City transfer talk: 12 August – Milner, Balotelli, Ireland, Bellamy, Caicedo all in talks!

With the international friendlies over, it’s back to transfer dealings in what looks like being a busy 48 hours before the season opener against Tottenham.

According to the Birmingham Mail, James Milner was all set to drive up to Manchester last night, until Villa told him otherwise. A hitch regarding Stephen Ireland’s move to Villa was cited as the reason.

Mixed reports on Ireland’s whereabouts today with some claiming he’s talking to Villa and others that he’s having a medical with them. The majority put a hold-up down to his people negotiating a pay-off from City. The Mirror on the other hand claim Spurs have now declared an interest in signing the Irishman and he’d like to talk to them.

Given that Harry Redknapp is looking to make a big money bid for Ashley Young and also needs defensive cover, a move for Ireland is surprising. Surely Harry wouldn’t be trying to hold up the Milner transfer before we play Spurs on Saturday. Would he?

Mario Balotelli celebrates his 20th birthday today and Corriere dello Sport reckon he could be getting a City shirt as a present after Inter reduced their asking price from 30 million to 28 million euros. His agent Mino Raiola has been busy and the deal is close to conclusion with Inter in a hurry to spend the proceeds on a replacement.

It would be teriffic to see the Milner and Balotelli deals finally concluded, but they would barely have time to be introduced to their new teammates before Saturday’s game. A place on the bench is the best either could expect.

Sky report that Felipe Caicedo is set for talks with West Ham about a loan move with a view to a permanent transfer. Caicedo has been our forgotten striker of late and it would be good to see him fixed up.

Former City youth teamer, Neil Lennon has been quick to state Celtic’s interest in taking Craig Bellamy on loan. He claims Celtic are in talks with City and Craig. Following Bellamy’s comments prior to the Wales game and his omission from the initial Europa League squad, this could be a happy solution for City.

Selling him to our rivals in the form of Spurs would obviously be a risk. Unlike Onuoha or Caicedo, the main concern would be whether his transfer value might diminish during a loan period as injuries and age catch up with him.

One other point concerns the Europa League squad for the play-off round. David Silva has been omitted whilst he builds up his match fitness. However the Manchester Evening News report that only one change can be made to this squad for the next stage. As a consequence both Milner and Silva couldn’t be entered. Balotelli would be ok as he’s under 21.

  • What do you make of this likely flurry of activity?
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Comments

  1. City fans have gone paranoid. You don’t have any sympathy for a player like Bellamy who has been unjustfully being bullied upon, despite he performed his socks out. His crime is that he isn’t a marquee signing. He was good enough to play instead of Robinho. Well Mancini, got his way and his own players, now watch out where city finishes. at the end of the day, city is becoming a asylum centre for all the badboys from other clubs. First, it was robinho, lescott, barry, tevez, adebayor, now balletolli. Dunne is way better than toure or lescot or, ireland was a former player of the year. he was mad enough to say no to a move to united earlier. now he might be regretting it.

  2. Clive of Racing Horse Tips
    12 August 2010 - 12:46 pm

    Spurs wouldn’t be holding up a Milner signing, he wouldn’t play or make a difference without having even trained with his new team mates.

    Harry has stated that Ireland will be too expensive so I would expect the hold up is with Ireland himself.

    As for Bellamy, well clearly he wants to come to us and we want him, but as neither will be in your 25 for the league they have little transfer value especially in the case of Bellamy given his age. He would have no sell on value so you you don’t pay big money for 3 years football.

    It looks as if you won’t let us have Richards which is a shame, he’d do very well for us and get back in the England set up.

    Be happy to see you finish in the top 4, one below us! Time Arsenal came 5th.

  3. I dont think that one change will affect us, as we only put a squad of 23, so obviously Mancini has allowed room for Silva and Milner. As for Nithin, most of your comments are just utter rubbish, Robinho still has been a better buy than Berbaflop over road. As for Bellars, I think the majority of city fans love Bellamy and want him to be part of the team, but I feel Mancini is looking to the future, with Viera as the minder over them all. All the signings we are making are for players who we will get good value for and if we have to sell they should still command a decent re sale value. I agree about Dunne, but my biggest gripe with that is what we always do and sell too cheaply. We need to be stronger in the market. To me we should have commanded fee for both Onouha and Caceido instead of this stupid loaning as they obviously are not part of the plans.

  4. bluemanccitizen
    12 August 2010 - 1:05 pm

    It is sad to see bellers treated the way he is because he wore the city shirt and fought tooth and nail for our cause, a lot of the other players have been treated badly too.
    I dont understand why we have to sell ireland, bellamy and onuha when we have others that could go like lescott, robiniho, viera and jo. i would field fighters over lazy players or ones who dont want to play for us everytime.

  5. As a spurs fan, I wish you good luck for the season, so long as it doesn’t negatively impact on us (unlikely). I am not a fan of how you are going about it but having someone else win the title is never a bad thing.

  6. Another Spurs fan here with a message for Bellamy: come to us: we will love and cherish you… That stuff about Harry delaying Milner signing is patent rubbish — not only would he be signed too late for sat now anyway, he played for England yesterday, so would never start. Plus I think he is massively overrated. If Bellamy is being kept away from us because Mancini doesn’t want to strengthen a rival team, that will backfire on him massively. Just let him come down to WHL, although he’ll have to conform to our wage structure, which might not make him happy. Although if he has no prospect of playing anything otherr than reserve team stuff until January…

    I, too, would rather see City win the Premiership than Ar5ena1, obviously, as well as the usual suspects Man U and Chelsea. With us as runners-up this time..

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