A place to discuss transfers in, transfers out, youth signings, rumours, and whatever else. Expect a lot of activity this summer but more of it could be players leaving than coming in as Mancini looks to fine-tune a squad he still isn't happy with. We have used less players in the Premier League than all but two clubs, showing that Mancini trusts his core set of players but doesn't have faith in many of the fringe players.
Hazard. He'd be an amazing signing for us, would give us one of the few things our squad doesn't have and can play all over the pitch... either flank, playmaker, second striker. I suspect Mancini would play him wide as we don't have a single great winger at the club. - Hazard in house hunt as City try and keep hot property interested in Manchester By Ian Ladyman PUBLISHED: 22:30, 4 May 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 4 May 2012 Manchester City have given top summer transfer target Edin Hazard a tour of the property market in the north-west as they look to keep him out of the clutches of neighbours United. The Barclays Premier League leaders have identified the 21-year-old Lille playmaker as one of the men they want to add to their attacking options ahead of next summer and have been on his trail for the last two months. Now staff from City have given the young Belgian a tour of the Cheshire commuter belt as they try to get one over on rivals United, who are also in the race - along with Spurs - for Hazard’s signature. Hazard was at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night as City beat United 1-0 to go top of the Premier League and it is understood that he spent the night in Manchester before he was taken to the swanky enclaves of Alderley Edge and Prestbury to look at houses. The player has not yet indicated whether he will join City. Rated in the £30million bracket, Hazard’s wage demands are currently causing a problem with City and United both unwilling to put a player of relatively little experience on their very top salary level. Hazard is also understood to have spoken with Tottenham and is not ruling the London club out as he feels he may get more regular football at White Hart Lane. If Hazard does eventually sign for City, his arrival may spell the end of Adam Johnson’s time at the club. The England winger has not managed to make the alterations to his lifestyle demanded by City manager Mancini and the club will now listen to offers in the summer. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...hester-house-tour-City.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
I always enjoy the Cavani and Lavezzi links. I wouldn't mind hearing more of those as the summer progresses.
Hazard says he'll be wearing blue next season. http://www.espnstar.com/football/pr...tem799315/Hazard:-I'll-wear-blue-next-season/
Great signing if true. We're also looking at Belhanda, another French league star, in case we can't tie up the Hazard deal.
I think Belhanda is a smoke screen, a warning to Hazard/Hazard's agent that we have another option if Hazard gets too greedy with wage demands. I think the Hazard deal has a good chance of being done though.
Hazard decision will be next week, it seems like we're the front-runners to sign him. Other than Hazard, I've lost count of the amount of players we've been linked with in the past few days. From Ibra to Chiellini to Cavani to Llorente... and of course van Persie. I'm sure the brass has a shortlist of targets and half of it is rubbish.
Owen Hargreaves and Gai Assulin released by the club along with a bunch of kids who weren't going to make it. Assulin has been a big disappointment, lots of hype when we got him but constantly injured and hasn't been able to progress well enough to even challenge for a first team spot. Both Denis Suarez and Joan Roman have overtaken him in the young playmaker ranks.
Yep, Hazard says he hopes this will be concluded before June 2. His agent has said the same. 10 more days.
The way he and his agent have handled this rubs me the wrong way. Future transfer problem, regardless of who signs him.
His "look at me attitude", his wage demands. He's showed no respect to Lille, I don't see why he won't do the same three years from now with whatever club signs him. His play is amazing, but from what I've seen his personality leaves a lot to be desired. I don't know if City need his play so bad to bring that kind of player into the locker room.
No need to fear, if we don't get Hazard we'll move to Plan B who would probably also be an awesome signing. That said, I'd prefer Chelsea get him than United.
I'd rather Chelsea get him. But if United must, I hope he's a locker room nightmare. In the end I'd like to see City sign him. But hopefully motivated by more than just the money.
I'm not convinced we'll sign van Persie despite all the rumours. Apparently we're willing to pay no more than £15million for him because of his age/injury problems and I can't see Arsenal accepting such an offer. We're linked with every striker of note but who is to say we'll even sign one, all four of our existing strikers are happy (even Tevez according to Zabaleta) and there's no clear sign any of them will leave.
Hazard to Chelsea then? Disappointing if true but there are so many good winger types out there, we just need a winger (or two) with pace, skill, and end product as that is what we really lacked at times last season and nearly cost us the league when teams learned to park the bus at home against us and we struggled to break them down (Sunderland, Everton, West Brom). We could be getting close to signing Javi Martinez apparently but these days I don't believe anything until they show up for a medical.
Aguero & Silva both have come out and say they'd rather be at city regardless of interest from Madrid. Mancini said he is happy with Tevez and his attitude, if he wants to stay, he is more than welcome.
Didn't Johnson put in his request to leave? Although I might have been reading headlines somewhere and misinterpreted that.
Johnson has failed with nearly every chance to play 90 minutes he's had. He just hasn't fulfilled his potential and can no longer be deemed a "prospect" at nearly 25 (older than Aguero!). Last season we needed a good winger to give variety in breaking teams down when we were struggling on the road and Johnson offered little to nothing except the occasional nice goal (finishing is his strong point) often when he came off the bench against tired teams. His shocking performance against Sunderland stands out because Sunderland had loads of injuries so played a young midfielder at the back against Johnson and he owned Johnson. Johnson was great to watch a few years ago full of tricks and ideas, now he just seems like a lethargic and fairly slow one trick pony with no desire to improve. From what I hear he's one of those who likes the night life and heavy drinking, a trap too many promising young English players fall into I'm afraid. He's not the worst player but if he wants regular first team football leaving would be his best bet as I don't think he'll get it at City. We need a genuinely pacy winger with skill, speed, and end product... someone like Di Maria or Bale, the latter might be possible if he wants Champions League football.