Premier League - Manchester City's shopping list
Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim has promised Manchester City fans no fewer than 18 world-class signings, but who will he bring to Eastlands in January?
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid) - £30m
City fans have fond memories of the Goat, and the Horse would be worth every penny if he could match Shaun Goater's 84 goals in 184 games for the club. Marca said Al-Fahim "seemed to be in love with Van Nistelrooy," for whom he reportedly offered a blank cheque.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - £80m
Messi topped a Manchester Evening News poll as the player the fans most want to see at Eastlands. Spoilsports have dared suggest that he might prefer to stay at Barcelona.
Vedran Corluka (Tottenham Hotspur) - £15m
Amid the drama of the takeover City somehow mislaid their Croatian right-back. With the vast fees surrounding their transfer activity now, City can expect to pay an inflated price if they want him back.
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) - £60m
Al-Fahim has declared his ambition to take the Citizens into the Champions League. Signing Fabregas would not only bolster Mark Hughes's side but leave Arsenal with a crippled midfield and £60m their manager doesn't know how to spend.
Ruben de la Red (Real Madrid) - £20m
The young Spanish international has been tipped as the next Georgi Kinkladze. City would do well to learn from Getafe's mistake and refrain from including a buy-back clause in the deal.
Javier Saviola (Real Madrid) - £30m
The transfer rumours seem based on the calculation that a team needs roughly 10 strikers to every defender. As such it is only a matter of time before Saviola joins Argentine team-mate Pablo Zabaleta at Eastlands.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) - £134m
Despite mixed feelings amongst the City fans, "the world's biggest club" are expected to pursue the world's most coveted player. Although the fee is rather high, Ronaldo would not need a housing allowance.
Ronaldo (Flamengo, on trial) - £20m
City have promised to sign Ronaldo, and if the lure of Eastlands somehow fails to attract Cristiano, the new owners may have to settle for the corpulent Brazilian. Last season a typing error saw City waste their cash on Rolando, but Signor Bianchi is now at Torino.
Pele - Free Transfer
Despite his millions, Abramovich has always recognised the appeal of a cheeky free transfer. See: Neil Sullivan, Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim. Robinho has fanned the flames linking the experienced hitman to City, "If he had been me, he would have done the same."
The entire Manchester United squad - £500m
If you want to win the Premier and Champions Leagues you need players who have been there and done it. City might also look at local stadium Old Trafford to help accommodate their new London-based fans. In retrospect, it might have been simpler to just buy Manchester United.
Total spending: £889m
[ 本帖最後由 cchl8 於 2008-9-5 01:37 AM 編輯 ] |
發表於 2008-9-5 01:36 AM
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