Citeh

[Lee]

Yep I've thought that for some time, when Utd were still in the race at Christmas you just knew Citeh would blow it.

I think Mancini will get the chop and Mourinho will take over.

I heard that rumor on sky sports today too! Could see it happening!

Reckon that sounds about right. All that money and they still bottle it - such a disfunctional squad.

[BobTheCharmer]

to be fair, no one else will win the league if other teams don't stand up to utd.

city have dropped a few points but thats not unusual. it feels like utd have won about 15 on the spin. they are relentless at winning league games after January.

for this utd team with that **** midfield to end up walking the league, it has to be one of fergies greatest acheivements. I hate them more than anything else in life, but fair play to them this season. written off, **** keeper, captain out, wheeled in scholes from retirement, giggs is about 80 and they still keep winning. the rest of the league should hang their heads, the likes of spurs and arsenal in particular.

[JohnDoe]

If City land Mourinho, they'll walk the league next season. Their squad is ridiculous, to not win the league this season is a testament to just how **** a manager Mancini is.

Though Balotelli will probably be gone if that happens, the poor bloke. I'd put in a cheeky bid.

[G]

**** knows if its true but apparently mad Mario tied Aguero's shoe laces together and that's how he got injured.

I really hope that's true.Bravo Mario

[Gibbo]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/...al-bid-to-sign

Manchester City ready to launch sensational bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid this summer
Abu Dhabi powerbrokers willing to match £80 million world-record transfer fee and sanction salary of between £400,000-a-week and £500,000-a-week to land Portuguese icon


The Premier League club are understood to be willing to match the world-record transfer fee of £80 million that Madrid paid Manchester United for Ronaldo in 2009, and wages of between £400,000-a-week and £500,000-a-week to land the Portuguese icon.

ources in both Manchester and Spain have told Goal.com that there has been contact between intermediaries in recent weeks to gauge the player’s interest in returning to Manchester and the early indications from the 27-year-old's camp is that he could be open to a transfer that would send shockwaves through football.

Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has become increasingly close to senior City officials over the past year.

It is understood that Abu Dhabi go-betweens floated the idea to Ronaldo last summer but the feedback from the player was that it was not the right time.

"The signs now from the Ronaldo camp are surprisingly more positive," a source close to the situation told Goal.com. "The contact has taken place in the last few weeks and there is serious chatter in the corridors at the Etihad, akin to when City tried to sign Kaka from AC Milan a few years back."

Owner Sheikh Mansour, advised by the club’s senior hierarchy in Abu Dhabi, is a huge admirer of Ronaldo and has tremendous respect for Real Madrid as a footballing institution.

Although City strongly refuted on Friday that the club have made any move to sign the forward, it is understood that the billionaire owner is ready to sanction the monies if there is a deal to be done.

"City want a marquee signing this summer to confirm their emergence as serious players among football’s elite," the source added.

Ideally, they would do so from a position of strength as Premier League champions but whatever happens in the title race they want to send out a statement of intent.

"Ronaldo is the one they have wanted for a long time. They know they will not get Lionel Messi."

Three years on from the failed attempt to sign Kaka from AC Milan in a world record €108m deal (worth £90m at current exchange rates), the Sheikh’s advisers are confident that the club’s growth on and off the pitch will enable them to hold firm in their dealings with the nine-time European champions.

City’s powerbrokers are also confident that the staggering sums required to entice Ronaldo to Etihad Stadium would not contravene Uefa’s financial fair play regulations, which the club are fully committed to satisfying.

Sheikh Mansour would offset the cost of signing Ronaldo and at least one other marquee summer signing – with Napoli’s Edinson Cavani the leading centre-forward target - by sanctioning a summer clear-out of big earners who are not central to manager Roberto Mancini’s long-term plans.

The club will listen to offers for Carlos Tevez, who earns £198,000-a-week, Edin Dzeko, who gets £130,000-a-week, and Nigel de Jong, who is on £85,000-a-week. On-loan trio Emmanuel Adebayor (£170,000-a-week), Wayne Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz (who both earn £90,000-a-week) can also leave.

City are likely to encounter difficulties in shifting them from the wage bill but if they do so it would free up nearly £800,000-a-week, equivalent to an eye-watering £38m per annum, around a quarter of the Premier League record £174m salary bill revealed in the club’s 2010-11 financial accounts.

Ronaldo’s six-year Madrid contract, which runs until 2015, was initially worth £250,000-a-week but has built-in incremental rises which will swell the figure to around £400,000-a-week in the final year of the deal.

Such is the Portuguese’s vast marketing potential, built around the CR7 brand, City are confident they would be able to recoup much of their outlay through shirt sales, merchandise tie-ups and other commercial spin-offs.

The parameters of the deal would be quite similar to the offer made to Kaka in 2009, with City believed to be prepared to fund a series of soccer schools in Ronaldo’s name in a bid to demonstrate their commitment to the player and push his brand.

City's hopes of enticing Ronaldo are not at this stage linked with any move for Jose Mourinho, who is also represented by Mendes.

As revealed by Goal.com earlier this month, club chiefs will assess Mancini's position at the end of the season although Mourinho will jump to the top of the club's list of alternatives if there is any indication he could be willing to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

[ChesterDave]

So they [RM] could blow the league, lose Ronaldo and Maureen? Barca would enjoy that I am sure.

[Craig_H]

Good to see how much FFP is being respected....

[Vermilion]

I'm so glad we didn't get the extravagant overly wealthy owners like Citeh have, better we build over decades than just win things off the back of someone elses money and buying players like they have/will have.

ffp will be a farce. imo.

[Shaggy]

If City land Mourinho, they'll walk the league next season. Their squad is ridiculous, to not win the league this season is a testament to just how **** a manager Mancini is.

My City mate's argument is that it was Mancini who 'built' that squad but I reckon any of us on here could've gone out and bought Aguero, Silva etc.

[JohnDoe]

My City mate's argument is that it was Mancini who 'built' that squad but I reckon any of us on here could've gone out and bought Aguero, Silva etc.

Mancini played real life champ manager.

Well, actually, he did that while cheating.

He basically went to the game database and edited City's transfer budget and wage budget to the max, the loaded the game again and kept making bids for every top player until it was accepted.

What a genius he was identifying players like Aguero and Nasri as potential signings. Genius.

The guy is the luckiest manager in the history of the game. Gets the Inter job during a time Milan/Juve are destroyed by scandals, walks Serie A with no competition while doing **** all in Europe. Eventually he gets sacked, his replacement goes on with that team and wins the CL a year later. He then gets the chance to play real life Champ Man on City, fails to win the league, crashes out of Europe and he's still somehow seen as a top manager?

[Shaggy]

You're absolutely right.

[Fosterbloke]

Mancini is dog****. I think they should hire Bodge or Bielsa.

[Chazza]

[Kenneth]

My City mate's argument is that it was Mancini who 'built' that squad but I reckon any of us on here could've gone out and bought Aguero, Silva etc.

Mancini played real life champ manager.

Well, actually, he did that while cheating.

He basically went to the game database and edited City's transfer budget and wage budget to the max, the loaded the game again and kept making bids for every top player until it was accepted.

What a genius he was identifying players like Aguero and Nasri as potential signings. Genius.

The guy is the luckiest manager in the history of the game. Gets the Inter job during a time Milan/Juve are destroyed by scandals, walks Serie A with no competition while doing **** all in Europe. Eventually he gets sacked, his replacement goes on with that team and wins the CL a year later. He then gets the chance to play real life Champ Man on City, fails to win the league, crashes out of Europe and he's still somehow seen as a top manager?

You're absolutely right.

[Gingawaria]

Agree with everyone above.

Even my ardent United supporting mate said on Saturday that this is the weakest United side he's ever seen, yet they're still going to walk the league.

Mancini needs to be hung out to dry for bottling it this much!