City agree Santa Cruz fee

[Shanks]

Will do well if he keeps himself injury free.


http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...389342,00.html



Manchester City have reached an agreement with Blackburn to sign Roque Santa Cruz for £18million, according to Sky Sports News sources.

The Paraguayan striker's future has been the subject of intense speculation for some time and he was linked with a move to City during the January transfer window.

Mark Hughes attempted to bring him in but could not agree a fee with Rovers as Sam Allardyce fought to keep one of his top players.

Santa Cruz was brought to England by Hughes in 2007 when he was in charge at Ewood Park.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a tremendous first season in the Premier League but struggled for form and fitness following Hughes' move from Blackburn to City.

He has regularly been quoted as saying that he could leave Blackburn in the summer and it now appears he may be reunited with Hughes.

It is understood a fee has been agreed but personal terms will need to be sorted out before a transfer can be finalised.

City are looking to strengthen their squad considerably before the start of the 2008/9 campaign to enable them to compete with the top clubs.

They already have a formidable set of strikers but Hughes feels Santa Cruz would provide a different kind of threat.

[Ben_Itez]

Maybe he'll turn out to be a good signing but **** me have they got a load of strikers and no doubt interested in more ie Tevez.

Santa Cruz
Bellamy
Caicedo
Sturridge
Robinho
Bojinov
Benjani
Evans
Vassell

[Craig_H]

This might be against the grain here, but i recently checked out Santa Cruz's career stats and it shocked me just how poor they were. Apart from 2007-2008, he's been ****e in the goalscoring department:

99-00 - 43 games, 6 goals
00-01 - 25 games, 5 goals
01-02 - 33 games, 8 goals
02-03 - 16 games, 6 goals
03-04 - 36 games, 6 goals
04-05 - 4 games, 0 goals
05-06 - 13 games, 4 goals
06-07 - 33 games, 3 goals
07-08 - 40 games, 20 goals
08-09 - 18 games, 4 goals

Total club stats:
261 games
62 goals

[Shanks]

08-09 - 18 games, 4 goals

To be fair though, he was injured for about 2 months of that campaign.

[Craig_H]

Well yeah, it's clear that for those seasons where he's barely managing 20 games, there were injuries. Still rubbish goal returns for the amount of games he's played.

[red g]

Well yeah, it's clear that for those seasons where he's barely managing 20 games, there were injuries. Still rubbish goal returns for the amount of games he's played.

so they have potentially 3 non prolific strikers for nearly 70m!!! or make that 4 for 90m if you include jo

[Joe King]

Maybe he'll turn out to be a good signing but **** me have they got a load of strikers and no doubt interested in more ie Tevez.

Santa Cruz
Bellamy
Caicedo
Sturridge
Robinho
Bojinov
Benjani
Evans
Vassell

From that list, Santa Cruz, Bellamy, Robinho are his main strikers. He wants to get rid of Benjani. Bojinov, despite his massive talent, is always injured - badly may I add. Caicedo is over-weight, Evans is unproven and Sturridge is leaving on a Bosman

[red g]

From that list, Santa Cruz, Bellamy, Robinho are his main strikers. He wants to get rid of Benjani. Bojinov, despite his massive talent, is always injured - badly may I add. Caicedo is over-weight, Evans is unproven and Sturridge is leaving on a Bosman

for a 20year old he is a brute of a player!!

[Mostar]

This might be against the grain here, but i recently checked out Santa Cruz's career stats and it shocked me just how poor they were. Apart from 2007-2008, he's been ****e in the goalscoring department:

99-00 - 43 games, 6 goals
00-01 - 25 games, 5 goals
01-02 - 33 games, 8 goals
02-03 - 16 games, 6 goals
03-04 - 36 games, 6 goals
04-05 - 4 games, 0 goals
05-06 - 13 games, 4 goals
06-07 - 33 games, 3 goals
07-08 - 40 games, 20 goals
08-09 - 18 games, 4 goals

Total club stats:
261 games
62 goals

That is an interesting piece of info.

If you would consider his stats on the Bell's curve his seemed to be a steroids user in 07-08 season.

Another Barry Bonds..Good luck Cityh..

[Shanks]

24 goals in 58 appearances including 2 months worth of injury isn't bad.

Especially for a striker who has never played in the premiership before.

[Joe King]

for a 20year old he is a brute of a player!!

Indeed so but he is slower than Dirk Kuyt running in quicksand.

[Ben_Itez]

This might be against the grain here, but i recently checked out Santa Cruz's career stats and it shocked me just how poor they were. Apart from 2007-2008, he's been ****e in the goalscoring department:

99-00 - 43 games, 6 goals
00-01 - 25 games, 5 goals
01-02 - 33 games, 8 goals
02-03 - 16 games, 6 goals
03-04 - 36 games, 6 goals
04-05 - 4 games, 0 goals
05-06 - 13 games, 4 goals
06-07 - 33 games, 3 goals
07-08 - 40 games, 20 goals
08-09 - 18 games, 4 goals

Total club stats:
261 games
62 goals

He was never a first team starter at Bayern though and was a regular sub and was often injured. Still for the best part of £20 million i'd certainly want a player with a better scoring and injury record if we were signing him. Maybe a decent option at £8million or so.

From that list, Santa Cruz, Bellamy, Robinho are his main strikers. He wants to get rid of Benjani. Bojinov, despite his massive talent, is always injured - badly may I add. Caicedo is over-weight, Evans is unproven and Sturridge is leaving on a Bosman

I forgot they have Jo too and probably going to get Tevez. How'd you know he wants rid of Benjani or are you guessing?

Is Caicedo only 20? Thought he was late 20's

[Darth Marty]

id take bojinov

[Joe King]

I forgot they have Jo too and probably going to get Tevez. How'd you know he wants rid of Benjani or are you guessing?

Is Caicedo only 20? Thought he was late 20's

He was linked with a move back to France.

[Welhung]

id take bojinov

Me too. On the cheap of course...