Robbie faces clamp-down, say papers | 21/01/2009 09:27 |
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The Independent
"City set to tackle Robinho rebellion"
Manchester
City indicated that they would deal firmly with Robinho's rebellious
behaviour yesterday, as they attempted to rebuild something from the
wreckage of one of the worst days in the club's recent history.
It
has emerged that it was the Brazilian's determination to join family
celebrations in Brazil for his own birthday this Sunday, rather than
his frustration at the failure to sign his compatriot Kaka from Milan,
which led Robinho to sneak out of City's training camp in Tenerife on
Monday – just as the club's negotiations over Kaka were foundering
badly in Italy. Sources close to the player suggested yesterday that he
is not fundamentally discontented at the club, despite the failure to
make a marquee signing this month.
Though he may not have
"stormed" out as initial reports suggested, City are walking a
tightrope where the £32m signing is concerned, needing to discipline
him – two weeks' wages of £320,000 will be the probable fine – but
aware also that the threat of Chelsea attempting to turn the player's
head is a genuine one. Luiz Felipe Scolari is known to covet the player
and, though the City executive chairman, Garry Cook, said he was aware
of no formal approach from Chelsea, the club are letting their interest
in a player Scolari was angry to have lost to City last summer be
known.
Robinho, whose agreed departure from City to Brazil last
autumn also raised eyebrows, attempted to put a gloss on his departure,
suggesting through his own website that he had gained prior agreement
to leave because "of a family matter".
It was not agreed, say
City. The club's latest challenge in a January transfer window which
has been fraught with difficulties is how, after the euphoria of the
Kaka bid has come to nothing, they can prevent him becoming
disenchanted with life in Manchester.
Cook has conceded defeat
in his efforts to buy a big-name player in this transfer window. But he
said that City would not tolerate a player operating outside the club's
code of conduct. "I would be very disappointed if players at our
football club were happy [only if] certain other players are coming
into the club," Cook said. "This club has a lot more history and
heritage than one person and it's disappointing for the team. It
doesn't set good standards."
Cook was fighting a war on many
fronts yesterday, as accusations flew about the way City handled seven
hours of discussions in Milan on Monday which saw their attempts to
sign Kaka fail. It has become clear that the Milan vice-president,
Adriano Galliani, openly offered the player to City as early as 15
December, for a staggering €200m (£180m). Cook declined that offer but,
having agreed a provisional figure of €100m, travelled to Milan with
high hopes on Monday, only to find that the landscape had changed.
Galliani told him on Monday afternoon that fans' resistance to the Kaka
transfer had left him in fear for his life.
City also met
resistance from the player's father, Bosco Leite, whom they effectively
accused of greed yesterday, detailing how, while they had made promises
of prospective new image-rights deals, Leite had only wanted big
compensation guarantees against reduced income from current sponsors.
When
the six-strong City contingent arrived in Milan with their own
image-rights lawyers on Monday, they believed they could probably
increase Kaka's current image-rights income five-fold – to the
financial benefit of both club and player.
They sought access
to information on the player's current rights deals, which would help
them assess whether there was scope to build a deal similar to the
arrangement which enabled LA Galaxy to pay out heavily for David
Beckham last year, so securing a return on Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed
al-Nahyan's investment in City.
But City's version of events is
that Leite steadfastly refused to grant them such information and was
seeking only to "close out" on a financial deal, rather than consider
the prospects of the Premier League club broadening his son's
commercial horizons.
"It was only about money," Cook said. "We
engaged a lot of professional people to take care of this. It was a bit
too sophisticated for Milan. There was clearly a turn at the weekend
following the demonstrations by the supporters. There was clearly
political pressure and supporter pressure. And yesterday you could feel
that pressure on the senior executives." Milan, he said, had "bottled"
the deal.
But other sources close to the initial negotiations
and independent of either club, were incandescent about the breakdown
of talks and offered a different interpretation, insisting that Kaka
had expected the City manager, Mark Hughes to be in Milan with the
six-man party, which was led by Cook and Simon Pearce, the sheikh's
special representative.
Though it is unclear precisely what
communication was taking place late on Monday between Leite and Kaka,
at his home across the city, sources said the player felt that the
determination to frame the transfer as a business proposition, rather
than a footballing one, was disappointing and that he had also
anticipated a more senior member of the sheikh's entourage being
present.
Hughes, the source said, had been actively in pursuit
of Kaka since a visit to Milan last summer and there was surprise in
Italy that he had not pitched up there.
City return from their
winter break to pick up the pieces on Friday and Cook certainly expects
Robinho quickly back in the fold. The £32m player said through his
website: "I feel it is important to underline that I did not return to
Brazil because of the Kaka deal. He is one of my good friends and it
would have been great to see him at Manchester City. But it had nothing
to do with his decision to stay in Milan. I will return to the club and
hope to sort out this matter as soon as possible. I am committed to
helping Manchester City become the force the owners assured me they
will become."
Daily Mirror
"Aston Villa and Blackburn ready to swoop for Daniel Sturridge"
Mark
Hughes is facing a race against time to thrash out a new deal for
Daniel Sturridge, with Aston Villa and Blackburn ready to swoop for the
Manchester City striker, 19.
Sturridge, out of contract at the end of the season, is stalling on a new deal.
But City boss Hughes said: "We are still negotiating and we hope it can be concluded soon."
Daily Express
"Celtic swoop for Welsh hitman"
CELTIC
have agreed a £1.2 million fee with Manchester City for Welsh
international Ched Evans and hope to tie up a deal with the next 48
hours.
The Hoops have been given permission to speak the City
starlet and are hopeful of finalising the move before their weekend
clash with Hibs.
Express Sport understands that another
Championship club made an approach earlier this week but were told that
a deal with the SPL champions had already been agreed.
The
20-year-old striker’s representatives are in talks with Celtic chief
executive Peter Lawwell and a deal is set to be rubber-stamped.
Evans,
who has seven Welsh caps, had a successful loan spell at Norwich City
has slipped off the radar at Eastfields and is keen to relaunch his
career at a big club.
As Express Sport revealed yesterday the Hoops are also close to finalising a deal for Chelsea wonder kid Morten Nielsen.
The
18-year-old is out of contract at Stamford Bridge in the summer
although the Danish striker would prefer to make the switch to Parkhead
in the current window.
Daily Mirror
"Sheffield United eye Manchester City's Darius Vassell"
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell wants to sign Darius Vassell in a £1.6million deal.
Blackwell
can spend following the sale of James Beattie to Stoke and Vassell
knows his Manchester City future is bleak following the arrival of
Craig Bellamy.
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