Manchester City Category
Manchester City football club news, Manchester City transfers, Premier League
Raheem Sterling will not be leaving Liverpool to join Manchester City. Well, not yet. Liverpool have rejected City’s £30m offer for the England player.
The bid – 25 million, plus £5 million in potential future payments – falls well short of the £50m Liverpool wants for Sterling, whose contract ends in June 2017.
Should City offer more for Sterling, who favours a return to London?
Anorak
Posted: 12th, June 2015 | In: Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
The Sun says Manchester City manager Manuel Pelligrini will be given a “blank cheque” to make his team Champion League winners. But very quickly into the story that blank cheque features a figure:
…owner Sheikh Mansour is ready to bankroll bids for the likes of Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling — worth £160million.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 11th, June 2015 | In: Manchester City, Reviews, Sports | Comment
How much is Paul Pogba worth to Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and any other club keen on the Juventus and France midfielder? This month the Daily Express has been filling its readers in with the facts.
Pogba is worth £80m to Manchester City:
Pogba is worth £70m to Chelsea.
Pogba is now going to cost Manchester City £43m.
According to the Express, Pogba’s value has halved in just over a week. And to think way back in March Pogba was worth £100m.
Give it a few weeks and Pogba will be free.
Such are the facts.
Anorak
Posted: 20th, May 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Is Pep Guardiola heading to become the next manager of Manchester City? The Sun has been relating the story.
On Friday May 8, curent Manchester City boss Manuel Pelligrini was “sweating”. He would learn his fate when he meets the club owners later this month.
By May 11, Pelligrini was “cool”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 12th, May 2015 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls spots Paul Pogba news. Manchester City are celebrating a Tory win in the General Election by offering Paul Pogba £250,000 per week – net – to pick them (top rate of tax: 40%), Real Madrid (tax optional, allegedly), Chelsea, Barcelona (tax?) Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain (top rate: 75%)
But Real might pull out because “they are concerned about his private life”. Well, so say the Express, which adds:
“Until a year ago [Pogba] lived with his mother, he doesn’t come out at night and yes, he’s very religious,” Real chief Florentino Perez is quoted as saying by football news outlet Football Espana.
Real are concerned he’s not getting out enough?
The Express is such an bizarre news source, unable to explain even its own headlines. The facts are, as ever, thin.
And fans of clubs other than Manchester City should realise that until Pogba signs, nothing is done. After all, as Sky Sports told us in 2012, Pogba had committed his future to Manchester United.
And then he left.
Anorak
Posted: 11th, May 2015 | In: Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls hears that stylish Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola, 44, has decided that Manchester City will be his next job. Well, so reports Qatari-owned BeIn Sports.
The Manchester Evening News relays the tweet that created the news:
“Urgent – sources beIN SPORTS: Manchester City reached a tentative agreement with Bayern Munich coach Guardiola to train the team for next season.”
How tentative will be tested by AC Milan, who also fancy Guardiola and have offered the Spaniard their manager’s job, reports the Sunday Times.
With facts thinner than an Ed Balls smile, the MEN turns to that font of knowledge, Richard Keyes, who coughs up his own tweet:
Richard ‘understands’. You can take the man out of Sky Sports but you cannot take Sky Sports out of the man. ‘Sky Sports understands…’ has been the prelude to more balls than a rugby club dinner.
Anorak
Posted: 10th, May 2015 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment (1)
Transfer Balls: a look at reporting on Paul Pogba in the tabloid press. The good news is that Manchester City are looking to bring talented French Paul Pogba to the Premier League. The bad news is that the price rises and falls faster than Nigel Farage’s blood pressure:
It’s going to be busy summer of Balls…
Anorak
Posted: 8th, May 2015 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: it’s going to be busy summer of chatter for Juventus star Paul Pogba, 22.
The
Mirror says Manchester City and Manchester United will have to create a new British transfer record if they want to sign Pogba. This isn’t simply Pogba’s agent talking up his client; it’s a a fact because the
Mirror says Paris St-Germain have offered £60m for the France international. And that’s more than the £59.7m Manchester United paid for Angel di Maria.
And then there are the wages. The Mirror says PSG have offered Pogba £320,000-a-week.
The Mirror then says that Manchester United don’t want Pogba. They’re after Gareth Bale and “ready to tempt Real Madrid with a £100m offer”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 4th, May 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
By Klopp Watch
Jurgen Klopp is heading out of Borussia Dortmund. But where to next for the affable German?
The Daily Express says Manchester City is Klopp’s most likely destination. Why City, who have moved towards the Spanish model in recent seasons with the appointment of former Barcelona executives Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain (secured in the hope of luring Pep Guardiola to the Etihad), would opt for the man who made Dortmund masters of high-octane gegenpressing is not explained.
Any move for Klopp would necessitate a wholesale change in style and massive investment. Would Financial Fair Play allow it?
The Mirror also links Klopp to City. Apparently, odds on Klopp heading to the Etihad have been slashed. Of course odds on Klopp heading anywhere have been slashed following the announcement that this season will be his last at Dortmund.
The Mirror says City’s main rivals for the German are Napoli. Can anyone really see an Italian team embracing Klopp’s madly energetic, hard-pressing style? Klopp has said that he loves “serenity football… What we call in German – English football: rainy days, heavy pitch, everybody is dirty in the face…” So. Sunny Napoli it is then.
The Sun leads with news that Klopp has “told Premier League clubs: Come and get me.” The paper suggests the clubs that could go for Klopp: Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle.
The Mail produces its list of possible Klopp destinations. City, Liverpool and Arsenal are the only Premier League clubs to feature. No word on West Ham, who would offer Klopp an intriguing challenge. Liverpool would be Klopp’s natural fit, but Brendan Rodgers is doing a decent job at Anfield. Arsenal could do with Klopp when Arsene Wenger leaves in a year or two. But after years of relative austerity when they sold their best players to balance the books and fund a new stadium, Wenger’s sudden departure would be like a man walking away from a loaded fruit machine.
The Mail says the clubs most likely to go for Klopp are Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Could Klopp, the outsider, end up at one of the ultimate insider clubs? Rory Smith (Times) compares such a move to “the gertrification of Williamsburg, the adoption of the beard by the Ben Sherman boys, the ultimate defeat for hipsters”.
So. Not all bad, then.
But while a move to Real Madrid seems possible, Klopp to Bayern would surely be a bitter blow to the Dortmund fans who love him. The Mail says “sources in Germany have not ruled out a move to rivals Bayern Munich if Pep Guardiola fails to win the Champions’ League this season”.
That might be because Klopp has not ruled out a move to anywhere.
Anorak
Posted: 16th, April 2015 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer balls looks at the Daily Mirror’s lead story: Raheem Sterling could be leaving Liverpool for life at Arsenal. Recalling how well things went when Arsenal last tried to buy a Liverpool player – a failed bid of £40m plus £1 for Luis Suarez – investigating the veracity of this story seems worthwhile.
Daily Mirror back page
John Cross reminds readers that former QPR starlet Sterling has yet to sign a new deal at Liverpool. He says a raft of big clubs are after the player, mentioning Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Cross then states that “City will make a big bid” for the England player.
That’s pretty much the entire back-page news story. It continues two pages inside, with Cross saying that “Arsenal are serious contenders” and have made “discreet enquiries about Sterling’s availability”. Given that the Gunners’ apparent discretions are back-page news, you wonder what form the club’s enquiries took: a word in the ear of the Mirror’s Arsenal reporter, perhaps?
Over in the Mail, news is that Sterling will not sign for Liverpool “even if Liverpool offer £180,000 a week”. Says who? We’re not told? It’s just a fact that if Liverpool lose their minds and offer Sterling £180,000-a week to play for them he will not stay. Make it £180,001 and… yeah, maybe he will. Call his agent, Make the offer. See what occurs.
After that uter balls, over in the Express, their story is that Liverpool are interested in buying Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, who will be replaced at The Emirates by Marco Reus. Really? Reus is the player the Express reported had agreed to join Real Madrid and the Mirror said had joined Barcelona.
Such are the facts in the trusty tabloids…
Anorak
Posted: 30th, March 2015 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
The Daily Star is reporting in an “EXCLUSIVE” that Manchester City and Chelsea want on sign Everton’s Ross Barkley. The Star adds that the two clubs can have Barkley for £50m.
That is, of course, a ludicrous sum for a promising player. But if Everton can get that much for a young player whose form has dipped, then good luck to them.
The Star’s report contains not a single quote from either Manchester City or Chelsea. It just tells readers that – incredible as it sounds – both clubs would prefer to spend less to buy Barkely.
In the frenzied world of bullshit.com football reporting, The Metro reads the Star’s story and tells its readers:
Chelsea transfer news: Chelsea line up £50million signing of Everton star Ross Barkley
No. They are not. Everton apparently want £50m for their rising star. We’ve read that Chelsea would like to buy him. But any talk of a bid is nonsense.
Over in the Sunday People news is that City will offer £35m Everton for Ross Barkley.
That’s a £10m drop on the £45m the Telegraph said Manchester City were going to bid.
The People’s story also contains not a single fact to support its scoop.
Such are the facts…
Anorak
Posted: 29th, March 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: So, how much is Gareth Bale worth to Manchester United, Manchester City and all the usual suspects lining up to buy the Real Madrid star?
The Daily Express says it’s £90m.
That’s the same Daily Express who said Manchester United would buy Bale for £90m last January. They didn’t:
Manchester United had best strike fast because that price is rising. It was £80m in the Daily Express a few weeks ago:
And the Indy said it was £100m.
Mind you, lsate last year the Mail said the figure for Bale was £120m:
It was getting a bit pricey.
But then an oligarch stepped in to reinflate the fee. The Mirror reported that Cheslea will buy Bale for…£150m:
Does anyone know how much Gareth Bale is worth?
Anorak
Posted: 26th, March 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls catches sight of the Daily Star’s lead sports story that Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere is off to Manchester City for £30m.
This story is billed as an “EXCLUSIVE”.
Paul Hetheington has the exclusive facts:
England ace Wilshere, 23, is one of the potential targets mentioned by Etihad Stadium bosses.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 8th, March 2015 | In: Arsenal, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer balls: did you know that James Milner is desperate to join Liverpool. The Daily Express has an “exclusive”:
EXCLUSIVE: James Milner warned by Liverpool to drop wage demands to seal free transfer
James Milner, the Manchester City tyro – still wanted by perennial Premier League title contenders and super-rich club Manchester City – has been “warned” that he could miss out on playing for Liverpool?
John Richardson tells his readers:
The 29-year-old midfielder sees his Etihad contract, worth around £120,000 a week, run down [sic] at the end of the season, making him a free agent.
Talks are at an advanced stage to allow Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, whose side face Milner’s Manchester City today, to add him to his squad next season but the Anfield club have made it clear that they won’t shatter their wage structure to accommodate the former Leeds United, Newcastle and Aston Villa man.
Shatter? This is the same Liverpool who signed Mario Balotelli for £16m and pay him £125,000-a-week:
“I think we have done a really smart piece of business here,” said Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. “This transfer represents outstanding value for the club.”
We’re sure Milner’s agents are worried sick about breaking that Liverpool wage structure. If they don’t where on erath will England internatioanl James Milner find work?
Richardson adds:
If he is prepared to take a pay cut then a deal could be sealed at the end of the season.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 1st, March 2015 | In: Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls catches news of Wolfsburg winger Kevin De Bruyne, 23. The BBC notes that the former Chelsea player “says he would be open to a Premier League return”.
One game we play is to see if the media can link a player with all five of the big clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.
The BBC says “with Manchester United mulling over a £30m bid for the former Chelsea player”.
The BBC delivers this as fact. Only at the end does it say the source for the scoop is the Daily Express.
Over there, the paper reports:
How badly does Kevin De Bruyne want to play for Manchester United? He’s quoted:
“I feel very much at home with VfL Wolfsburg in this very moment. I am able to sign a new contract with Wolfsburg. Life in football can be fast moving. Football is much about money. Wolfsburg is not yet like Bayern Munich, of course. And my biggest ambition is to come out for a big European club. One I can win trophies with. As much trophies as possible.”
That would be Real Madrid, then. Or Bayern Munich. Or PSG. Or… Or… De Bruyne makes not single mention of Manchester Untied, who are not even in this season’s Champions’ League and not close to winning the Premier League.
The Daily Star then spins the balls to take in Chelsea and Arsenal.
Oh. And Manchester City:
And over in the Sun, the news is that De Bruyne is a…Liverpool fan.
It’s a Full House of Balls.
Such are the facts.
Anorak
Posted: 26th, February 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
The Daily Telegraph likes ‘Five Things…”. It tops and tails most big football matches with a routine ‘Five Things We Learned About…” story. This week it’s been writing about Barcelona before and after the Catalans’ Champions’ League match with Manchester City.
Before the game, Richard Martin was being schooled at Barcelona’s game with Malaga:
After telling class that “City have no reason to fear Barcelona (1.) and Daniel Alves is “sad” (2.) we learn:
3. Luis Suarez is far from the goal machine he was at Liverpool
4. Lionel Messi can be tamed with the right tactics
5. Barcelona’s midfield is not what it was
Suarez scored both goals in a comfortable 2-1 win, which would have been 3-1 had Lionel Messi not missed yet another penalty and prevented Suarez lashing in the rebound.
After the game, Mark Ogden had “Five Things…
1. Kompany is not brilliant; 2. 4-4-2 didn’t work; Agüero is really good; City fans don’t sing and dance all that much when they team are being beaten; and – gawd…. he must get to five. So, here goes nothing:
5: Barcelona playing in “ridiculous” yellow was “another low”.
Talking of lows, the Telegraph used to be the best newspaper. Not any more it isn’t…
Anorak
Posted: 25th, February 2015 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment
ITV watchced last night Champions’ League match between Barcelona and Manchester City. It spotted Luis Suarez, the wonderfully talented striker once of Liverpool and now with the Spanish side. He scored both of Barcelona’s goals in a 2-1 win, and would have had a third has Lionel Messi not gotten in the way of a rebound from his saved penalty kick.
But ITV isn’t intersted in Suarez’s sublime skills. It asks a question:
“Did Luis Suarez have a little nibble on Martin Demichelis last night?”
ITV then answers its own question:
ITV places ‘nibbles’ in inverted commas, suggesting that he didn’t bite the City defender at all, or maybe munched him or ate him while and raw in one gulp.
It’s really is pathetic non-news journalism to look for sensation and crimes to sell a football a match that was blessed with skill, pace and excitement.
The story oozes bullshit from every word:
Watch the former Liverpool man, now playing for Barcelona, run alongside Demichelis on the edge of the area in the video above, where he appears to move his mouth in the direction of the Argentine’s hand.
The Urguguayan was handed a four month ban from football after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during last summer’s World Cup, and has been also caught up in biting controversies during his time at Liverpool and Ajax.
Watch a zoomed in version of last night’s incident below.
No. There was no incident. Nothing happened. All we see is Suarez chase a ball and Demichelis attempt to block him by spreading his arms wide at shoulder height.
Suarez never did bite the finger and reduce Demichelis’ digits to nine in number. But Suarez does wear the number ‘9’ shirt. So. We cannot rule out the dawning of a the ‘nine’ cult in which Suarez’s opponents are left with a constant numerical reminder of his presence…
Anorak
Posted: 25th, February 2015 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: a look at utter drivel passed off as football fact in the mainstream media. Today the Daily Express has news on Manchester City and England footballer James Milner:
EXCLUSIVE: Man City ace James Milner considering Arsenal and Liverpool offers
Is he? Richard Tanner says Milner is:
Liverpool, it is understood, are tempting him with the prospect of becoming Steve Gerrard’s replacement in their engine room.
Understood by whom? Reader aren’t told. There are no quotes. No sources. It is merely “understood”.
Arsenal, too, see his tenacity, energy and bristling aggression as the perfect foil for some of their more sublime talents.
Again, this claim is supported by nothing.
This huge “EXCLUSIVE” comes on the back of other exclusives linking Milner with Arsenal and Liverpool, which have been running for over a year:
Such are the facts…
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 12th, February 2015 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Football Balls: a look at football journalism in the mainstream Press.
The Daily Mail’s Joe Bernstein looks at the Premier League match between Stoke City and Manchester City. The Citizens won 4-1. Stoke’s goal was scored by Peter Crouch. In his “MATCH ZONE” column, Bernstein writes:
“Crouch Gem Causes Family Rift”
The story is that Peter Crouch’s mother is a “stuanch Manchester City supportter who is very keen to see them overhaul Chelsea in the title race”.
This is given as the reason she’d have enjoyed Crouch’s goal that tied the scores at 1-1.
The headline-making “FAMILY RIFT” is because “Crouch’s father Bruce is a lifelong fan” of Chelsea – “so would have been firmly behind his son.” It’s more of a bond.
So. That rift is because both Peter Crouch’s parents love it when he scores. So, er, no rift at all, then.
Such are the facts in the Mail‘s MATCH ZONE.
Anorak
Posted: 12th, February 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, Sports | Comment (1)
In “Yaya Gaga” (?), the Sun says Manchester City “have not won a Prem game without Toure…but they still won’t rush him back”.
City have “not won any of the SIX Premier League matches they have played without Toure this season”.
The story is clear: without Toure, City don’t win. City are a one-man team.
Earlier this season, City defeated Spurs 4-1.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 9th, February 2015 | In: Manchester City, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: a look at football rumour and speculation being presented as fact in the mainstresm media. Today the Sun says “MANCHESTER UNITED can have Barcelona star Dani Alves for FREE — if they offer him a three-year deal.”
The Sun says Alves, 31, wants a new three-year £100,000-a-week Barcalona contract. If that fails to materialise, he’ll go to Manchester City or Manchester United for no transfer fee if they can match his wage demands.
In other news, Yahoo! reported on May 14 that “Dani Alves has already signed a pre-contract agreement with Paris Saint-Germain”.
The Daily Express says Alves has agreed to join Manchester United:
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 8th, February 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: it’s the Daily Paul Pogba. let’s see what utter balls the mainstream media is reporting on Pogba, the Juventus player.
Today, Ben Jefferson tells Daily Express readers:
Juve to let Paul Pogba LEAVE for Chelsea, Man Utd or Arsenal after move for Axel Witsel
So. Pogba is off to the Premier League. But where to?
United and Chelsea have been joined by Arsenal in the hunt for Pogba…
We know this because the Express says it’s so. But there are no quotes, sources or facts to support the statement.
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 29th, January 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)
Transfer Balls: It’s the Daily Paul Porba, in association with the Daily Mirror, which declares:
Man United, Chelsea AND Man City to battle for Paul Pogba’s £75million signature this summer
Simon Mullock says Pogba’s got a nickname, too: “the 100million euro man.” It’s not quite Smudger, Pyscho or The Beast, but never mind the quality, cop a load of the money:
That’s a lot of money. And it’s a los more than the Mirror said Pogba was leaving Juventus for waaaaay back in December 2014:
That story was from the Daily Mail:
Manchester City are plotting a huge £40m move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is also keen on the former Manchester United youngster, but would struggle to match City’s financial firepower in a bidding war. (Daily Mail)
But now it’s £75m for the same player! What brought about this meteroric rise in his value? Is Pogba’s fee linked the price of a London studio flat?
Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City will join a £75million race to land Paul Pogba this summer. Juventus are ready to cash in on one of the hottest young prospects in world football – and Pogba has already been dubbed “the 100million euro man” in Italy. That will spark a battle between the richest club’s in Europe, with Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich set to go head-to-head with the Premier League trio for the Frenchman.
All the usual suspects want Paul Pogba. It will be a bidding war. At the last moment Real Madrid or Barcelona will step in. It’s gonna be huge.
The Mirror continues:
Pogba is on course to win his third Serie A title and his agent, Mino Raiola, is preparing the ground for his summer auction.
This story is rooted in what the agent says. Might he be a tad biased, issuing a comment more loaded than George Bush at a frat house party?
He said: “Paul is happy at Juventus but later this year or next year we will see what opportunities have been created. When the league cannot satisfy such a player then it is time to go.”
The £75m figure has no source. And news of a bidding battle comes from the player’s agent.
Such are the facts…
Anorak
Posted: 25th, January 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Is Radamel Falcao staying at Manchester United?
The Sunday Times has news:
ARSENAL, Liverpool and Manchester City have inquired about Radamel Falcao’s availability as the Colombian struggles to nail down a place in Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United starting XI.
Yeah. The player who commands a salary of – get this – £265,000 a week (!!), who has scored three times for Manchester United this season and has a history of injury is interesting Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Says who?
Falcao, right, is said to have been left ‘perplexed and bemused’ by his treatment at United…
Read the rest of this entry »
Anorak
Posted: 19th, January 2015 | In: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester City are buying Lionel Messi. Well, sort of. The Sun leads with news that City “CAN”get Messi.
The “City Transfer Taunt” leads to a news story based on a line.
MANUEL PELLEGRINI has opened the door to a bank-busting Manchester City move for Lionel Messi.
How?
Pellegrini spoke about Messi after completing a £28million deal for Swansea striker Wilfried Bony.
Well, sort of. He was aked about Messi. And he replied:
“It’s normal we are linked with the best players in the market.”
And the taunt? That’s it. The £480m deal?
Messi, 27, has a £210m buy-out clause in his contract… The Argentine maestro would expect a six-year deal worth around £270m, taking any switch to a staggering £480m.
But if Messi won’t come to Pellegrini, will Pelligrini go to Messi at Barcelona?
“They are just rumours. I am very happy at City and I still have a year and a half on my contract.”
In other news, espn says today:
Lionel Messi: Why only Man Utd and Real Madrid can afford to buy him
The Mail reported a week ago:
Lionel Messi commits his future to Barcelona after Chelsea and PSG interest
Such are the facts…
Anorak
Posted: 15th, January 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment
