Friday's '4 major signings' B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Mancini reveals City's plan to launch huge Torres bid

Liverpool striker is singled out in extraordinary admission that club will target four major summer signings
Roberto Mancini served notice yesterday that Manchester City have the spending power to succeed where others may fail in attempting to prise Fernando Torres away from Liverpool.
City had indications as far back as last autumn that securing the 26-year-old's services might be possible if Liverpool's season did not improve and Mancini acknowledged for the first time his desire to sign him yesterday, outlining a need to spend on "three or four" major stars this summer rather than "normal" players, as he put it. With Tottenham favourites to clinch the fourth Champions League spot, the Italian also outlined what appeared to be a provisional pitch to prospective players put off by the prospect of Europa League football next season: that the Premier League is a title City can realistically expect to win next season and a bigger priority to them than the far more remote prospect of actually winning the Champions League.
Liverpool's dire display as they lost 1-0 to Torres' old club Atletico Madrid last night was not an encouraging sign for the future, though it does place Rafael Benitez's side in a strong position to reach next month's final. Fulham also have grounds for optimism after a goalless draw in Hamburg. "Torres is happy with us. Now he has to get back to full fitness," Benitez said in response to Mancini last night. "I'm confident he will stay with us and score lots of goals."

Though Mancini accepts that it will be "difficult" to talk Torres into joining City if they are playing Europa League football next season, he acknowledged it was an advantage that City had money. "Probably," Mancini said. "I think we must buy a top player. We must make sure we don't spend too much on normal [average] players but if there is the possibility to spend the money on top players, young players who can help us build a future, I think it is OK [to spend big]. I don't like to waste money because I have respect for the club and the owners but if we need a player [we will spend.] Fernando is a fantastic striker and I think all the top teams in Europe are interested in him."

For the City manager to be openly discussing the player is extraordinary and, similar to his predecessor Mark Hughes declaring his appreciation of Carlos Tevez and John Terry as part of the quest to sign them both last season, it was an open message to the 26-year-old, currently recovering from knee surgery which has ended his domestic season, that City are prepared to go to great lengths to sign a player likely to cost at least £60m.

"For me, he [Torres] is with Carlos [Tevez], [Wayne] Rooney, [Lionel] Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, the best in Europe."

While the initial proclamation that Torres was a City target, made 18 months ago by Sulaiman al-Fahim, who was briefly the front man for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, seemed far-fetched, City's elevation above Liverpool has changed everything. While Torres has sought to apply pressure on his club's owners to spend on "two or three more players", as he put it three weeks ago, Mancini was able to declare with confidence yesterday that City will seek to buy possibly four significant names this summer.

"If we want to win the Premier League ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United I think we must sign some important players," he said. "Every year the club has improved and we want to do the same again. Sometimes you don't have to buy 15 players and you can buy three or four important players."

Mancini said Benfica's Angel di Maria has caught his eye and City are also eager to have a deal agreed to sign the 21-year-old German phenomenon Mesut Ozil before the World Cup finals as competition heats up in English football for the player considered to be one of the major catches of the summer transfer window. City are understood to have had preliminary talks with Werder Bremen about the German national of Turkish descent who they regard as the ideal player to fill their left-sided role next season, with Martin Petrov and Craig Bellamy likely to leave.

The concern for City will be that Torres does not use them as a way of drawing a better offer from elsewhere in Europe. A host of other clubs – including both Barcelona and Inter – are likely to be interested if Torres is ready to move.

The Torres situation is rendered more fluid by the uncertainty surrounding Rafael Benitez's future, while Mancini's future seems more secure. New details emerged yesterday of the lengths that Benitez's agent Manuel Garcia Quillon has gone to, to have a detailed agreement in place with Juventus should he or Liverpool decide his future lies elsewhere this summer and these add to the insecurity the player will feel, though Mancini feels that could work for or against his club. "I think if Benitez goes to Juventus, Benitez will get one, two or three players of his own," he said. City are close to completing an £11m deal to bring the Hamburg defender Jerome Boateng to the club.

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Manager Rafael Benitez intends to take striker Fernando Torres with him to Juventus if he opts to leave Liverpool and take charge of the Italian club. the Sun

But Benitez says Torres, who is 12 months into a four-year contract at Anfield, is not for sale.The Times

Juventus are hoping to lure Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna to the Stadio delle Alpi if the Gunners sign Ajax defender Gregory Van der Wiel. Daily Mail

The Italians are also considering using goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Felipe Melo to lure Robin van Persie to Turin. Daily Mirror

Meanwhile, the Gunners have joined a growing list of Premier League clubs interested in the signature of Everton teenager Jack Rodwell. However, the Merseyside club are set to increase the midfielder's wages to ensure he stays at Goodison Park. The Times

Brazil striker Fabiano has hinted Manchester United would be his destination of choice if he leaves Sevilla in the summer. Daily Express

West Brom are preparing a move for out-of-favour Stoke striker Tuncay, but will face competition from Fenerbahce. Daily Star

Manchester United want to beat local rivals Manchester City to the signing of teenage Nigerian midfielder Ramon Azeez. Daily Mail

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has warned fans it will be difficult to recruit big names to St James' Park in the summer. Daily Mirror

Blackburn striker Jason Roberts is seeking to clarify his future at Ewood Park as boss Sam Allardyce targets a move for Lech Poznan striker Robert Lewandowski.Daily Mirror

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is eyeing a move for Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd after long-term target Roman Pavlyuchenko rediscovered his form at Tottenham.Daily Mail

OTHER BOLLOX
Everton manager David Moyes has rejected speculation that he may be in line to take over from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot retires. Daily Record

Tottenham and England winger Aaron Lennon could be set to return from a four-month injury lay-off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. Daily Mirror

England boss Fabio Capello is desperate to take Tottenham's Ledley King to the World Cup despite the defender's recurrent injury problems. Daily Mirror

Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies will quit the City Ground and take up the reins at Celtic if his Championship side fail to win promotion to the Premier League. Daily Mirror

France legend Zinedine Zidane will be the star signing in this year's Soccer Aid football match on 6 June at Old Trafford. The former Real Madrid star will be among a group of stars playing for the Rest of the World team against a team of celebrities. the Sun

[Ted Hughes]

Prefer it if we don't talk about stuff like this. Perhaps we see the Lescott situation as a success because it worked rather than a pr mess & we're just going to behave like that in the future.

If that's the case, we may as well go the whole hog & put a public bid in for Arteta just to piss Gollum off.

[mcfc1632]

...just bidding to piss Gollum off - now i like that idea