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James Ducker Northern Football Correspondent
Published 1 minute ago
Extensive clearout to make space for signings
Manchester City are preparing to offload up to 12 players this summer as part of an extensive overhaul of their squad that could involve as many as six signings.
Although uncertainty surrounds the future of Roberto Mancini as City manager, the club are working on plans for next season with the aim of wresting the Barclays Premier League title back from Manchester United and mounting a sustained challenge in the Champions League after successive eliminations at the group stage.
City’s recruitment drive is being spearheaded by Txiki Begiristain, the director of football, who is determined to remodel the squad as he champions a move to a new 4-3-3 formation, and to extract better value from an annual wage bill that soared past the £200 million mark in the last financial year.
Kolo Touré and Wayne Bridge, the defenders, Roque Santa Cruz, the forward, and Richard Wright, the third-choice goalkeeper, will all leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of the season, and Joleon Lescott, the £5 million-rated England centre half who enters the final 12 months of his deal this summer, is also expected to depart.
In addition, City will seek a buyer for Edin Dzeko, who has been touted as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund should the Poland striker leave in the face of serious interest from United and Bayern Munich, and are understood to be open to offers for Aleksandar Kolarov, Maicon and Dedryck Boyata, the defenders, John Guidetti, the Sweden striker, Samir Nasri, the France midfielder, and Scott Sinclair, the winger who has barely figured since his £6.2 million move from Swansea City last summer.
Paris Saint-Germain could move for Nasri. Vincent Kompany, the City captain, and Sergio Agüero, the Argentina striker, are being monitored by Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, although it is thought that the club will resist any approaches for the pair.
Elsewhere, Gareth Barry and Carlos Tévez are likely to have to wait until the end of the season — when they will enter the final 12 months of their contracts — before City’s position over their futures becomes clear.
Barry, 32, is keen to stay, with the England midfielder’s excellent form this season strengthening his prospects of earning a new deal, although it remains to be seen whether his age counts against him and the club allow him to run down his contract or leave.
After his widely publicised problems last season, Tévez’s behaviour has been perfectly good this term, with City having to decide whether to award the Argentina striker a new contract with a view to keeping him or bolstering his transfer value, let him leave for a reduced fee this summer or allow him to see out his contract and become a free agent at the end of next season.
With the likes Dzeko, Nasri and Kolarov expected to fetch significant fees, City are optimistic that they will be able to achieve a relatively modest net spend by funding a large number of signings through sales, although they are unlikely to adopt the same approach as last summer when they were eager to offload players before bringing new ones in.
Mancini has already urged City’s hierarchy not to repeat that tactic by concluding their business swiftly, with Begiristain thought to share his belief that it is unrealistic to think a club can wait for players to leave before moving for leading targets. City are believed to be targeting two centre halves, two midfielders and one or two forwards. Edinson Cavani is one target, although PSG and Real are also keen on the Napoli and Uruguay striker.
Reports in America last night suggested that Sheikh Mansour, the City owner, is the front-runner to become the owner of a new Major League Soccer team in New York called New York City FC. An announcement could take place while City are in New York — which already has one MLS franchise in the New York Red Bulls — for a friendly against Chelsea on May 25.
Surplus to requirements
Dedryck Boyata Has spent most of past two seasons on loan
Wayne Bridge Out of contract in summer after spending past two seasons on loan
Edin Dzeko Does not fit in with the way City want to play next season
John Guidetti No realistic chance of regular first-team football
Aleksandar Kolarov Questions over his defensive capabilities
Joleon Lescott Has fallen out of favour with Roberto Mancini
Maicon Plagued by injury problems since joining City
Samir Nasri Concern that he is not realising his potential
Roque Santa Cruz Last played for City 2½ years ago
Scott Sinclair Has made just two league starts since signing from Swansea City
Kolo Touré Out of contract and is now 32
Richard Wright Out of contract and has never played for the first team
