We got that Arab Money - Transfer Talk 2011-2012

I think much will depend on who we can shift as unlike Anzhi and PSG we're taking these new Financial Fair Play rules seriously. Tevez will definitely go but it might just be a £3m loan fee from AC Milan for now and not the £20m+ we want. Cruzeiro want Santa Cruz and are offering us one of Brazil's top U18 wonderkids as bait, sounds too good to be true almost. We'll get a buyer for Onuoha for sure, loads of clubs after him.

De Rossi would be the ultimate signing, cheap transfer fee for world class ability but Mancini isn't optimistic of luring him away from Rome, plus he wants huge wages.

Hazard would be a great signing as we don't have a winger with that sort of pace and skill who can change a game out of nowhere, but his price tag is huge and probably off-putting for us as we're trying to be prudent. Maybe Krasic, Cerci, Redmond (Birmingham, rated as good as Oxlade-Chamberlain), or El Ghanassy are more realistic options for a winger signing.

CB is a difficult position because the ideal signing, Thiago Silva, would be impossible to get in January. Milan still in Champions League and he's an icon there and may not want to leave. Hummels would be a great signing but again it's price tag. Jan Vertonghen might be more realistic, about £12m from Ajax.

Don't think we need a striker if we plan to bring Guidetti back next season although we only have 3 available compared to about 7 at United so a loan or bargain (Saviola?) signing could be possible.

A lot of our signings at the moment and in January may be off-the-radar as we're trying to close some deals for extremely talented teenagers for our U16, U18, and EDS teams such as Pozo about to sign from Real Madrid, the best striker in their youth system.

 

This is rotation and Dzeko has been injured or would have started against Stoke for sure... can we not turn this board into a Dzeko militant area like the Dzeko thread on Bluemoon if possible, I know how well loved he is in his homeland but he's one of three top class strikers at City and will have lots of chances coming up as we only have three strikers and seven games in January.

 

We sign based on ability, not nationality... the only nationality we might buy more or than any other is English for obvious reasons. If Bosnia create more top talents then maybe we'll go for them but our scouts' eyes are actually more on Croatian youngsters at the moment, Kovacic and Vrsaljko.

 

We do need a centre-back probably, Lescott has been brilliant for the last year but treats the ball like a bomb when he has it at his feet and sometimes we need composure in our passing/possession style. But we have top class talent to rotate in and out in every position and defence shouldn't be any different... Kompany is almost never rested but if we had another top centre-back we could have any combination of he/Lescott/Kompany with Kolo, Savic, and Rekik (bit young at 16 but very mature for his age) as other options. Boyata is having a nightmare loan spell at Bolton but is being played RB instead of CB.

Vertongen or Hummels would be the best realistic options (I really don't think Silva is going to be leaving AC especially after his recent comments about wanting to be captain and end his career there), I'll cry if we sign Cahill as he is really not that good. I also liked Rami at Valencia but after seeing how poor he was against Chelsea in the CL recently I'm not sure about him in the English league.

 

Kieran Trippier has left City to join the club he has been excellent on loan at, Championship side Burnley. Undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £1.3million. Hopefully a sell-on clause is included as I believe this lad could represent England at right-back some day, he is from the same town I live in and is really good, but it's so hard to break through at City now, you have to be special.

Fewer and fewer of the 07/08 FA Youth Cup winning side that destroyed Chelsea remain now, showing that sometimes having just 1 first class prospect in the youth system can be more productive than a bunch of middling to good prospects. Weiss, Boyata, Nimely, Mee, McGivern, and Ibrahim are still here but it'll be hard for any to break through and the last four probably have no chance, while Weiss and Boyata's (after his disappointing loan spell at Bolton but the club have always had high hopes for him) are shrinking.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2297541/FA-Youth-Cup-Manchester-City-crush-Chelsea.html

 

We've been linked with Albiol at Real but he has the same problems as Lescott IMO, I think we need a calm and assured defender who is classy with the ball at his feet just like Kaptain Kompany. Joles has been great for us and should still have a role in the rotation but he seems to think the football is a grenade that he needs to get rid of ASAP.

 

Is he having a good season? I've heard mixed feedback to that question. I don't think we're even in for him, Mancini looked at him in summer but didn't bid for him.

 

No one knows but he's probably on our shortlist of wingers. I think we'd love to sign Hazard but our days of splashing out without second thought are over due to Platini's rules so seems like Mancini is pondering. We've also been linked with Nathan Redmond at Birmingham who is 17 and supposed to be as good as Oxlade-Chamberlain.

 

Tug-of-war ongoing between the Milan clubs for Tevez. Inter are willing to pay cash, AC want him on loan first - player wants to go to AC, not surprising as Tevez always seems to make things as difficult as possible. Just looking forward to him being gone, he's destroyed any legacy he left at the club, the fans supported him through all his homesickness and alleged family problems but he went one step too far and now he is essentially on strike. Unless something is worked out like Tevez waiving bonus payments, I can see City launching a massive lawsuit against him when he leaves.