Roberto Mancini set for Manchester City clear-out
IT IS NOT the manager who needs to worry about his future this summer, but nearly half of the Manchester City squad.
By: Richard Tanner
Published: Sat, February 23, 2013
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini
After relatively subdued activity over the past three transfer windows – by their own big-spending standards at least – Roberto Mancini and City are planning a major shake-up at the end of the season.
Many of those who helped them to end more than three decades without major trophies, by winning the FA Cup and Premier League in back-to-back seasons, will be leaving.
Mancini, assured his job is safe by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has had a series of meetings with his chief executive Ferran Sorriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain to discuss the squad and transfer strategy. And the view is that City, if not exactly going backwards, have been treading water this season and need to raise their level.
So the title-winning squad is to be dismantled in order to slash the annual wage bill by about £50million and make way for new signings to help the club make a Champions League impact and recapture the Premier League title if, as seems likely, it ends up across town at Manchester United.
In a thinly-veiled swipe at his old nemesis Brian Marwood Mancini said: “It’s important to realise we have made some mistakes.
“I have made some mistakes and the players have made some mistakes. But the first reason is because we didn’t do what we should have done in the summer transfer market – we worked really badly in the market.”
Mario Balotelli has gone, while Kolo Toure confirmed this week he will be on his way when his contract runs out. But that is just the start.
Carlos Tevez wants to return to Argentina
I have made some mistakes and the players have made some mistakes. But the first reason is because we didn’t do what we should have done in the summer transfer market
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini
Virtually a whole team is set to depart as City move in on targets such as Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, Isco of Malaga and Borussia Dortmund striker Marco Reus.
Mancini does not want a repeat of last summer when he missed out on Robin van Persie, Eden Hazard and Javi Martinez. And leading the exodus will be Argentine Carlos Tevez who, with only a year left on his deal and no talks planned over a new one, City are looking to sell in order to avoid him leaving as a free agent in 2014.
Tevez, now 29, has made no secret he would love to return home and finish his career with Boca Juniors. Joleon Lescott and Gareth Barry are in the same situation. As with Tevez, they signed five-year contracts in 2009 and with only a season left on those deals, City are looking to cash in on the players a year before they run out.
Lescott, 30, is no longer a regular after losing his place alongside Vincent Kompany to Serbian Matija Nastasic this season.
Barry has been a regular in midfield for four seasons but will be 32 today and City want to introduce younger legs.
Edin Dzeko’s goalscoring record since his £27m move from Wolfsburg – 38 in 99 appearances – is decent, but his lack of pace and precision means Mancini is not convinced he is anything more than a useful substitute. And that does not suit Dzeko, who might well want to return to Germany.
Edin Dzeko could return to Germany
Samir Nasri, another big-money signing, has been the biggest disappointment of all, struggling to make any real impact since a stunning debut when he made four goals in the 5-1 victory at Tottenham. Paris Saint-Germain or Monaco, if they are promoted back into France’s top flight, could be his next destination, both clubs having the money to pay the transfer fee and meet his wage demands.
Other players on the proposed exit list are Aleksandar Kolarov, who plays second fiddle to French left-back Gael Clichy, and two controversial signings, Brazilian wing-back Maicon and Scott Sinclair, made almost in panic on the eve of the transfer deadline in August.
Two Mark Hughes failures, striker Roque Santa Cruz and full-back Wayne Bridge, who have been loaned to Malaga and Brighton respectively, will finally be off the club’s eye-watering wage bill this summer when their contracts run out. Third-choice keeper Richard Wright will not be offered an extension to his one-year contract while defender Dedryck Boyata and striker John Guidetti are likely to be moved on.
Even the club’s longest-serving player, Micah Richards, is not safe, having spent most of the season on the injured list.
“It is important that we work well and quickly in February, March and April because there are good players we can buy early in the summer without having to wait till August,” said Mancini. So the Italian is clearly planning for next year already. ‘We need to work quickly as there are good players to buy in the summer’