Soriano on Summer Transfers

[Marvin]

"The planning is done -- that's done during the season for the summer."

"We have some new players coming but the base of our team is the same. This is a team that is winning.

"We have only worked with Manuel for a year, we are sure next year will be even better. Winning is a great character builder. I think you will see some changes in the team but not massive."

No surprises there. He added that Lescott would leave

 

[cookster]

"The planning is done -- that's done during the season for the summer."

"We have some new players coming but the base of our team is the same. This is a team that is winning.

"We have only worked with Manuel for a year, we are sure next year will be even better. Winning is a great character builder. I think you will see some changes in the team but not massive."

No surprises there. He added that Lescott would leave

RAG

 

[jrb]

Bit more.

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano says the Premier League champions will not make radical changes to their squad this summer, but has promised some new faces.

City have been linked with Porto duo Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando, as well as Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna, who is out of contract this summer.

Soriano suggested the club do have targets lined up, although he expects manager Manuel Pellegrini, who made five new signings last summer, to retain the vast majority of the team who won the title this season.

"The planning is done -- that's done during the season for the summer," he told the Abu Dhabi Sports Channel. "We have some new players coming but the base of our team is the same. This is a team that is winning.

"We have only worked with Manuel for a year, we are sure next year will be even better. Winning is a great character builder. I think you will see some changes in the team but not massive."

City have several of their major players, including Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, signed to long-term contracts.

However, their planning could be affected by possible sanctions for breaching financial fair play, which might include a fine of up to 60 million euros and a restriction on the number of non-homegrown players they can name in their Champions League squad.

The former Barcelona administrator, though, confirmed that centre-back Joleon Lescott, one of the club's English contingent, will not be offered a new contract.

He added: "Joleon Lescott is finishing his contract and leaving us. He has been a key player for us in these years, not only for what he did this season but over the past few years."

 

[Mayor West]

"The planning is done -- that's done during the season for the summer."

"We have some new players coming but the base of our team is the same. This is a team that is winning.

"We have only worked with Manuel for a year, we are sure next year will be even better. Winning is a great character builder. I think you will see some changes in the team but not massive."

No surprises there. He added that Lescott would leave

RAG

He said NOT massive, so he's fine.

 

[cookster]

No surprises there. He added that Lescott would leave

RAG

He said NOT massive, so he's fine.

Still not happy ;)

 

[Blue Mist]

No surprises there. He added that Lescott would leave

RAG

He said NOT massive, so he's fine.

So to clear it up, he's not a RAG then ?

Just askin'

 

[Paladin]

I hope Dzeko is happy and stays. He has been instrumental in our final push this season.

 

[jrb]

Eliaquim Mangala?
Bacary Sagna?

Anymore, or would you say that's it?

Apart from the players we know are leaving, I can't see any of the main players leaving in shock moves.

 

[Bottomless_Sailor]

TBH I don't think the FFP sanctions will affect our summer plans in the way everyone enjoys speculating on.

The sanctions are for one season, so assuming we don't fail again it's not worth our while to alter this year's plans entirely. Going out of our way to retain mediocre HG players we would have got rid of, going out of our way to sign new HG players rather than continuing pursuits we've already laid groundwork for... if we did these things the sanctions would actually set us back much more than the one year.

That's assuming over a week's worth of negotiations with UEFA have proved utterly fruitless in any case.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Mangala
Fernando
Sagna


That'll be it imho, and that'd be good business.