OFFICIAL BOLLOX ROUND UP
With a fair proportion of City’s squad returning from their summer break tomorrow, speculation surrounding several of Roberto Mancini’s squad has resumed where it left off last May.
Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham continue to be linked with Micah Richards with Martin Hardy in the News of the World claiming Spurs will lodge a bid for “forgotten man” Micah Richards.
“Redknapp feels Richards can recapture the form that saw the defender burst on the international scene when he was just 18,” writes Hardy.
He continues: “The Spurs boss likes his versatility and City could be tempted with a bid of £7m.”
The Daily Star on Sunday believes Nedum Onuoha is wanted by both Sunderland and Everton with the Toffees themselves allegedly braced for a bid in return from the Blues for their talismanic midfielder Mikel Arteta – a story which appears in both the News of the World and Sunday Mirror.
In the latter, Simon Mullock writes: “Last year David Moyes blamed Everton’s poor start on Joleon Lescott’s protracted departure. Moyes rates Arteta as an even more important player and it will take a bid in excess of £25m to take the former Real Sociedad and Rangers playmaker away from Goodison.”
The NoTW’s Neil Ashton has a different take on the story. He writes: “Manchester City have thrown Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha and Michael Johnson into the package as part of a plan to sign Arteta.”
Ashton adds: “All three have been offered in a swap deal to tempt Moyes to sell his star asset.”
CITY BOLLOX
TOURE IS PREMIER LEAGUE'S HIGHEST-PAID PLAYER
MONEY-MAD Manchester City are to make Barcelona reject Yaya Toure the highest-paid player in Premier League history by handing him a phenomenal five-year deal worth a minimum £55.6MILLION.
Toure will become the first footballer in England to smash the £200,000-a-week wage barrier.
And today we lift the lid on the craziest contract in English football - signed off by City chief executive Garry Cook.
The staggering sums will astonish fans already fed up with over-paid stars failing to justify their super-sized salaries.
Ivory Coast midfielder Toure - who played just 16 games for the Spanish champions last season - will receive a guaranteed £4.1million a year basic salary AFTER tax.
On top of that he will get an image rights payment of £1.65m a year (with a profit-share on his shirt sales) PLUS an £823,000 bonus each time City qualify for the Champions League PLUS a £412,000 bonus for winning Europe's top competition PLUS additional bonuses for winning the Premier League and FA Cup - all tax-free.
It means City will pay him a basic salary this season of a whopping £185,000 a week before tax.
Incredible
That figure will rise to an incredible £221,000 a week next April when the Government's new 50 per cent tax bracket comes into force - dwarfing the wages of England stars Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and John Terry.
It also means City will have to fork out a basic £55.6m in wages over the five years - with that figure set to soar if Roberto Mancini's team are successful.
That is on top of the £24m transfer fee - making the total deal a minimum £79.6MILLION.
Toure - younger brother of City defender Kolo - passed his medical in Manchester last Monday after the transfer had been ratified by incoming Barca president Sandro Rossell, and the move was completed on Friday.
Toure, 27, has joined a squad full of inflated salaries as City go in search of the silverware to justify billionaire Arab owner Sheikh Mansour's remarkable outlay.
"This is a dream come true," said Toure.
"I have always wanted to play for the same club as my brother and I am so happy that it has finally happened.
"It's great for our family.
"Kolo told me that it's an amazing time for the club and a very exciting project.
"I love the Premier League and I watch it all the time.
"City did very well to finish fifth last season but I hope we can improve on that by qualifying for the Champions League.
"This is a big club and that has to be our first objective and then we have to look at winning championships as well."
City have also signed David Silva from Valencia for £24m and £11m Hamburg defender Jerome, and are still aiming to complete a £25m deal to buy England midfielder James Milner from Aston Villa.
But it is the details of Toure's mega-contract which will send shockwaves through football.
After lengthy talks with Barcelona and Toure's agent Dimitri Seluk at the end of the season, Cook finally made his offer in the week before the start of the World Cup.
City's in-house lawyer Simon Cliff, appointed from Shearman and Sterling in April 2009 and previously a consultant for Sheikh Mansour, helped mastermind the extraordinary deal.
History
Toure made just 13 starts for Barcelona in all competitions last season after losing his place to Spanish World Cup star Sergi Busquets and completed 90 minutes just nine times.
But now he will become the highest-paid player in the history of the Premier League.
Toure will earn a basic £5.75m a year AFTER tax, meaning he will take home £110,500 a week.
A trifle excessive perhaps for a player who has never played a full league season for any of his previous clubs.
And a trifle excessive perhaps for a Barca substitute who manager Pep Guardiola told was surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp.
Granted, Toure was outstanding in Barca's 2009 Champions League final victory over Manchester United in Rome.
But, incredibly, City believe his arrival suddenly turns them into major players and are convinced fans will all soon be wearing City shirts emblazoned with Toure's name on the back.
And, despite having four defensive midfielders on the books in Gareth Barry, Vincent Kompany, Nigel de Jong and Patrick Vieira, City still felt the need for a fifth.
figures went through the roof just as Seluk was threatening to pull the plug on the entire deal.
Cook held several meetings in Barcelona with Seluk, along with football administrator Brian Marwood and various other City officials.
During City's amazing bid for Toure, they also offered to use their considerable "muscle" with sportwear manufacturers Nike and Umbro to get the midfielder a better boot deal.
Italian coach Mancini now has to somehow shoe-horn Toure into City's bulging team.
And Mancini has been left in no doubt by Cook they want Premier League title glory this season.
RICHARDS STILL ON REDKNAPP'S RADAR
TOTTENHAM boss Harry Redknapp will look to make it a double swoop for England outcasts.
Redknapp has already held talks with Joe Cole in a bid to usurp Arsenal's interest in the midfielder, who was a bit-part player in the World Cup.
And he has made a fresh enquiry for Manchester Citys forgotten man Micah Richards.
Redknapp still feels Richards can remerge as the player who burst onto the international scene when he was just 18.
The Spurs boss likes the 22-year-old's versatility and City, who are chasing full-backs Aleksander Kolarov and Gregory van der Wiel, could be tempted to sell at around £7million.
Harry Redknapp also targets Craig Bellamy for Spurs Tottenham want £7million-rated Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy, whose Eastlands future has been thrown in doubt by Roberto Mancini's summer spending spree.
Manager Harry Redknapp has been asked to be kept informed about Bellamy's situation following the £24m arrival of Spanish World Cup player David Silva at City.
Bellamy is likely to head a list of Eastlands departures that will include Stephen Ireland, Nigel de Jong and Roque Santa Cruz.
Besides Bellamy, Redknapp is also looking at Brazil's Roma striker Julio Baptista.
And midfielder Stephen Ireland could also be on his way out at City, with neighbours Manchester United keen to take him. Sunday Mirror
But midfielder Vladimir Weiss wants to fight for his future at Eastlands rather than join Newcastle. Sunday Mirror
Meanwhile, City boss Mancini has targeted Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta as an alternative to Aston Villa's James Milner. Sunday Mirror
Mancini may even offer Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha and Michael Johnson in exchange for Arteta. News of the World
WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.boxofficefootball.com/wag-of ... ielle-bux/
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Aston Villa winger Ashley Young is top of new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson's transfer wish-list as he tries to add British players to his squad. Mail on Sunday
Hodgson is also keen on Lille's Ivory Coast international winger Gervinho as a replacement for Yossi Benayoun. Sunday Mirror
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor is another on Hodgson's wanted list. Sunday Mirror
Manchester United will need to stump up £30m to prise Brazil striker Luis Fabiano away from Sevilla. Sunday Mirror
United are set to splash out £15m to sign Bolton defender Gary Cahill. News of the World
Chelsea are back in the race to sign £20m-rated Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero. Mail on Sunday
Chelsea have also made an enquiry about Benfica's Brazilian midfielder Ramires. News of the World
Tottenham will move for Ajax forward Luis Suarez if they fail to land his Uruguayan strike partner Diego Forlan of Atletico Madrid. Sunday Mirror
West Ham have not given up hope of signing Brazilian playmaker Neymar from Santos and may increase their offer for the wonderkid to £12m. Sunday Express
The Hammers also seem set to capture Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell, who will reject Fulham to join them. (News of the World)
Birmingham are considering making a bid for South Africa striker Katlego Mphela, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in his home country. (Sunday Times)
OTHER BOLLOX
England boss Fabio Capello has promised FA chiefs he will axe his biggest stars if they do not show an immediate improvement following the disastrous World Cup campaign. John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Steven Gerrard are all on a final warning. News of the World
Former Charlton and West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is expected to hold talks with Fulham with a view to filling the club's vacant managerial position. Sunday Mirror
But the players' favourite for the job is former Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola. Sunday Express
England midfielder Joe Cole says Fabio Capello's side weren't good enough in the World Cup and suffered from a loss of technique. Mail on Sunday
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will instruct Wayne Rooney to rest after England's World Cup disaster and will not take him on the club's US tour. Sunday Mirror
An unnamed England star says the players were worn out by Fabio Capello's training session before the last-16 World Cup match with Germany but admits the team underperformed.Sunday Mirror
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