Manchester City Plan £33m Swap Deal: Hughes Wants Puyol or Abidal
by Christian Bailey on October 14th, 2009 12 commentsMark Hughes looks to balance attack heavy squad by bringing in experienced defenders in potential swap deal.
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The Manchester City hierarchy are holding talks in Abu Dhabi this week in a rare face-to-face management meeting as the club hone their ambitious plans on and off the pitch.
Mark Hughes, the City manager, Garry Cook, the chief executive, Brian Marwood, the football administrator, and other senior staff flew to the Gulf state to meet Sheikh Mansour, the club’s billionaire owner, and Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, for a series of wide-ranging discussions.
They are understood to include talks about the club’s expanding commercial operations both domestically and abroad as well as tentative discussions about the January transfer budget and arrangements for City’s friendly against United Arab Emirates at the Zayed Stadium on November 12.
Having committed £140 million on new players last summer, City are not expected to do wholesale business again in January, but money will be provided if a world-class talent, or two, that Hughes believes will improve his squad, become available.
Reports in Spain yesterday that City have agreed to sell Robinho to Barcelona for £33 million on a 4½-year deal are thought to be wide of the mark, but while Hughes is in no rush to offload the Brazil forward, he would countenance the player’s sale in January if it paved the way for him to move for Carles Puyol or Éric Abidal, the Barcelona defenders. (Times Online)
This does appear to make a lot of sense. Mark Hughes’ squad is definitely top heavy and whilst he has brought in the likes of Kolo Toure, excellent, and Joleon Lescott, overrated and overpriced, Man City could well do with an injection of class and experience at the back so the idea to seal a deal that would see Robinho leave and the likes of Carles Puyol and/or Eric Abidal coming to Eastlands would go someway to restoring some balance in the side.
Clearly neither Barca man are worthy anywhere near as much as the Brazilian striker and in fact Puyol could be picked up for free in the summer, so the lions share of any deal would be made up in cash going straight into the already overflowing Blues coffers.
Robinho has been a success at Man City, albeit with occasional patches of indifferent displays the former Real Madrid man has still shown enough to edge the new recruits that arrived this summer but it appears the may crave a return to La Liga and its a sale that Hughes can afford to make given the successful start his new additions have made, as well as the resurgence shown by Craig Bellamy.
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anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Pure fantasy Mr. Bailey, pure fantasy. Why don’t you spread lies about some other player?
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 11:09 am
To anonymous above.
The lies, as you so put it, are from the Times, as displayed and source. Mr Bailey is merely discussing the issue, that’s the whole point. If you have a problem with the story itself I guess you should be calling The Times writers liars.
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 11:39 am
I think a lot of people are forgetting that Craig Bellamy has had a long history of injuries, so to sell Robinho and rely on Bellamy could be leaving ourselves a bit short. We need all the attacking players that we already have. I think Bellamy is playing out of his skin at the moment and hope he can go the whole season without injuries, but I can’t see that happening!
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 11:52 am
It is actually fair enough to report on this. I don’t think robby wants to leave and i don’t think we want to sell – especially to bring in players well past their best and with no premier league experience (that would definitely be changing Hughes policy – think RSC, Adebayor, Barry, Tevez, Toure and Lescott for example from the summer). Plus robby is still the symbol of the takeover and unless we could replace like for like with another glamour signing then i would suggest this won’t happen.
However, it is nice (for once) for a reporter to suggest that Robby has actually been a success at City ( i would agree).
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
The Times used to be a quality paper, but that went out the window when Rupert M. took over. Now they print the same garbage as the red tops.
We have all seen hundreds of similar stories of which 2 – 3 % turn out to have some substance. I see no point i having these “discussions” until we have some kind of statement from the club, and so far City are saying that Robi is staying. Thats good enough 4 me.
That said, getiing rid of Robi because we have Bellamy is so stupid i beggars belief.
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I think the person that thought the left a comment wirth insight about C. Bellamy being injury prown has forgotten 2 major factors that make that point unimportant. First & most importnatly is that Robinho doesnt want to play for City, never did just figured he’d take the pay day since Chelsea were stalking. His behavior at City has always been with the attitude that he’s bigger than the club.(Ex he would have never pulled that fly home crap while still at REAL, and his injury now isnt this serious he just doesn want to play. Second point Mark Hughes works well with smaller named players. Egos arent what he’s use to or good at handling thats why Adi seems to have gone off the rales, him Elano never got along and why all these huge names that some CITY fans want would make any sense. Play players who want to play like Martin Petrov and build the club into a powerhouse. You can buy players but you cant buy clubs respect.
RaNE - October 14th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
thats a good comment above
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
So “Robinho doesnt want to play for City”. You know this how?? Have you spoken with him? And if Hughes can’t handle the big names, he is not the right manager for New City. Small time players never make a big time team.
Neither does small time managers. I think Hughes is big enough to handle both a big team and the big stars that comes with the territory.
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
if u go on robbie’s own website he has contiually stated that wants to remain at city. As he him self see’s us as being the major force within the world of football within his contract also the club have never stated anything but the fact they intend to keep him at city (we don’t need the sale funds). So all press talk about him leaving is just rubbish and should be treated as such as for the guy above stating that his injury ain’t that bad then check again he had fractured bone in the ankle which has know mended and he has now started intense traing sessions .also he did do the flyin home crap with real that’s one of the reasons the coach fell out with him so obvisly uk as full of crap as most the papers are
...samlfc.... - October 14th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
As a Liverpool fan i can say that i hope Robinho DOESN’T leave Man city becuase i love watching him play as he is a fantastic player……selling Robinho would be very bad for man city as Robinho is still relatively young and bellamy is on fire but it won’t be long till he will go back out of form…so my Advice for city is to keep Robinho
Also just cuz Man city have money doesn’t mean they don’t have a good history as they have better much history than Chelsea.
anonymous - October 14th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
have to agree with the Liverpool fan above spot on with ur comments thought it was a shame u lot let alonso go think u will miss him big time if u had kept him I would of put my money on getting the league title this year
...samlfc.... - October 14th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Yeah but i guess we must move on………If i’m honist i always had a soft spot for Man city as my Dad supports them Ha!
Plus you are the better half of Manchester.
Anyways i better go back to the Liverpool blog
Bye city fans