Saturday, 18 May 2013

Totally Rad: Manchester City agree record £54m transfer fee for Radamel Falcao 18 May 2013

Atletico Madrid striker is said to prefer linking up with Manuel Pellegrini more than a move to Chelsea

Hot property : Falcao is being chased by Europe's leading clubs


Radamel Falcao will become Manchester City’s first signing of the Manuel Pellegrini era after the Etihad club agreed a British record transfer fee for the Atletico Madrid striker, writes the Sunday People.

City have met the £54million buy-out clause in the Colombian’s Atletico contract – to snatch him away from incoming Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

Falcao, has long been one of hottest properties in world football and his signing by City will be a boost for the profile of the Premier League.

The deal is also a major coup for Pellegrini, with 27-year-old Falcao keen to work for the Chilean, who is expected to sign a two-year deal at City within a fortnight.

Mourinho and Falcao share an agent, Jorge Mendes, and the Special One was hoping Falcao would join him at Chelsea.

Argy bargy : Tevez will now be allowed to leave City


But the player is said to prefer City rather than go head-to-head with Fernando Torres, the favourite of owner Roman Abramovich, at Stamford Bridge.

His transfer fee will surpass the £50m Chelsea paid Liverpool for Torres in 2011.

Falcao’s imminent arrival, on a deal worth more than £200,000 per week, means Carlos Tevez will be allowed to leave City – and the Argentine has offers on the table from wealthy French clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

Falcao will now link up at the Etihad with Sergio Aguero, the man he replaced at Atletico in 2011.

Aguero was one of several City players disenchanted with life under former boss Roberto Mancini.

Edin Dzeko may also leave City this summer but a proposed part-exchange deal involving the Bosnian and Falcao is not believed to interest Atletico.


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Juventus Consider Move For Man City Striker Carlos Tevez


Serie A champions chase City striker.

After being linked with Edin Dzeko, Juventus are consdering a move for another Manchester City striker in Carlos Tevez, according to Gazetta Dello Sport.

The Italian champions look likely to miss out on a number of their other targets, with Dzeko set to join either Napoli or Fiorentina, and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain heading for the Premier League with either Arsenal or Tottenham.

Tevez, however, should be available after telling City he does not wish to renew his contract with the club. The Argentine was close to leaving the club last season though a move to AC Milan never materialised and he stayed on to fight for his place at the Etihad Stadium, playing his part in City’s Premier League title triumph at the end of the season.

Juventus may now see him as the ideal solution to their striker problems, as they look to strengthen to mount a better Champions League challenge next year. However, the 29-year-old’s wages of around £8million a year could be too much for Juve, and may see them miss out to big-spending Monaco for his signature.

Tevez is one of many big names being linked with the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side, as well as Radamel Falcao and Dani Alves.

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Gael Clichy signs new Manchester City contract




Manchester City left-back Gael Clichy has signed a new four-year deal that commits him to the club until 2017.

The France international, 27, has played 74 times for City since moving from Arsenal for £7m in July 2011.

"Things didn't go the way we wanted them to this year but we'll come back stronger next season," said Clichy of a campaign in which City lost the Premier League title to Manchester United.

Gael Clichy in 2012-13
Manchester City appearances: 37
Yellow cards: 3
Red cards: 0
Goals: 0

Clichy kept Aleksandar Kolarov out of the side in the season's final weeks.

Although City are without a manager in the wake of Roberto Mancini's sacking on Monday, interim boss Brian Kidd said Clichy would be an asset to whoever came in to replace the Italian.

"We are building a side that will challenge for honours for years to come and to do that, you need top quality players - Gael comfortably fits into the bracket," said Kidd.

"Gael is a top professional off the pitch as well as on it and his attitude and conduct is faultless. He is a manager's dream."

Although he appeared to cement his place as City's first-choice left-back ahead of Serbia's Kolarov over the second half of the season, Clichy struggled to contain Wigan's Callum McManaman in his side's 1-0 FA Cup final defeat on 11 May.

Clichy added: "We are just going to keep moving forward and raising the bar. We know where we want to be and with the talented players in our squad there is no reason why we can't achieve our targets.

"When I look around me and see the quality players and the plans that are taking shape at Manchester City, I know that I am in the right place."
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Fired Roberto Mancini thanks Man City fans in full-page advert in local newspaper


MANCHESTER, England – Roberto Mancini has bid farewell to Manchester City fans by taking out a full-page ad in the local newspaper, thanking them for their support during his 3 1/2 years in charge.

The Italian was fired by City on Monday after failing to win a major trophy this season, even though he guided the club to the Premier League title 12 months earlier.

In an ad in the Manchester Evening News featuring a picture of a waving Mancini above the three trophies won at the club, he writes "You will always be in my heart" and signs off with "Ciao."

The headline reads "3 Unforgettable Years."

Retiring Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said Friday that it's "quite amazing" that Mancini was fired.


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