Barcelona player Yaya Toure rules out a move to Premier League

Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League – even though he claims Manchester City and Arsenal want to sign him.

Toure, younger brother of City captain Kolo, said: “I have heard about interest from Manchester City and Arsenal but my future is at Barcelona.

“I have spoken to the directors at the club, I don’t want to leave and my only mission and is to stay and be a success at the club.”

source: Mirror Football

West Ham eye Joe Hart loan bid

West Ham are planning a summer swoop for Manchester City’s England Under-21 keeper Joe Hart.

The Hammers hope to leapfrog Birmingham and take Hart on loan next season as a replacement for Robert Green.

Green, 30, has indicated he is considering his Upton Park future and may want to leave at the end of this campaign.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan helped secure Hart’s current loan spell at his old club Birmingham and is now using his Eastlands contacts to take Hart to East London.

Read more: The Sun

Robinho sells up for good: £32.5m flop has no desire to return to Manchester City after loan spell in Brazil

Manchester City forward Robinho has cleared his house, sold his car, shipped his possessions back to Brazil and told his representatives to find him a new club.

Robinho is currently on loan at Santos in his home country and scored twice during a 6-3 defeat of Bragantino on Thursday.

City boss Roberto Mancini has said in recent weeks that he expects the 26-year-old to return to the club after the World Cup this summer, and senior figures at Eastlands have certainly been hoping that their £32.5million record signing will be back when his six-month loan runs out at the end of June.

Read more: Daily Mail

Centre back Alessandro Gaberini is beeing watched by Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is chasing Fiorentina centre back Alessandro Gamberini.

Mancini sent scouts to watch the Italian — who has been at the Florence club for five
seasons — in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Roma.

Voted Fiorentina’s player of the season in 2007/08, Alessandro Gamberini is a dependable defender capable of operating as a full-back but more often found in his favoured position of centre-half.

source: Dayli Mail  

Manchester City are still interested in Fernando Gago

City are likely to make a fresh move for Fernando Gago in the summer, the manager, Roberto Mancini, has confirmed. The club insisted it would have signed the 23-year-old defensive midfielder had Real Madrid not waited until the afternoon of transfer deadline day to lower their €25m (£22m) asking price.

“Gago is a good player for Real Madrid, a fantastic player and we may move for him again in the summer,” Mancini said yesterday. “There is a possibility to take him then.” Mancini said that because City felt Gago was overpriced, they tried to take the Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga from Parma; a move which collapsed due to work permit issues on Monday.

“We wanted Mariga and for me the situation is incredible because he has played in Europe for seven years,” said Mancini. “I don’t understand the decision, I don’t know why the application was refused but he has gone to Internazionale now so there is no possibility of a deal.”

City made just one permanent transfer in the January transfer window, the England Under-21 midfielder Adam Johnson, signed from Middlesbrough on a four-and-a-half-year contract. Mancini said that his display for Boro against City in the FA Cup last month convinced him to make a £7m offer. It was one Johnson, a graduate of the Middlesbrough academy that produced Stewart Downing, was unable to refuse.

Read more: The Guardian

Man City's £7m deal for McDonald Mariga felt through, but Inter Milan signed the 22-year-old

Inter Milan have signed Parma’s Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga after his £7m move to Manchester City collapsed when he was refused a UK work permit.

Mariga, who has 24 caps, met part of the UK criteria after playing in 75% of Kenya’s games in the last two years.

But his application was rejected as Kenya are ranked 98th in Fifa’s world rankings, outside the top 70 nations.

City attended an appeal at Wembley on Monday morning but failed to overturn the decision about the 22-year-old.

They would have been able to request a further appeal in a future transfer window but were not allowed to register Mariga as a player in the current window, despite agreeing terms with him and a fee with his club.

A delegation from Eastlands travelled to the appeal to argue their case in front of a panel made up of representatives from the Football Association, Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association, as well as some ‘independent football experts’ – usually ex-players.

But they were unable to convince the appeal board of Mariga’s merits, and his hopes of becoming the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League were scuppered.

Instead, he swiftly signed a four-and-a-half year contract with fellow Serie A side Inter, where he will wear the number 17 shirt.

Mariga joined Parma on a permanent basis in the summer of 2008, after initially moving on loan from Swedish side Helsingborgs.

source: BBC/sport/football

In the last minutes of the January transfer window, Manchester City signed a deal with Middlesbrough's Adam Johnson

Manchester City swooped to seal the signing of Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson with minutes to spare at the end of the January transfer window.

Johnson travelled to Manchester for talks on Monday afternoon after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old passed a medical and signed a contract until June 2014

City boss Roberto Mancini said: “Adam is a very good player with fantastic potential, and as a club we are always keen to sign British talent.”

Johnson will wear the number 11 shirt for City, and goes straight into Mancini’s squad for Saturday’s trip to Hull.

source: BBC/sport/football

Bayern Munich full-back Philipp Lahm could move to Manchester City in January

Manchester City are plotting a £12million January swoop for Germany defender Philipp Lahm.

Boss Mark Hughes watched the left back in action for Bayern Munich last month, as part of a trip to watch his dream target Franck Ribery.

Now Hughes has been alerted to the fact Lahm, 26, could be available in the transfer window, he is considering a raid next month.

Lahm is still rated as one of the best defenders in the game.

source

New contract signings with AC Milan and their midfielder Gennaro Gattuso is stalling - Manchester City is on alert.

AC Milan star Gennaro Gattuso could be heading for the Premier League after talks over extending his AC Milan deal broke down.

The Italian side have offered the midfielder a contract extension but Gattuso has so far failed to respond to the proposal.

Gattuso has fallen out of favour at Milan after Leonardo replaced Carlo Ancelotti as boss in the summer.

The 31-year-old’s current deal with the Rossoneri ends in June 2011 and Manchester City have been linked with a January move for him.

source

CSKA Moscow player Milos Krasic is set for a January transfer to Premier League

…And the big clubs are showing interest;

Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are on alert as CSKA Moscow star Milos Krasic showes his interest in a January move to Barclays Premer League.

The £9million-rated Serbia playmaker caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson in two impressive Champions League performances against Manchester United.

But Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea also sent scouts to watch him during CSKA’s 3-3 draw at Old Trafford last month.

The 25-year-old’s agent says England is the most likely destination for a player who has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and AC Milan.

‘I think that if Krasic leaves CSKA in January, he is 90 per cent likely to go to England,’ said agent Dejan Joksimovic.

source