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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini targets Giorgio Chiellini and Maicon
Giorgio ChielliniI and Maicon head a list of transfer targets drawn up by Manchester City’s new manager, Roberto Mancini, for the transfer window.

The Italian has identified City’s porous defence as being in particular need of reinforcement and is also believed to be in the market for a creative midfielder. Again, Mancini is thought to be considering making a move for more Serie A-based players.
Chiellini, 25, is thought to be disenchanted with life at Juventus, who went out of the Champions League this season and are struggling under coach Ciro Ferrara, whose future is in doubt.

With Joleon Lescott injured and Kolo Touré struggling for form, Mark Hughes had also hoped to sign a new central defender in the January window and had recommended a move for West Ham’s Matthew Upson, who is understood to be available for £12 million and would be keen to leave Upton Park.
That transfer is now likely to be shelved in favour of a move for Chiellini, one of the stalwarts of the Italian national team and greatly admired by Mancini. He is likely to cost closer to £20 million.
Mancini also wants to move for Maicon, the powerful Brazilian international right-back who he coached at Inter Milan and whose representatives have wanted to move to the Premier League for some time.
They tried to interest Chelsea last summer, with Inter wanting to do a deal involving Ricardo Carvalho and Deco moving to Italy in exchange, but this was vetoed by Carlo Ancelotti.
With Micah Richards struggling and Pablo Zabletta only regarded as cover, the right-back position is a problem for City. They may also look to improve the other flank, although Lescott, when fit, could move over if Mancini does not rate Wayne Bridge, who has struggled since his move from Chelsea. Again Maicon would command a significant transfer fee. (Telegraph)

Now that Mark Hughes has found himself without a job and Roberto Mancini tries to get comfy in the Manchester City hotseat the Eastlands outfit need to figure out a way to solve their leaky defence issue and with that in mind the Italian boss has been linked with, yes you guessed it, two Italian based defenders.

Maicon is a supremely talented full back who likes to get forward and could provide some helpful attacking impetus from the flanks and Giorgio Chiellini is a determined never-say-die type of centre back, both would suit Manchester City down to the ground but neither is likely to be allowed to just walk out of their respective clubs without a fight but then having a coveted boss like Mancini at the helm may work wonders.

As for the pair reportedly heading out the exit, Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott, their departures may well be on the cards but who will be leading the chase to sign either player? Bridge is a good player but a shadow of his former self and Lescott isn’t worth half of what was paid for him.

Roberto’s first job will be to fix the club’s defence and fix it quickly, the club has leaked more goals than bottom of the table Portsmouth and that is hardly becoming of a side looking to clinch a top four finish.

Slim wrote:I would love these two at City, however I am under the impression people think that just because we have an Italian manager that the doors are open and we can pick who we want like we're at K-Mart.

Mark Hughes had also hoped to sign a new central defender in the January window and had recommended a move for West Ham’s Matthew Upson, who is understood to be available for £12 million and would be keen to leave Upton Park.

That transfer is now likely to be shelved

CityFanFromRome wrote:Would love them both but they won't come. Not now, maybe in the summer. Anyway, I just wanted to point out how Maicon is not the soundest right back defensively, so even with him that might remain a bit of a problem. But at least he would be ten times more dangerous than Micah going forward. As for Chiellini, he's the only one constantly good in a Juve defence in shambles (well, apart Buffon). No wonder he doesn't look always that good, as he is left exposed time and time again by his defence companions.

Twobob wrote:Sounds brilliant but this is the bit that I hope holds water ... .

Mark Hughes had also hoped to sign a new central defender in the January window and had recommended a move for West Ham’s Matthew Upson, who is understood to be available for £12 million and would be keen to leave Upton Park.

That transfer is now likely to be shelved

Vhero wrote:

Twobob wrote:Sounds brilliant but this is the bit that I hope holds water ... .

Mark Hughes had also hoped to sign a new central defender in the January window and had recommended a move for West Ham’s Matthew Upson, who is understood to be available for £12 million and would be keen to leave Upton Park.

That transfer is now likely to be shelved

Me too mate this is the main differnce I hop our change in manager brings. Instead of looking closer to home and paying stupid prices for prem proven we should pay real prices for players and build a team. Enough players on here say we need time yet argued the fact Hughes was right to pay over the odds for prem proven even though most the best prem proven ain't going anywhere.