Gary Cahill faces wait over Manchester City move

Manchester City are keeping their options open despite reports they are poised to land Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

The Blues have been tracking Cahill for months, and are considering a £17m deal which could include Nedum Onuoha heading in the other direction.

But current City ace Vincent Kompany has urged manager Roberto Mancini to reconsider his Belgium defensive partner Jan Vertonghen, who was apparently discarded as a target last month after being scouted by Mancini when he played for his club Ajax.

City have cooled on the idea of buying a central defender after Kolo Toure escaped a major ban for his positive drugs test – he will now be available to play on September 2, before the Blues’ Champions League
campaign gets underway.

That has seen them back away from a move for Cahill, who has a £17m release clause in his contract at the Reebok.

But with Bayern Munich preparing to up a proposed £11m bid for Jerome Boateng and Onuoha ready for a move away from Eastlands with his first-team chances restricted, the deal could be back on.

Watched

Mancini watched 24-year-old, 6ft 2in Vertonghen play for Ajax in the Dutch Cup final last month, but was not hugely impressed.

But Vertonghen, who is left-footed, has played alongside Kompany for Belgium – although he turned out at left- back for them in the Euro 2012 qualifier 1-1 draw with Turkey on Friday.

Vertonghen, like Cahill, has also been carefully watched by Arsenal, while AC Milan are also believed to be weighing up a move for him this summer.

Kompany has suggested that his international teammate is ready to step up to the Premier League, and indicated he would be a boost for City.

“You hear 40 names per month of players who could move to Manchester City,” said Kompany. “However, it is not a coincidence that Vertonghen is linked with the club.

“Jan is ready to make the next step and is good enough for City.

“I am sure that he will succeed at his next club, regardless of whether he joins us or decides to move elsewhere. He is simply a fantastic footballer.

“He can play left-back, centre back and as a defensive midfielder – in that position he has played many good games for us and he has the potential to be one of the leaders of the Belgian team of the future.”

The Blues have also weighed up Blackburn’s 19-year-old defender Phil Jones and will watch him again playing for England under-21s at the

European Championships in Denmark next week.

It has emerged that Jones has a £16m release clause in his Blackburn contract, but he is also being tracked by Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Move

City are now pressing ahead with their summer transfer plans as it is becoming clear that Carlos Tevez will be unable to engineer a move away from the club this summer.

The Argentine ace has expressed his unhappiness with living in Manchester, and a reported reconciliation with the estranged mother of his two daughters has opened up the possibility that she could be persuaded to join him if he secured a move to Spain or Italy.

But City would require a minimum £40m for their top- scorer, and Tevez would have to take a major pay cut from his £230,000-a-week deal at Eastlands – and those two factors have seemingly killed interest from Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid.

There was another twist to the plot when Buenos Aires politician, and former Boca Juniors president Mauricio Macri, claimed Tevez had told him he would be back to play for the club in 2013.

That indicates Tevez may be prepared to see out the next two seasons, make his fortune and then return to his homeland.

The Blues have already had one transfer setback – top target Alexis Sanchez of Udinese is on his way to Barcelona.

Bayern Munich determined to bag Jerome Boateng

Bayern Munich insist they are closing in on Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng, despite the Blues describing him as ‘unsaleable’.

The German giants are willing to give City the £11m they paid for him last summer to prise the Germany international away from Hamburg.

Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: “I believe that there is a chance that we will come to an agreement.

“We will have to play a waiting game and this is not something which will be resolved in the next two or three days.”

But City boss Roberto Mancini said recently that he believes Boateng will soon be one of the world’s top defenders and he has no interest in losing him.

Boateng had a difficult first season in English football, suffering an injury shortly before joining up with the Blues, then finding the pace of the Premier League difficult before losing his place to a resurgent Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta.

He then suffered another knee injury while on international duty to miss the final two months of the season.

City are in no rush to sell, but a reasonable offer might tempt them, as Mancini has been told he has to sell in order to off-set some of the cost of his transfer plans this summer.

Carlos Tevez: Sheikh says I can leave Manchester City

Carlos Tevez has cast fresh doubts over his Manchester City future, revealing that club owner, Sheikh Mansour, has told him he is free to leave Eastlands.

And in a separate interview with an Argentinean talk show, he reportedly launched a stinging attack on Manchester – insisting he will never return to the city when his playing career is through.

Tevez is keeping City guessing about his future plans, with Real Madrid and Inter Milan both ready to swoop for the 27-year-old this summer.

And after handing in a transfer request in December, he says Mansour has left the decision in his hands as to whether or not he stays at the club he led to FA Cup victory and third place in the Premier League last season.

"Sheikh Mansour has made a lot of sacrifices to keep me and if I stay at City, it will be for him,” said Tevez. "He signed me, he wants to keep me but, at the same time, he has told me to do whatever I need to do to be happy.

"He has told me, 'If you want to leave, then you can go'. There is no deadline - it's down to me.

"They offered me a new contract in December but I didn't want to extend it.

"At the end of the season they offered me another new deal but at the moment I don't know whether I will accept it."

Tevez left West Ham for United in 2007, heading for City in a controversial move two years later.

But it appears he has no love for Manchester, reportedly telling Argentinean television channel Telefe: "There is nothing to do in Manchester. The problem is I'm still speaking very poor English.

"When I finish my contract I will not return to Manchester ever - not even on holiday."

As for his situation at City, he added: "I have no regrets whatsoever about my transfer request. It was a situation that some people on the board created. They promised something for six months and didn't deliver.

"So, after six months of promises, they don't do something - why should I believe them now? I don't.

"I will never speak to these people again. I still feel the same way.

"I deal direct with Sheikh Mansour - no-one else. It makes no difference to my future, as they don't mean anything to me."

Tevez’ family will play a big part in any decision about staying at Eastlands and he said: “No amount of money, no cars and the lifestyle can make up for the moment when I leave my two daughters at the airport.

"Do you think money solves everything? It solves nothing.

"People think I should be happy because I have everything but I can't buy time with my daughters and my family."

Tevez’ agent Kia Joorabchian added: "His family come first. He will be in Argentina. He will sit down and talk to his family.

"Until he resolves that issue he's not making a final determination on his future.

"What I can tell you is he is very happy at Manchester City. He has been happy at Manchester City. He's resolved his problems he had earlier in the year with certain members of the board. If he can resolve his family issues then why not (stay)?"

Manchester City could face Barcelona in Champions League group stage

• Manchester City set for Pot Three in Uefa draw
• Champions League winners are possible opponents

Barcelona celebrate winning the Champions League final against Manchester United.
Manchester City are likely to have a 20% chance of drawing Barcelona in next season's Champions League group stages. The line-up for Europe's premier competition was finalised over the weekend, along with the overall co-efficients from each competing club. Final confirmation is still to be made by Uefa but it looks certain that City will be in Pot Three for the draw, even if all the clubs above them in the seedings who must face qualifying ties do not make it to the group stage. With Manchester United and Chelsea confirmed as top sides and Arsenal bound to join them if they make it through their final qualifier, City will have just five potential opponents from Pot One. That list will be headed by Barcelona, whose brilliant display in the 3-1 defeat of United at Wembley has led many observers to acclaim Pep Guardiola's men as the best club side of all time. Real Madrid will also be in Pot One, along with the 2010 European champions, Internazionale; the Europa League winners, Porto; and, if they make it through the qualifiers, Bayern Munich. Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk would appear to be the strongest sides in Pot Two.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez eyes £35m Real Madrid switch

Carlos Tevez

 

Carlos Tevez is waiting to see if Real Madrid are ready to make a £35m bid to snatch him away from Eastlands as he considers his Manchester City future.

The 27-year-old has made it clear his family will play a key role in deciding whether he stays with the Blues or moves on.

Tevez returned to his native Argentina last week to discuss his future with his family.

The striker, City’s top scorer during each of his two seasons at Eastlands, is keen to be closer to his two daughters, who live with their mother in Buenos Aires.

A move to Jose Mourinho’s Madrid is understood to be an option because it has better flight links with the Argentinian capital and there is no language barrier – both factors Tevez believes would make it easier to persuade his family to join him in Europe.

He indicated money is not a driving factor by recently rejecting a move to Juventus, which would have been worth around £20m a year to him.

When asked about his City future at the club’s end-of-season awards night last month, Tevez said: “Let’s hope I can stay here.”

His team-mates are hoping he will stay too, with winger Adam Johnson the latest player to call on the striker to commit his future to the club.

And despite submitting – and then withdrawing – a transfer request last December, Tevez has continued to put in wholehearted performances for the Blues. His dedication to the cause was summed up by a tireless performance in City’s FA Cup final win over Stoke, having battled back from a torn hamstring that had restricted him to just 12 minutes of football in the previous five weeks.

And the striker has also made it clear that he has no problems with manager Roberto Mancini or anyone else at the club.

But his genuine indecision as to where he will be playing next season has been demonstrated by his refusal to give any cast-iron assurances that he will remain at Eastlands.

He acknowledged after the FA Cup final that a move to either Spain or Italy would be a possibility.

Madrid, though, will have to make a huge offer to tempt City to part with a player who has been the main man in their transformation to a Champions League side, particularly as Tevez still has three years to run on his contract at Eastlands.

But Tevez’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, insists the striker will put his family first when he makes a decision on his future.

“It’s difficult to talk about offers,” he said. “Carlos is a big player who will attract big clubs. But he personally has had a very good season at City. He’s happy with the current situation at City.

“He’s sorted out his problems with the directors at City, that was sorted back in December.

“I think it all boils down to his family. If they feel comfortable about moving to Manchester then there’s every chance he will stay at Manchester.

“He was one of first to join this project. He had ambitions to get City to the Champions League and win to win a trophy. He has helped them do that.”

Blues key: Adam Johnson reckons Carlos Tevez would be tough to replace at Manchester City

KEY MAN: Carlos Tevez

 

Adam Johnson admits quiet man Carlos Tevez has given nothing away on his Manchester City future - but reckons the Argentinian is vital to the Blues' Champions League success.

Tevez once again has questions hanging over his future despite City boss Roberto Mancini declaring he was optimistic the striker would remain at Eastlands.

Johnson, currently preparing for England's Euro 2012 qualifier with Switzerland on Saturday, knows how crucial Tevez is if City are to build on their success of last season, when they finished third in the Barclays Premier League.

The 23-year-old winger said: "Carlos carries us sometimes with his goals and his drive.

"He is probably the best player I have played with.

"Some of the goals, and some of the stuff he does in training, is just unbelievable.

"Personally I hope we keep hold of him just like all the City fans do.

"He will be a major part next season when we are playing in the Champions League.

"He would be hard to replace. There are probably only five or six strikers out there who get you that many goals a season at the highest level.

"We have one of them, so it would be great if we could keep him."

Johnson explained that Tevez has given little away as to what his future plans may be, even to his team-mates.

He said: "Carlos does not really say much. He is quite quiet. He keeps himself to himself mostly.

"He does his talking on the pitch. That's what I like about him."

Meanwhile, Johnson has warned Manchester United that the Blues could soon become the leading club in the city.

The England and City winger acknowledges United's years of dominance but believes it "could all change" in the next 12 months.

City lifted the FA Cup and also qualified for the Champions League for the first time last season and are expected to embark on another spending spree this summer.

Johnson said: "United have been on top for decades now. But I think we are definitely closer.

"I think we are probably as close as we ever were. I think everyone knows that now.

"Maybe if you tweak the squad a little bit, we could give it a massive push next season, and who knows, it could all change."

Joe Hart: Manchester City with the big boys now

Joe Hart faces the media on Thursday

 

Joe Hart reckons Manchester City have finally joined the "big boys" after qualifying for the Champions League group stages.

Hart was one of the Blues' outstanding performers in a campaign in which they secured automatic Champions League qualification by finishing third in the Barclays Premier League and won the FA Cup.

Never short of self-belief to start with, it has provided the former Shrewsbury man with another confidence boost, in addition to offering an opportunity to perform at an even higher level.

"What has happened at Manchester City has given me a lot of confidence," he said.

"We have achieved some fantastic things this season. We know what a tough task it will be to follow that.

"But the thing is, we could have achieved more, which just makes it more exciting for next season."

Having, for long periods, assumed they were heading for a place in the Champions League qualifiers at best, it came as a very pleasant surprise to squeeze Arsenal out of third spot to secure a direct route into the last 32.

City's seeding means Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan are among those who lie in wait. And Hart is relishing the test.

"I can't wait to find out how much the Champions League will improve me," he said.

"Getting it nailed on as well, rather than going into the qualifiers, is great.

"We can really prepare for it properly now.

"It will be a big test for us. It really is big boys' football."

In the more immediate future, Hart is gearing up for England's forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifier.

The Blues ace is in line to face Switzerland at Wembley on Saturday, but he will not be backed up by Ben Foster. The Birmingham number one has decided to take a sabbatical to concentrate on his club career, having decided trying to oust 24-year-old Hart is not worth the effort.

Paul Robinson has also retired and Robert Green was left out of Fabio Capello's current squad amid doubts over his commitment to the national team, only to be called back when it was established that Fulham's David Stockdale was due to get married.

Hart wanted to make it plain he was offering no opinion on the reasons for, or the wisdom of, Foster's decision. However, he could not see himself abandoning England.

"I can't envisage wanting to take a break," he said.

"Who knows what is in the future? Other people make decisions based on personal reasons. I can only concentrate on myself and being available for these kind of trips.

"Right now I am really happy to be here and trying to get that number one spot."