Manchester City

Hughes safe in job, say Man City
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has labelled reports claiming Manchester City are set to replace manager Mark Hughes as "rubbish". "We on the board have the highest regard for Mark," Al Mubarak told the club's official website. "I am personally committed to him." The 2-1 defeat at home to Tottenham on Sunday means Hughes' team have now lost their last three top-flight matches. But Al Mubarak has said money will be made available for players in January. Hughes and Al Mubarak held talks before Sunday's game to discuss the long-term plans for the club, with the manager expected to fly out to Abu Dhabi to discuss his list of targets at least once ahead of the January transfer window. Al Mubarak added: "Thankfully I do not read the newspapers that are saying Mark is under pressure but I find it incredible. "I am told that there are reports that we are associated with two different coaches and that we are about to sign them. It is rubbish. "This is a winning team that is going through a learning curve right now. "While January is going to be an interesting opportunity for Mark to improve the team, this is an exciting dynasty we are building and we are only in the first two months. "I think people will see then that we have good foundations in place in the team, we have a good coach and that we will be upgrading in terms of players. Hopefully the results will come." Hughes, who took over from Sven-Goran Eriksson at Eastlands in the summer, has seen his team register four wins and seven defeats in the Premier League this season, despite the signing of £32.5m Brazilian superstar Robinho. The club's poor form has generated speculation that new owners the Abu Dhabi United Group, who are backed by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and bring unrivalled spending power to the top flight, may lose patience with the team's inability to find consistency on the pitch. The group bought City from UK Sports Investments Ltd, which was led by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Kaka - fantasy ??
Manchester City were always likely to be the headline-grabbing act during the January transfer window – and the revelation that they are actively pursuing AC Milan forward Kaka has ensured that they have delivered. Previously we had to be content with City signing Chelsea reserve full-back Wayne Bridge, signed for a fee in the region of £10m, and rumoured bids for the likes of Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker. All good players but not exactly box office. City’s pursuit of Kaka, on the other hand, fulfils everybody’s expectations of the sort of world class, extraordinarily expensive footballing talent that a club bankrolled by the fabulously wealthy Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan can afford to sign. City’s owner flexed his muscles with the £30m capture of Robinho from Real Madrid in August but now seems to be moving his spending to a whole new level. The back pages of Wednesday’s newspapers are dominated by images of sublime Brazilian Kaka, with a range of transfer fees up to £100m and talk of weekly wages of £500,000 dominating the column inches. For the record, the world record transfer currently stands at the £47m Real Madrid paid Juventus for Zinedine Zidane. I personally think that £100m for a footballer is a disgusting amount – and that to pay someone £500,000 per week to kick a football, no matter how brilliantly, perfectly illustrates just how insane our world actually is. On the other hand, City’s owner is worth a reported £15bn. He can afford to play fantasy football and is now doing so. And I could hardly blame City fans if the prospect of the Brazilian arriving at the club was a cause of real excitement. But if City sign Kaka I think it raises more questions than answers. Obviously Kaka is quality and would enhance any side but is he really the sort of player City need in this transfer window? City make me think of one of those wild west towns that you see in the movies. As you walk down the street they look great at the front but, on closer inspection, they have nothing at the back. Manager Mark Hughes has plenty of attacking talent to call on in Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, Elano, Darius Vassell, Benjani, Jo, Felipe Caicedo and Daniel Sturridge. Martin Petrov will return before the end of the season, as will Valeri Bojinov. All six of their Premier League victories have been by at least three goals but I cannot help but wonder whether their 10 defeats should not be of more pressing concern. It is why they are 15th in the Premier League table. City have been linked with Villarreal’s defensive midfielder Marcos Senna. He was brilliant at Euro 2008 and is exactly the sort of player City need. Dietmar Hamann’s legs had been starting to show their age but now the German is injured and he must be replaced. Micah Richards has been disappointing this season and City might be advised to bolster their defensive options. The pursuit of Santa Cruz, Bellamy and Parker feels to me like Hughes’s targets – proven Premier League players who will help to improve his squad climb the table. I wonder how he feels about the pursuit of Kaka? Hughes is in a near impossible position, presiding over a struggling team while trying to meld the competing forces of pragmatism and fantasy football. You often hear people talk about a player being a good acquisition for the Premier League and the arrival of Kaka would enhance the quality of the division. But it cannot do much for the prospects of City’s home grown players. City are regarded as having one of the best youth systems in the Premier League and in Sturridge have produced a forward who has shown glimpses of great potential. Will players like him get the chance to flourish at City? The Manchester club has long lived in the shadow of city rival’s United but that all seems set to change now that the owner appears to be backing up his talk of big things by opening his wallet. City have always been a club rich in drama and entertainment. And the arrival of Kaka would certainly make for fascinating viewing.

Man City offer '£13m' for De Jong
Manchester City have made an official bid to sign Hamburg midfielder Nigel de Jong, according to the German club. De Jong's contract contains a clause that would allow him to leave in the summer for £1.8m, but City have reportedly bid £13.3m to buy him now. "City contacted us, signalled their interest in him and made an offer," said a Hamburg spokesman. The Dutch international, 24, has played 66 Bundesliga games for Hamburg since joining from Ajax for £1.2m in 2006. "We now have to sit down and decide if it is worth considering. If we feel it is, then we will get back to them," added the Hamburg spokesman. "We have agreed not to discuss figures." And De Jong, who is out of contract with Hamburg in 2010, has himself hinted that he would like the opportunity to join the Eastlands outfit, saying: "Everybody knows that I would like to play for a big club eventually. "I count Manchester City in that category. I will take my time and listen to everything and then I will make the right decision for me. "But I am a Hamburg player and it could be that I remain so." However, Hamburg director of sport Dietmar Beiersdofer has said City face competition from a host of other clubs - including Spanish giants Real Madrid. "I have spoken with him about Real Madrid and other clubs in that category, but not about City," he told German newspaper Die Welt. "I will now speak with his agent and see what happens." De Jong is the latest in a long line of players to have been linked with big-money moves to City since the January transfer window opened. As well as their £107m bid to sign AC Milan midfielder Kaka, the Eastlands club are already known to have made offers for Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz and West Ham duo Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker. Left-back Wayne Bridge, who signed from Chelsea for around £10m, remains the club's only signing of the January transfer window to date.

Bellamy set to seal Man City move
Craig Bellamy is poised to join his eighth career club as he undergoes a medical at Manchester City. The Welsh striker was left out of West Ham's squad for Sunday's 3-1 win over Fulham, having told club officials on Friday that he wanted to leave. West Ham agreed a deal with City on Sunday, and Bellamy, 29, arrived in Manchester on Monday to discuss terms. The fee is thought to be £14m, while Spurs' interest has ended after West Ham refused to do business with them. Tottenham were Bellamy's first choice of club, but the Hammers are reluctant to sell to their London rivals and always preferred the option of selling to City. The Wales international flew to Manchester earlier on Monday, where he met City's chief operating officer, Paul Aldridge, to thrash out the details of his move. The development appears to have ended one of the hottest transfer stories of the January transfer window so far, despite the Hammers' desire to keep hold of a player who has four goals in his last four league games, helping the Londoners up to eighth in the table. West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury revealed to BBC Sport that he had rejected six bids for Bellamy, thought to be from City and Tottenham, earlier in the month. However, BBC Sport understands Bellamy, who had a transfer request turned down at the start of last week, walked out of training on Friday after telling the club he wanted to leave. And it now looks certain the move, the seventh of Bellamy's career, will go ahead, reuniting the striker with former Wales manager and assistant Mark Hughes and Mark Bowen. Bowen had told BBC Sport on Thursday: "Of course we're interested in Craig Bellamy, he is a player we very much admire and we are hopeful we can bring him to Manchester City. "We've known Craig for many years, and had him at Blackburn Rovers, and we know what he brings to any team he plays for. "It does make me smile as I think he is one of those players who you either love or hate. But fans of teams that he has played for love him and know what he gave for their team." Bellamy, who joined West Ham for £7.5m last season, has previously had spells at Norwich, Coventry, Newcastle, Celtic, Blackburn and Liverpool - and has 16 goals in 54 appearances for Wales. Meanwhile, Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola says he will be able to use the money received for Bellamy to buy a replacement, despite the club's financial problems and suggestions owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is looking to sell. "If he doesn't want to stay we can't do anything about it," said Zola. "The player has told me his wishes and I respect that, so I stand by him. "He wants to have another experience and go to another club where he might think he will get something better. Sometimes it happens. "I will get the money to spend on other players. We are looking at targets."

Man City poised to fine Robinho
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has confirmed the club will fine record signing Robinho following his training ground walk-out in Tenerife last week. The £32.5m forward made an unscheduled departure by flying home to Brazil without telling Hughes that he had to attend some "family business". "I have told Robby about the situation and our intention is to fine him," revealed Hughes. "There is a disciplinary procedure and that is what we are doing." It had been suggested that the 25-year-old would escape punishment by Manchester City for leaving the training camp on the Spanish island of Tenerife without permission. But Hughes said: "I have read some of the things that have been said this morning but nothing could be further from the truth." The manager had stated he would wait for Robinho to return to Manchester before considering his punishment and the player, City's top scorer this season with 12 goals, came back from South America at the weekend and trained on Monday. Hughes said: "What I would like to say is that he will be treated no differently to any other member of the squad." The former Wales boss is expected to fine Robinho a fortnight's wages - an estimated £200,000 - as punishment. Robinho, who arrived from Real Madrid in September, had insisted there had been no fall-out between him and Hughes following his walk-out. "I have a good relationship with Mark Hughes and have always respected his decisions," the Brazilian said on his personal website last week. "He is the boss." Robinho is now set to line up alongside new arrivals Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong when Manchester City host Newcastle United in Wednesday's Premier League match at Eastlands.

Man City's Given bid 'insulting'
Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear says Manchester City's offer of £5m for goalkeeper Shay Given is "insulting". The 32-year-old Republic of Ireland international has been first-choice keeper at Newcastle for 12 years, but has made it clear he wants to leave. "Irrespective of all the money I keep hearing, they've only offered £5m, not a penny more," said Kinnear. "We think it's personally insulting to probably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League." Kinnear said he would be "heartbroken" to lose Given, but refused to be drawn when asked how he would react to City returning with an increased offer. "We're at a stalemate," said Kinnear. "As far as I know, the chairman and the owner are very unhappy we've only been offered £5m. "I don't want to lose him - I'm fighting a relegation battle, I want to keep every player and add to it, not lose it, but I really don't know." On Tuesday, Newcastle keeper Steve Harper, who has invariably found himself as second choice behind Given, signed a new three-year deal with the club. Given joined Newcastle in 1997 from Blackburn for £1.5m and had made 461 appearances for the Magpies.

Hughes remains upbeat after draw
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes put on a brave face after his side twice let a lead slip in their last-32 Uefa Cup 2-2 draw at FC Copenhagen. City were held after an injury-time leveller from Martin Vingaard. "We've let them in at the death. We did more than enough to win," said Hughes. "On anther night we would have scored more but we are still in the box seat. "We could have finished the tie here. It's disappointing to lose a goal at the end but it was a good performance." City took the lead when Nedum Onuoha's tame shot was allowed to squirm in by FC Copenhagen keeper Jesper Christiansen. Ailton Almeida equalised with a header and, although Stephen Ireland struck a second for City, the visitors left Vingaard unmarked on 92 minutes to earn the Danes a draw. "We were delighted when we were 2-1 up and very comfortable," added Hughes. "The only threat they had was at set plays and, at the end, we let them in." Hughes has mixed emotions after draw City's defence again proved their downfall but Hughes took consolation from the performance of forwards Robinho, Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips, with the trio carrying a constant threat on the counter-attack. "The front three were excellent," said Hughes. "They were willing to run hard and put players under pressure."

Man City linked to striker Villa
Valencia have confirmed they have held talks with Manchester City over the transfer of striker David Villa. The 27-year-old was a key member of the Spain squad that triumphed at Euro 2008 and is Valencia's most valuable asset. The Spanish side are in financial trouble and have conceded they may have to sell Villa to ease their concerns. But vice-president Fernando Gomez told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser that City had not made an offer for a player who would cost a "significant amount". When Gomez was asked if Valencia chiefs had met with two representatives from Manchester City regarding the sale of Villa, he added: "Yes, it's true but they didn't make us an any offer. "The president Vicente Soriano asked for a significant amount and they didn't agree." No price tag was revealed but Gomez did confirm that despite Valencia's precarious financial predicament, Villa and fellow Spain star David Silva would not be allowed to go for a reduced price. "I think they are two very important players, with a lot of quality and if we sell them, we are not going to sell them on the cheap," stated Gomez. "I would like them both to stay but we cannot discard anything and any of them could leave at the end of the season." The skilful Villa has been a target for other Premier League clubs, with Liverpool and Chelsea both linked with bids in recent seasons. In January, Manchester City failed in a bid to take AC Milan's Brazilian playmaker Kaka to Eastlands and also recently denied rumours linking them to Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

Kompany may miss start of season
Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany is set to miss the start of the Premier League season in August because he is scheduled to have foot surgery. Belgian international Kompany, 23, has been forced to return from City's pre-season training camp in Bavaria. He needed injections and wore specially adapted boots last season in an attempt to cure the problem. Boss Mark Hughes told City's website: "If he has to have an operation Vincent will miss the start of the season." Kompany joined City from Hamburg in August 2008 for an undisclosed fee. Hughes added: "We sent him to a consultant surgeon at the end of last season and he recommended injecting the toe and giving him six weeks' complete rest but he was suffering the same amount of pain again in training in Germany. "He's been back to see the surgeon now. We hoped the rest would cure it but it's a bit more complex than that. It's important that we address it now and make sure Vince is fit for the rest of the season. "We nursed him through to the point where he had to concede that he just couldn't carry on. He had numerous needles into the joint but he stuck with it bravely. He did really well for the team."

Man City sign Brazilian Sylvinho
Manchester City have completed the signing of veteran Brazilian defender Sylvinho on a one-year contract. The former Arsenal left-back, 35, was released by Barcelona after playing in their Champions League final victory over Manchester United last season. Boss Mark Hughes told City's website: "Bringing him to the club as a free agent is excellent business for us. "He won the European Cup last season at Barcelona and he will strengthen our defensive options." Sylvinho is Hughes's seventh new signing of the summer and will provide cover for Wayne Bridge. The full-back, who spent two seasons at Arsenal before leaving for Spanish club Celta Vigo in 2001, has won the Champions League twice and picked up three La Liga medals. Hughes added: "Sylvinho has a wealth of experience at the very top level, having represented Brazil and played for some of the very top clubs in Europe." City hope to include him in the squad to face Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup on Thursday, providing they receive international clearance.

City close in on midfielder James Milner
Manchester City hope to complete the signing of Aston Villa midfielder James Milner within the next 24 hours. No fee has been agreed for the 24-year-old England player but it is believed a deal is close to being completed and he is set to have a medical on Wednesday. City boss Roberto Mancini said his midfielder Stephen Ireland is likely to go to Villa as part of the transfer. Mancini added that he would like keeper Shay Given to stay but will let the 34-year-old leave if he wants to.

Silva has top-four finish ambitions for Man City
David Silva is in his first season with Manchester City and would take a top-four finish but has not given up hope of winning the Premiership title. Currently, Roberto Mancini's outfit are five points behind Manchester United at the Premier League summit and the two clash this weekend at Old Trafford. "A good first season for me would be to qualify for the Champions League or to win a trophy," he said. "We will fight for the league title all the way and try to win the other competitions but the target is to finish in the top four. "Within two or three years it will be normal for City to be playing in the Champions League every year, so I hope we can be on a par and challenge the best clubs around the world. "I enjoyed six years at Valencia, they discovered me as a footballer and they will always be a special club for me. But the time was right to seek a new challenge and I am thrilled about how things have gone so far. "The league here is one of the best in the world and I desperately want to bring success to City and win trophies. "It's true that the game here is a lot faster than in the Spanish league. La Liga is more tactical - we like to move the ball around quickly and pass often - but in England they like to fight and run hard. "One thing is for certain, over the last few years City's image has grown massively in Spain. The project here is getting more important with every year. It's very exciting that I'm now part of it."

VIEIRA EXPECTS UNITED BACKLASH
Patrick Vieira has warned Manchester City to expect a United backlash at Old Trafford on Saturday. The warring Mancunian factions go head-to-head this weekend, seven days after Sir Alex Ferguson's men lost their unbeaten league record at Wolves. It was a result that allowed Vieira's old club Arsenal to trim United's lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to four points, while City closed to within five. But if the Blues feel their neighbours will be easier to overcome on Saturday lunchtime now they have tasted defeat in the league, Vieira has warned them to think again. "We must expect a backlash and a battle," Vieira told Abu Dhabi-based paper The National. "Big clubs like United always talk about the importance of never losing two times in a row. They will want to bounce back to winning ways immediately." For Vieira, any meeting with the Red Devils inevitably brings back memories of his personal feud with Roy Keane, which memorably reached its nadir in the Highbury tunnel in 2005 as the teams were waiting to come out onto the pitch before kick-off. The sight of the two warriors finger-jabbing told its own story of their commitment to the cause, and though Gary Neville's loose tongue was said to have started it, Vieira still admires the newly-retired full-back. "He had a fantastic career," said Vieira. "I respect him because he had been at United his whole career and he won trophies and was a permanent fixture in the starting XI. "Yes, I had a problem with him, but I had a problem with a lot of players." How many more of these matches Vieira will be involved in remains to be seen. After all, most of the United side he sparred with for so long have now retired. It cannot be long before the Frenchman joins them. "I have six months left and am enjoying my football," he said. "But I have to be realistic "I'll be 35 next season and I know it will hard to play every game. "I have to see if I am willing to accept playing only one or two games every three or four months."

Manchester City defender Kolo Toure fails drugs test
Kolo Toure has been suspended after testing positive for a specified substance. The 29-year-old was informed by the Football Association that an A sample he provided had returned positive. City confirmed in a statement that Toure had been suspended "pending the outcome of the legal process". Ivory Coast international Toure, whose brother Yaya also plays for City, is a former club captain who joined City from Arsenal in July 2009. The City statement added: "There will be no further comment from the football club at this stage." The World Anti-Doping Agency defines a specified substance as one that is "more susceptible to a credible, non-doping explanation". The Wada punishment for such a positive test ranges from a warning to a two-year ban. Toure was the skipper of City until the start of the current campaign, when the armband was passed to Carlos Tevez. The Ivorian defender was brought to the Premier League by Arsenal in 2002 and he remained with the London club until his £14m transfer to City. Toure, who is under contract with City until the summer of 2013, was one of several high-profile arrivals in the summer of 2009 as then-manager Mark Hughes spent more than £100m on new players. He has gone on to make more than 50 appearances for City, although he was rested for Wednesday's FA Cup victory over Aston Villa. City will play Reading in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, are set to take on Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League and lie third in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.

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