Blaise Matuidi

[George Hannah]

Disagree, I think the way he presses the ball is exactly what pelligrini will be looking for

quite right, a top drawer all round midfielder - if he signs for us he'll be the best acquisition of the window - unless we also sign another one who is better ;-)

 

[BringBackSwales]

I'm left wondering about Yaya's recent enthusiasm for PSG in all this - an unpleasant summer surprise perhaps?

Yaya is going nowhere, try and stay away from the written media mate they make up all sorts of crap

 

[waspish]

I'm left wondering about Yaya's recent enthusiasm for PSG in all this - an unpleasant summer surprise perhaps?

Yaya is going nowhere, try and stay away from the written media mate they make up all sorts of crap

Correct YAYA will give us another great 2 seasons

 

[BlueDejong]

Manchester City are set to launch a late, cut-price bid to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi this week, Goal understands.

The France international, 26, is out of contract this summer and has demanded at least a doubling of his current £40k-a-week wages to pen a new deal at Le Parc des Princes.

The stand-off over Matuidi's new contract is one underlying reason behind PSG's pursuit of Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye - and with that £20 million switch close to completion, the French outfit are willing to consider offers for their defensive midfielder.

At this late stage in the window, the chances of concluding a deal are touch-and-go, but City boss Manuel Pellegrini sees the 26-year-old as an ideal addition to bolster his side's title charge in the second half of the season.

And rather than lose Matuidi for nothing at the end of the season, City believe that PSG would consider offers as low as £3m.

That would enable Pellegrini's side to offer hugely improved contract terms, with City prepared to pay Matuidi a £3.5m signing-on fee and £100k-a-week wages.

Pellegrini's keenness to add to his midfield options was underlined in Saturday's 4-2 FA Cup win over Championship outfit Watford, during which the Chilean was forced to push centre-half Michel Demichelis into a defensive midfield position.

City are currently second in the Premier League table, but have yet to add to their squad this month after spending more than £100m last summer.

Title rivals Chelsea, meanwhile, have already brought in Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah - the latter a straight swap for Juan Mata following his move to Manchester United - while Arsenal are desperately trying to conclude a deal to sign Schalke forward Julien Draxler having sent a delegation to Germany to negotiate a potential transfer.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2014/01/28/4575790/-

Story by Paul Clennam....

Come on, we need him !!

 

[ell]

If hes looking for 80k a week why would city offer him 100!?

Would make more sense if City offered him 60k

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

I'm left wondering about Yaya's recent enthusiasm for PSG in all this - an unpleasant summer surprise perhaps?

Yaya is going nowhere, try and stay away from the written media mate they make up all sorts of crap

Ya Ya's "enthusiasm" was expressed at the end of an interview in which he and the journo agreed he wasn't going anywhere, he would end his career at City and he hoped to win loads of silverware. He was then asked the "hypothetical question" whether, "if you did ever leave would you consider" PSG (presumably rather than a "big" club...) to which Ya Ya replied "Yes, sure, PSG...why not?" This was not a statement of intent, but an opinion that PSG are a genuinely "big club" who are a real threat to the usual suspects, rather than "little ol' citeh".

 

[Silva Service]

Brother of one of my colleagues (sit next to him in my office in Paris) handles a certain element of PSG training.

Says that there will certainly be no departures this winter AND that if Matuidi stays with his old agent (not Raiola) he will deffo stay at PSG.

Anything could happen if he changes to Raiola, but probably best not to have him (as he says that Raiola is there ALL THE TIME at the Camp des Loges (OK, he does represent Ibra, Matuidi & Maxwell, but we can't pretend he is best friends with Txiki & Ferran either).

There is no chance that he will stay with his old agent as that agent is suing Matuidi for 5 m € for breach of contract relating to his defection to Raiola.

Raiola is pushing for Matuidi to leave PSG as an extension to his current deal would lead to an increased claim for damages by the old agent who negotiated the original PSG deal.

Therefore, it seems certain that Matuidi will leave - it's just a matter of when.

We have been watching him since the contract dispute began on Oct 2013.

The imminent signing of Cabaye, the prospect of a £3 m fee this month rather than nothing in June and the rumours that we will offer him improved wages and a signing on fee of anything between £3m - £10m ( depending on who you believe) will more than offset any claim for compensation made by his old agent. He wins, Raiola wins and PSG get something now rather than nothing in summer.

All this makes me think this deal could happen this week but it will be close to the wire.

 

[dadnlad]

If hes looking for 80k a week why would city offer him 100!?

Would make more sense if City offered him 60k

cause it sounds better in the paper :)

 

[carlos tevez is a blue]

If hes looking for 80k a week why would city offer him 100!?

Would make more sense if City offered him 60k

That's cheap by our standards!

 

[razman]

If hes looking for 80k a week why would city offer him 100!?

Would make more sense if City offered him 60k

That's cheap by our standards!

cabaye being sold to PSG.... definitely gives him the push towards us

@Oddschanger 2h

Manchester City are the 6/4 favourites to sign Blaise Matuidi this week