Several reports in Sunday’s media suggest the Blues want to bring the Bayern Munich back to the Premier League this summer – but is the Dutch winger really on Manuel Pellegrini’s shopping list.
Sports Vibe claim he is, they report: “City are eyeing a summer move for Holland and Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben.
“The Dutch international has spent the last six seasons at the Bundesliga giants, however looked like securing a move to Manchester United during the January window with compatriot Louis van Gaal keen to secure a deal for the winger.
“But now according to the latest reports at the Metro it is now the Etihad club that have launched a shock £24million bid for the wide man who has scored 19 goals this season in 31 first-team matches after suffering a number of injuries throughout the campaign; the latest of which made him unavailable for the Champions League semi-final loss to Barcelona.”
It’s a new thread, if nothing else!
Meanwhile, Pellegrini revealed he voted for one of his fiercest Premier League rivals recently. The Telegraph take up this interesting twist on the Manuel v Jose contest...
“Pellegrini won the league and League Cup last season – the same as Mourinho has done this campaign – but was overlooked by his peers in the vote for manager of the year. But he has voted for Mourinho who has won it this time round.
‘I am a member of the LMA (League Managers Association) and I voted for Mourinho because I know what he has achieved is very good,’ Pellegrini said graciously.”
Fair enough!
Now for today’s latest instalment of ‘City lead the way in the Raheem Sterling chase’. The lad is still a Liverpool player and his manager has said he’s going nowhere – but since when did that stop speculative stories filling the back pages.
The Sunday People claim City are willing to use Edin Dzeko as bait for the England star, writing: “Edin Dzeko holds the key to Manchester City winning the race for Raheem Sterling, writes Neil Moxley in the Sunday People.
“The Bosnia striker is being lined up as the make-weight in a £50m deal for the Liverpool forward.
“Dzeko, 29, is being offered to the Reds as the battle intensifies to secure the signature of the England striker - with Arsenal now also in hot pursuit.
“Manchester City were initially hopeful that a straight cash deal would be enough to tip the balance in their favour.
“But it appears that a player-plus-cash deal - with the club also halting any attempt to prevent James Milner’s move to Anfield with a mega-bucks deal - is on the table.”
Don’t expect that story to go away anytime soon.
Finally, the City boss has said what most of the supporters have been thinking for quite a while – why don’t City managers and players get the recognition they deserve.
The Mail on Sunday quote the boss in their feature: “’Before me, Roberto Mancini also won the title but he wasn’t manager of the year. Last year, Yaya Toure scored many goals but wasn’t player of the year. This year, Sergio Aguero is the top scorer but he isn’t player of the year. This isn’t my opinion, it is fact.
I am not saying there is a conspiracy. I wasn’t chosen as the best manager but I was very happy about what I did last season because we won two titles and won them playing beautiful football and scoring lots of goals
...Manuel Pellegrini...
‘I don’t know how the decision can be but if they choose another manager that is their choice.’”
That’s all for today – check in tomorrow for all the speculation, reaction and comment from our final game of the season…
