December has now taken hold and as we run headlong towards the transfer window not only have some clubs decided what help they need but some players and more particularly their agents have decided what money they want.
Today not only are City linked with long term United target Benzema, but also Luis, yet another centre back and now Real Madrid’s Pepe.
What on earth for, one asks? Because he’s played for Real Madrid and therefore he must be good?
Spanish sports paper AS is telling the world that Pepe only earns 1.8million euro and is looking to secure a better deal for himself. Nothing wrong in that. Madrid are set to offer him double that. Nothing wrong in that also. But the murmurings are that the player thinks he is worth 9million euro and the only place he can earn that is ….you guesssed it – Manchester City.
When the world talks of our millionaire mercenaries this to me is precisely the type of signing we do not want. He is not that good a player anyway and then what if later he decides he wants 12 million euro and only one other team that afford that?
With all the hullaballoo that Ian Wright creates for his beloved son SWP, we now hear that this poor chap who has been mugged-off by City is heading for the bright lights of – Everton, West Ham or Wigan!!
Ian Wright needs to examine his role in all of this. Shaun was a well-loved integral part of City’s team. He’d broken into the England set-up and was working hard for his club. Yes he had the shortcomings, some of which still haven’t been addressed, but what he did not need was two years on the Stamford Bridge bench, harldy kicking a ball.
The prodigal son returned ‘home’ and more or less took up where he left off, with the adulation of the Kippax and a couple of goals. It looks as though his time might be coming to an end at Eastlands.
In some ways the fault for this lies at his own door, because of you want to kick-on in a top class team you have to demonstrate all of the time that you are up for it and Shaun sadly does not do that.
The teams mentioned will provide Shaun with much needed game time, a change in coaching style, but no real accolades…oh and probably less money. I do hope however that if he ends up at the money desert that is Everton, we charge them over the odds for him and they pay.
Murmurings still abound about Shay Given and the other favourites for the exit door, Adebayor and Santa Cruz, although notably those two don’t appear to be shouting from the rooftops this week.
Agents are starting to talk-up their proteges as did Rooney’s agent recently and there is no doubt that in each of their eyes Manchester City is the ‘go-to’ cash cow.
City should keep their cash in their pocket as much as possible in January and only buy players of true worth and class. Benzema fits the bill for me, given that Adebayor and Santa Cruz will be heading down Ashton New Road. I think we have enough about us in defence this season and don’t think we should be hard pressed to collect Luis or Pepe.
Van Bommel? Well that could be another story.
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