It all could have been so different?

[Read the rest of this entry »]

The all new rumour reporting article system is in full effect! [Read the rest of this entry »]

Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Inter Milan have all made moves for the remaining member of Barcelona’s “wantaway trio”. Ronaldinho has gone to Milan, Deco to Chelsea, leaving only one player…

Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o has expressed his desire to leave Camp Nou this summer and his wishes moved closer to coming true as new Barca manager Pep Guardiola said he could go, along with Ronaldinho and Deco.

Now the striker has revealed to Corriere dello Sport that three clubs have made a move for his services, naming two Premiership clubs and the Italian champions:

“I have a few important offers. Which ones? Chelsea, Tottenham and Inter.”

Whether the clubs will actually make a move or not is still in debate. Tottenham assistant manager Gus Poyet recently said they would not bring Eto’o to White Hart Lane, while new Inter manager Jose Mourinho has stated he is targetting a midfielder over a striker.

This only leaves Chelsea as a realistic destination. With questions over Drogba’s future, would Stamford Bridge be a reasonble destination for Eto’o?

We’re sure that many Eastlands season-ticket holders will have been glad to see Ronaldinho and his entourage choose Milan over Manchester this week. It was clear from the start that this was a player that Thaksin Shinawatra wanted to bring in, and not necessarily the choice of Mark Hughes, who was appointed after the initial interest was declared by the City owner.

While the Daily Mail report that the Welshman sounds disappointed not to have landed the former world player of the year, surely there’s a part of him that’s relieved at not having to contend with a footballer who is rumoured to lost a good deal of motivation to play football at the highest level these days.

Hughes said: ‘I think we have shown a willingness to bring Ronaldinho here and should be complimented for that.

‘In the end though, it will be the player’s decision where he goes.’

To think, Manchester United wanted to sign Ronaldinho five seasons ago, before he opted for Barcelona. This was shortly after the Brazilian had put paid to England’s 2002 World Cup hopes with that looping effort over David Seaman. However, the smart money is on the forward to have a minimal impact at the San Siro, and the failure of Man City to land him will surely be a blessing in disguise.

And who can blame him for wanting to avoid the endless Manchester rain, abating every other Thursday if you’re lucky. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The Independent reports that new Man City boss Mark Hughes reckons that he can get Ronaldinho’s mind away from bars and women and back to football. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Manchester City have officially had a 19 million pound offer accepted for CSKA Moscow’s Brazilian striker Jo. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Could this be a blessing in disguise for Mark Hughes? [Read the rest of this entry »]

AC Milan are in pole position to beat Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign a world-beating Brazillian star. [Read the rest of this entry »]

In the race to sign Arsenal’s Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor, AC Milan look to have admitted defeat, just a few days after AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani proclaimed that he was to be their only transfer target this summer: [Read the rest of this entry »]

The football world collectively sat up and rubbed their hands with glee today as three of the game’s biggest stars were told to pack up their belongings and leave the Camp Nou:

New Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Deco are surplus to requirements. [Sky Sports]

This is a huge decision for a club, whose very identity comes from its star players. As recently as August last year, Txiki Beguiristain (Barca’s Director of Football) said he was “totally convinced” he would reject any offer for Ronaldinho from Chelsea. Oh how the mighty have fallen. 10 months later and it has now been common knowledge for weeks that the great Brazilian is contemplating a move to Man City. Does he realise which Manchester team they are? They’re in blue Ronnie! And with a disturbing plausibility, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed the 7-time European Cup winners cannot compete with City financially:

“For now Italian football is ranked fourth in Europe behind England, Spain and Germany,” Galliani told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Unfortunately we can’t compete with the wages they offer.

“Manchester City, though, have offered the Brazilian 12million euros (£9.5million) a year. How can we compete? [Sky Sports]

Ronaldinho is gifted, lazy, egotistical and technically superb. But Mark Hughes would be playing a £180k lottery every week to see which characteristic he gets.

The rejuvenated Deco’s future looks to lie at Chelsea or Inter Milan, depending on which of his ‘like the father I never had’ previous coaches he wants to work with; Mourinho or Scolari. Would Chelsea fans be happy to see the 30-year-old at the Bridge? Does age matter with a craftsman like Deco?

At 27, Samuel Eto’o is the only departee who could realistically be viewed as a long-term signing. His talent has never been in doubt – 16 goals in 18 La Liga games is his ‘bad season’ this year – but he is a volatile character. Tottenham seem to be the only name consistently mentioned, and it would certainly be a good way to spend Dimitar Berbatov money. Should Damien Comolli get a knighthood for attracting players like Eto’o, Modric and Gio dos Santos to White Hart Lane?

The galáctico era is over at Barcelona. If Guardiola is willing to let three players of this calibre leave, we should be in for some captivating transfer activity at the Camp Nou this summer.

With Portugal star Deco (Art to his mates) set to sign for Chelsea at the end of the European Championships, the Barca midfielder has decided that he wants the gummy-toothed smile of his Brazilian club teammate at Stamford Bridge next season too, but would either of them be a success at Chelsea?… [Read the rest of this entry »]

Spurs have managed to reach the fixture publication date and still have Dimitar Berbatov on their books [Read the rest of this entry »]

If you believe everything you read, then Chelsea are going to play with 11 strikers come the start of the season. The latest player to be linked to Stamford Bridge is Cristiano Ronaldo. No, I don’t believe it either. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The Sun reckon that Chelsea could get their hands on Man City target Ronaldinho this summer, as the Stamford Bridge club plan the mother of all spending sprees. The press is chattering incessantly about who Big Phil is going to make a move for, and The Sun’s money is on the Gene Hackman-lookalike reeling in Ronaldinho. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Football fans across the country are being left slack-jawed at the news that buck-toothed Brazilian skillster Ronaldinho could be signing for Manchester City, after their owner Thaksin Shinawatra put him at the top of his wanted list.

Ronaldinho is edging closer to a £200,000-a-week deal at Manchester City with Barcelona giving the Brazilian the go-ahead to wrap up a move to Eastlands.

City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has made the former World Footballer of the Year his top target after installing Mark Hughes as manager following last week’s dismissal of Sven-Goran Eriksson. (Telegraph)

The question is though, will this be a good move for Ronaldinho? Obviously it will be very healthy for his bank balance, but Ronaldinho’s form has been heading downwards for months now, has he got the requisite fitness to make his mark on The Premier League or will he just fritter his career away like he has been threatening to do in Barcelona?

In a story normally reserved for the usual tabloid purveyors of transfer tripe and doggerel, The Times is reporting that Thaksin Shinawatra is set to double his efforts in his pursuit of Ronaldinho.

Mark Hughes has given his backing to Manchester City’s ambitious attempts to sign Ronaldinho, the Barcelona and Brazil playmaker, after being confirmed as the Barclays Premier League club’s new manager yesterday. (Times)

The idea of partnering soon-to-be-new-signing Jo with fellow Brazilian and all-round superstar Ronaldinho is definitely mouth-watering, but would the fizzy-haired Barca star be a success at Man City? It is no secret that many people at Barca were getting annoyed with Ronaldinho’s utter lack of form, fitness, drive, and effort – and it is surely a little telling that a big European club haven’t leapt in to buy him. Can Ronaldinho really handle the Premier League?

City fans must have thought they were in dreamland last season when Elano was curling free-kicks over opposition walls and into the back of the net. However, that would be nothing compared to the arrival of Ronaldinho, with the Daily Mail reporting that the former world player of the year could be turning out at Eastlands next season in a coup that will shock the footballing world.

The article claims that Manchester City will stump up a £200,000-a-week salary to bring the Brazilian forward to the club, thus making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

Manchester City will step up their ambitious plan to bring Ronaldinho to England when senior board members fly to his family home in Brazil at the weekend.

Sources here close to owner Thaksin Shinawatra revealed that members of City’s Thai board are expected to meet Ronaldinho face-to-face in Porto Alegre.

It’s clear that the Brazilian has fallen from grace at Barcelona and, while the prospect of Ronaldinho turning out for City may excite the fans, he still has plenty to prove in terms of fitness and commitment, even if he’s keen to move to Manchester. Still, signings don’t come any bigger than this and every Premier League spectator would surely love to see this player in action?

The answer is in the question folks, if Man City are serious about signing a big name, then they will have to show them the money. The Guardian, not normally a paper that engages in wild fantasies, claims that Sven and Thaksin have harnessed their combined brain power and come up wit the perfect signing – Diego Ribas da Cunha or just Diego to his mates.
It looks like Diego could be a good signing for Man City:

“The former Santos player – full name Diego Ribas da Cunha -has a contract with Werder Bremen until 2010 but is thought to be keen on a move to the Premier League.”

A move for Diego is surely a far more enticing prospect than recalcitrant party boy Ronaldinho…

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Forgive COS for sounding cynical (it’s in our blood), but the latest reports linking Ronaldinho with a move to Manchester City are surely a case of journalists making five when they put two and two together. The brother and agent of the Brazilian striker was seen at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday, yet The Times reports that Sven-Goran Eriksson isn’t expecting anything to come from it. A rumour that Roberto de Assis thought he was going to watch Manchester United instead is so far unconfirmed.

“It was the first time I had heard such a thing, so I really hope it is true,” said Eriksson. “We would be able to find a place in our team for him, I can guarantee that.

“I will phone the owners. It was a surprise, but if they want to package Ronaldinho for me I would accept him and be very happy.” Eriksson joked about signing another high-profile Brazilian, adding: “I would be happy to take Kaka at the same time!”

Sven, stop please. You’re killing us with your hilarious brand of humour. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see who the club acquire in the summer with Shinawatra’s millions available. It’s clear City have fallen short in the striking department this season and the Swedish manager will also be keen to pad out his squad to challenge for European places next season.

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