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wayne Rooney ready for centre stage at Manchester United now Ronaldo has gone
The England international believes he can take on the mantle after Cristiano Ronaldo's world record £80million transfer to Real Madrid.
Rooney has already told manager Sir Alex Ferguson he wants to play as a striker rather than on the wing.
But he is convinced he now has the experience as well as ability to shoulder the responsibility of talisman for the club.
He is desperate to lead United to more domestic and European success - and prove Ronaldo is not indispensable.
Rooney's selfless commitment to the United cause last season, often operating wide and backtracking to help the defence, has earned him widespread appreciation.
But it has compromised his attacking prowess and he confronted Ferguson over his position before the end of the term.
Rooney's case has been reinforced by his performances for England, who have given him licence to run at the heart of defences and raid the penalty area. He has rewarded Fabio Capello with eight goals in the World Cup qualifying campaign and virtually secured the national team's passage to next year's finals.
United insiders contend Rooney is a victim of his own versatility and enthusiasm - as well as Ronaldo's ego.
They argue that now the Portuguese is on his way, Rooney can be unleashed and become the inspiration for the next Old Trafford generation.
The golden boy of English football was expected to grow into that role when United signed him from Everton five years ago.
Ronaldo had been signed from Sporting the previous summer but was generally regarded as a one-trick pony. Rooney was considered the player of substance, the real deal.
Yet Ronaldo began to harness his exceptional talent and Rooney was eclipsed.
Ronaldo's phenomenal 200708 season, when he scored 42 goals and led United to a Premier League and Champions League double, brought also a cascade of individual awards. He cleaned up at domestic, European and world level.
Last season the fractures in Ronaldo's relationship with United began to appear while Rooney soldiered on, uncomplaining in public, but increasingly frustrated.
He knew he could play a more productive part for United and left Ferguson in no doubt about his feelings.
The United boss knows better than anyone that Rooney has the capability and application to respond to the added challenge.
Now, at the age of 23, Rooney is ready to step out of Ronaldo's shadow and achieve the stature many feel is his destiny.
Source
Thursday, June 11, 2009
England Boss Fabio Capello - Wayne Rooney Was Nervous In Champions League Final
With the 2010 World Cup on the horizon, Fabio Capello has been examining footage of his potential England team.
Afforded little evidence of how his side would cope if they were to progress to the final due to the country's failure to reach one since 1966, Capello has been forced to look at other sources - including Manchester United's Champions League decider with Barcelona.
The England boss believes that his star striker, Wayne Rooney, suffered from a bout of stage fright during the tie in Rome, but he is confident that it will not affect the player's international performances.
"Rooney lost easy passes in Rome, incredible - he was nervous, he wanted to play different," Capello said, quoted by the Associated Press.
"When you have to win, sometimes the pressure is too big and when you go to the pitch it's not the same. United played for 10 minutes like United but struggled after that.
"It's not a problem for me because [Rooney] is a very, very good player and he will play very well.
"It's normal in a career of one player to lose and to win. For me I forgot every time when I lost. As a player I lost a final against Ajax and as a manager I lost some finals.
"You win, you lose - but you carry on.''
Source
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto'o, Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz on Manchester City hitlist
As Mark Hughes strode down the Celtic Manor fairways yesterday clad in his Lacoste golfing gear, he looked more like an establishment figure than a radical.
But make no mistake, Comrade Hughes' blue revolution is sweeping through Eastlands.
Chairman Mark has already signalled his intent by pulling off a coup to beat Liverpool to the £12million signing of Gareth Barry and claims more big names will follow in this summer of change for Manchester City.
Players like Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto'o, Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz figure highly on his wish-list and Hughes is determined to rebuild City, bigger, better and stronger.
Hughes knows his buys during this transfer window will decide his future and he is determined to fulfil his vision for City.
Armed with Sheikh Mansour's billions, City could become the first club to smash the £200,000-a-week wage barrier, although Hughes claims players are attracted by the club's potential. "A lot of players now understand what we're trying to do at the club and Gareth wants to be part of that," he said.
"We've got an idea where we want to be in the next few years. We want players to buy into that idea and we can offer players a different experience.
"Hopefully it will be an enjoyable one and the next few years are going to be exciting for everybody connected to Manchester City and the players recognise that.
"We are obviously going to go back into the market. We still feel there are areas of the team we want to improve and if players become available, then we will try and acquire them.
"We've made a good start and we're happy with that.
"It's going to be an interesting summer for everybody involved with Manchester City."
That's one way of putting it and the number of players coming in is only likely to be dwarfed by the mass exodus from Eastlands.
Hughes has spent his first 12 months evaluating his squad at City and it is clear that most of the players he inherited from Sven Goran Eriksson may not make the cut. He is going to take a wrecking ball to his squad and when the dust finally settles, Stephen Ireland could be the only survivor from the players he inherited last summer.
Not even skipper Richard Dunne is safe and the Irish international, who turns 30 in September, had a poor season by his standards.
Hughes has made no secret of his desire to sign a commanding central defender and feels Toure could yet be prised away from Arsenal. Several of the young players brought through the ranks at City will also be on their way through the exit.
Teenage striker Daniel Sturridge is already joining Chelsea on a free after City refused to meet his demands for a new £65,000-aweek deal.
"We've offered Daniel a deal that we think is at the level he should be at," said Hughes. "He's in a strong position because he's in the last year of his contract.
"He's keeping his options open, which he has done for quite some time. We just have to wait and see.
"Obviously I have made my intentions very clear to him. I would like him to stay, but it may be out of our hands."
England hopeful Joe Hart could be farmed out on loan after being demoted to No.2 by Shay Given and Hughes admits he has struggled to cope with his sudden fall from grace.
"Joe is frustrated and obviously wants to play," said Hughes. "We will look at his situation in the coming weeks and it might be to both Joe's and the club's benefit if he did go out on loan."
Micah Richards is interesting Aston Villa and could be sold because he has not impressed Hughes with his poor attitude.
Hughes feels the onetime England star is a poor trainer and sent him from the training ground after a recent bust-up.
Doubts over Michael Johnson's future remain and although Hughes rates him as a player, he is concerned by the midfielder's injury record and his love of the high life.
Definitely being turfed out this summer are Danny Mills, Michael Ball, Dietmar Hamann and Glauber Berti, who are out of contract.
Hughes will also listen to offers for Jo, Elano, Tal Ben-Haim, Javier Garrido, Darius Vassell, Valeri Bojinov, Felipe Caicedo, Gelson Fernandes, Benjani Mwaruwari and Kasper Schmeichel.
Elano, from the safety of the other side of the Atlantic in Brazil, claims he wants to join Inter Milan and Hughes will shed few tears if he can offload the troublesome Brazilian. Although Elano is a favourite with the fans, his future at City has been thrown into even greater doubt by Barry's arrival.
The Samba star would love to team up with Jose Mourinho at the San Siro and said: "I have a contract with Manchester City, but I hope the Nerazzurri do not see this as a constraint. I would wear the Inter shirt.
"Jose Mourinho is great. His teams always leave their mark, and every player who has worked with him considers him a phenomenon.
"I hope my friend Julio Cesar can put in a good word for me."
All change on Eastlands front ... the likely transfers
INS:
Gareth Barry (Villa) £12m, Carlos Tevez (Man Utd) £32m, Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) £40m, Kolo Toure (Arsenal) £15m, Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn) £20m.
OUTS:
Jo £10m, Micah Richards (Villa) £10m, Richard Dunne (Sunderland) £8m, Elano (Inter) £7m, Mwaruwari Benjani £5m, Valeri Bojinov £4m, Felipe Caicedo £3m, Javier Garrido £2m, Gelson Fernandes £2m, Tal Ben-Haim £1.5m, Darius Vassell £1m, Kasper Schmeichel £1m, Dietmar Hamann, Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Mills, Michael Ball, Glauber Berti (all free) Joe Hart (Birmingham) loan.
Source
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Manchester United hope to succeed in their 'last chance' to sign Carlos Tevez
Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all now, in principle, reached the asking price for the 25-year-old Argentine. However his adviser, Kia Joorabchian, the man who leads the group of investors who own the rights to Tevez, insists he will not enter into negotiations until June 10.
It was claimed on Sunday that City had agreed a deal for Tevez but Joorabchian is insistent that this is not the case and that the striker wants to wait until after Argentina have completed their forthcoming international matches. They play Colombia at home on June 6 and then are away to Ecuador four days later in two crucial World Cup qualification matches.
Although Tevez has appeared certain to leave United, having failed to secure a permanent contract at the end of his two-year loan period, and having said his farewells to the rest of the squad following last week's Champions League final, there is one last chance for United to secure a deal.
Chief executive David Gill indicated last week that the club were considering backing down in their attempts to renegotiate a price for Tevez, having hoped to pay less than £20 million. Gill also admitted it was "easier" to deal with a company than a club in this case – something Sir Alex Ferguson had said wasn't the case, much to Joorabchian's annoyance.
Another significant hurdle for United is to convince Tevez that he will play frequently enough. One of the player's major complaints is that he has not started a sufficient number of United's important matches and only featured as a half-time substitute in last week's final. He has become disillusioned and wanted to leave, as he declared in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph last month.
Tevez's anger has, however, cooled and he is now less certain that he will definitely be leaving United. He wants to stay in the Premier League and the firm interest from three of United's rivals has also not gone unnoticed by Gill and Ferguson who had hoped there would not be other serious bidders, allowing them to renegotiate the original terms.
City are proving to be the most eager bidders at present with manager Mark Hughes, along with his family, his backroom staff and their families, in Abu Dhabi for a short holiday. The will also discuss the club's transfer targets with owner Sheikh Mansour who has indicated, despite public declarations otherwise, that he wants to spend big this summer in order to challenge for the Champions League places. City are likely to also mount a serious bid for Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o who has been told he can leave the club even if he would prefer to stay.
Joorabchian is aware of City's interest in Tevez – and their keenness to conclude a quick deal - but has informed them that he will not hold talks until after the international programme has finished and, also, he has concluded negotiations with United.
Source
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Ronaldo: There's history to be made at United
At Manchester United, as long as Sir Alex Ferguson remains manager, there will always be something for which to aim. A fresh peak, a new page in the history book. That is why, as we prepare to enter another Cristiano Ronaldo debating season, the one argument that can be discounted is that he has done all he can at his present club.
Ronaldo insists he will be staying, yet the rumours persist. Certainly, there are a number of men who stand to make many millions if they can facilitate the deal that takes him to Real Madrid, and who therefore have a vested interest in perpetuating the idea that he is unsettled, even if it is untrue.
Yet why should he not wish to do another year at Old Trafford. Indeed, why would he not do another 10? This time last season, the speculation was that Ronaldo wanted to go out on the high of winning the first all-English European Cup final, as if nothing could beat that.
Now here we are, 12 months on, and Manchester United stand on the brink of an even greater achievement: to be the first club to retain the trophy in its modern, Champions League, format. First, they must overcome Barcelona, who have been laying waste to their own record books in Spain.
Top that? Well, incredibly, United could if next season they become the only English club to win four straight league titles. This would bring their total to 19, the most to be won (although Liverpool are now claiming two wartime titles to take their total to 20, which seems even more desperate than some of Rafael Benitez’s most recent press conference pronouncements).
For this team, at this unique moment in history, there is always a new milestone to be passed. In the excitement at theprospect of United retaining the Champions League, it has almost been overlooked that this season they have become the first club to win three consecutive league titles over two periods in history.
Real Madrid have won the Spanish league five times on the turn, so too Juventus and Torino in Italy and Porto in Portugal, but three has long been the ceiling in the English game. Huddersfield Town, Arsenal and Liverpool have done it, and United twice. And, of course, it is hard for somebody from outside the country to be responsive to the saga of the English game spanning three centuries, but every time Ronaldo stepped on the field this season, each time he helped Manchester United to victory, he was becoming part of England’s sporting folklore.
That will be true next season, too, if he can inspire a fourth triumph. With the exception of The Wednesday, every English league champion is still a member of the English league, and bearing the same name, today. Yet none have won it four times consecutively. And, yes, football clubs are about more than black and white columns in books on dusty shelves, they are about people and passion and the emotion Ronaldo clearly experiences when he thinks of Real Madrid.
Yet he may wish to consider why he felt that way, as a boy growing up in Funchal, on the island of Madeira; why he was bewitched by a club that played in a foreign league, in a foreign city, over 900 miles away. And the answer would be that he fell in love with their history, with their achievement, with the legends of special players and special football.
And, if he would only realise, that is what he is creating at Manchester United now. It is why Ronaldo’s work is not yet done, even if he leaves Rome triumphant once more.
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Saturday, May 23, 2009
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo is simply irreplaceable
If a player shows the kind of petulance that Ronaldo displayed against Manchester City last week, then more often than not Sir Alex Ferguson puts them on their bike.
Ferguson has never had a player of Ronaldo's importance show petulance like that, but if he were to get rid of him, the odds on United winning the big prizes next season would lengthen dramatically.
Nobody steamrollers the lesser teams like Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney might regularly be better than Ronaldo in terms of his work rate and other qualities, but Ferguson will never find a player who hammers opponents like Ronaldo.
Ferguson will want to keep Ronaldo, not because he likes him, but because he is so important to United. When he got rid of David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy, they were both still great players, but you could argue that they had seen their best days at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo is still only 24, so this summer is not the right time to get rid of him. United have to keep him and put up with his idiosyncrasies because he is simply a sensational player.
It was always impossible for him to better last season's performances, but he has still scored 25 goals this season. He has helped United overcome the lesser teams that Liverpool failed to beat.
Maybe they haven't been at their scintillating best this year as they have been in the past, but you cannot question their position at the top of the table.
What happens next season will revolve around what happens with Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, though. If he leaves United and Liverpool make two or three key additions, the balance of power could shift away from Old Trafford.
The only person who could come close to replacing Ronaldo if United sold him would be Steven Gerrard, but Manchester United are not going to get Steven Gerrard, so that's a non-starter.
Ronaldo is simply irreplaceable and that's why Sir Alex will turn a blind eye to certain things and put up with his petulance.
People talk about the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona as the best players the Premier League has ever seen, but none of them compare to Ronaldo in terms of the impact they have made.
Ask any manager which player they would choose out of those four and they would all say Ronaldo. No matter how much you dislike him, you just cannot deny that he has everything and that's why the Ronaldo factor is so important to United and all of their rivals this summer.
When I lifted the league championship trophy for Liverpool in 1990, it was my last game in football and I would never have believed it if somebody had told me then that, almost 20 years later, United would have gone from seven titles to go level on 18 with Liverpool.
It has now happened, but Liverpool are getting closer and next season could be the year for them and Rafael Benitez.
It's clear that a rift has grown between Benitez and Ferguson, but the only person who wins those kind of rivalries is the guy who wins the trophies.
Alex has had his spats with everybody, from Arsene Wenger to Jose Mourinho, and now Benitez, but when he comes out on top, he isn't interested in what has been said.
You cannot accuse Benitez of lacking humility towards Ferguson after the West Brom game yesterday because Ferguson has never had any humility towards opponents.
But Ferguson and United have won the title and that's all that people will remember, not who said what.
Benitez probably needs to put an end to it and say nothing. If you lose, don't keep going on about it. He should just get on with it now and look towards next season.
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
Manchester United are masters of mind over matter
If ever you wanted to understand the intrinsic reason why Manchester United are again the newly crowned Champions of England, then you only had to watch around half an hour of their game at Wigan last week.
The invaluable commodity of mind over matter underpinned United's comeback in the last half hour, from a 1-0 deficit to a crucial 2-1 win. Somehow, it perfectly epitomised their season. No matter that the rain swirled down, no matter that this was United's second game in four days, their third in a week after the drama of the Champions League semi-final 2nd leg at Arsenal.
Thus, by Saturday night by which time they had also played Arsenal and secured the single point necessary to clinch the title, Sir Alex Ferguson's men had have played four games in 12 days. Not just run of the mill matches, but every one a potential decider in either the race for Rome and the Champions League final, or the battle for the Barclay's Premier League title.
It would be easy to look at Ferguson's handsome squad and sneer about no pressure because of an excess of quality. And it is true, even their closest rivals must drool at the manner in which the £30 million man Dimitar Berbatov is omitted, rested and then brought in, as fresh as a daisy at the end of a long, gruelling season.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal must also drool at the manner in which Wayne Rooney, truly the Duracell bunny, has continued to run and work as though these were the early weeks of a new season, not the climax to a 10 month slog through assorted countries and climatic conditions. It is doubtful whether any player in the Premier League consistently puts in as much effort and drive as Rooney.
But there is another, key reason why Manchester United are celebrating their 18th Premier League title, the one that rivals Liverpool's record. It is their 11th Premier League title in 16 seasons, a quite extraordinary illustration of their supremely efficient consistency, not to mention quality.
The key man in that phenomenal run hasn't been Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane or any other player. It is Sir Alex Ferguson and his insatiable appetite which has delivered these King-like riches to the fawning followers of a remarkable football club.
Ferguson's attitude, his fierce will and drive, are what make Manchester United the club they are. Plenty of clubs have had plenty of fine managers down the years but none have matched the longevity of Ferguson's winning ways, nor his iron discipline. The man has a motor that simple never stops, hardly needs to pause for re-fuelling before setting off again in search of fresh achievements.
Ferguson has been the manager of this and just about every season for the last 16 because he has done what is the hardest thing of all to achieve – earn success and then repeat it, year after year after year.
What has been at the heart of his success is his ability to transmit that almost fanatical will to win, to keep on winning and keep piling up the trophies, to the minds of his players. At any other club, you would have wondered how they would react to going in at wet Wigan on Wednesday night, a goal down.
Limbs must have still ached from the Manchester derby the previous Sunday and besides, there was always the ‘insurance' policy of still having two games after the Wigan match to collect the four points they needed to be sure of the title. But that isn't Ferguson's way. True, his men left it late to clinch all three points at the JJB Stadium but they did it through Phil Carrick's goal in the 86th minute.
That meant just a point from the Arsenal game at Old Trafford on Saturday was enough and it was duly secured.
This attitude, of supreme professionalism intermingled with burning desire and a fanatical will, has again proved too potent a mix for any of United's rivals. It may well do so again next season when Manchester United set out in pursuit of a fourth successive Premier League title and, maybe, a third consecutive Champions League title.
As Ferguson has long since demonstrated, when you have a man at the helm with his driving will, simply anything is possible.
Source
Monday, May 11, 2009
Rio Ferdinand: Manchester United Still Out For Revenge Against Manchester City
Rio Ferdinand insists that the wounds are still fresh from Manchester United's derby defeats to Manchester City in the previous campaign and this is all the motivation they need to get payback by doing the double over them this season.
The defending champions have already made some amends for losing home and away to their city rivals last season, winning at Eastlands in November. There is still some hurt leftover, however, and the revenge mission is not yet complete.
"If you are going to be champions and reach cup finals, you need a feeling of hurt when you lose games," Ferdinand was quoted as saying by fifa.com.
"I have experienced all aspects of playing against City and there are not many worse feelings than losing to them.
"Any idea that the derby means more to the fans than the players is wrong. The players care, I can assure everyone of that.
"We will be doing our best and we want to win."
The England defender went on to insist that he was not fazed by City's new-found wealth, although he suggested it would only a matter of time until they truly become a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.
"I don't know if the derby is progressing as a fixture," added Ferdinand. "It is weird really. City have had a lot of money pumped into them by their current investors but I couldn't care less what happens to them.
"As long as we are above City I won't be too bothered about looking over my shoulder. I am just hopeful we can go out there and produce the goods tomorrow.
"If more money is invested in the squad I am sure they will become more successful, start vying for the cup competitions and get higher in the league.
"Then the rivalry will become even more passionate. Being around each other in the league would add to the fire. You can see that now with Liverpool.
"The rivalry with them has increased over the last few months because we are both going for the title."
The Red Devils will go into Sunday's showcase game in full knowledge of the fact that their closest pursuers, Liverpool, sit top after dismantling West Ham United a day earlier.
SOURCE
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Manchester United Veteran Ryan Giggs Named PFA Player Of The Year
Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs has been named as the PFA Player of the Year, with the veteran midfielder's efforts in the twilight of his career being applauded by fellow professionals.
The player, deployed in a variety of roles by his club manager Alex Ferguson this season, beat off competition from Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin van der Sar and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, to claim the award.
"It's right up there, with personal accolades it's the best to have as it's voted by your fellow players," he told The Guardian.
"I've been fortunate to win a lot of trophies, I won the young player award twice but this is the big one."
Giggs did not feature for the Red Devils in Saturday evening's astonishing fight-back against Tottenham Hotspur, when United overturned a 2-0 deficit to triumph 5-2, and so it is likely that he will make his 800th appearance for the team when they face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final this week.
The 35-year-old has played more games for United's first team than any other player in history, having surpassed Bobby Charlton's appearance record during last season's Champions League final in Moscow.
Giggs is the first Welshman to win the award since current Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, who took it in 1990-91 whilst a United player. Coincidentally, that was also the season Giggs made his first-team debut for the Red Devils.
Many have expressed a certain amount of cynicism about his nomination, feeling it was an exercise in sentimental nostalgia, as he has made only 12 Premier League starts and scored just one league goal. Few would begrudge one of the game's most enduring characters his success, though.
United have six players in the team of the year, but Wayne Rooney is perhaps one surprising omission from the line-up.
Premier League team of the year: Edwin van der Sar; Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo; Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres
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