Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Tuesday 28 December
City In Talks With Dzeko Agent
Manchester City have begun talks with Edin Dzeko’s agent over a £30 million move to Eastlands in January, according to the Daily Mail.
The Bosnian striker’s club, Wolfsburg, were reported to have dropped their asking price despite the club’s lowly position in the Bundesliga at the half-way stage.
The paper understands that City will make a down-payment of £30 million for Dzeko with additional add-ons and performance-related bonuses to follow.
Dzeko has scored 10 goals for Wolfsburg this season and is also wanted by Juventus and Liverpool but after City’s pursuit of him during the summer he wrote to the club telling them how much he admires City and how much he wants to play for the side.
New Wolfsburg boss Steve McLaren gave Dzeko the captain’s armband in a bid to placate the striker, a move which didn’t go down well with the rest of the Wolfsburg side. Now with the club struggling in 13th place as the Bundesliga starts its winter break McLaren has decided to part with his side’s best player in a bid to stop the rot and bring some harmony into the camp. As a result Wolfsburg has dropped its £38 million asking price.
West Ham Keen On Bridge Loan
West Ham are interested in taking Wayne Bridge on loan from Manchester City for the rest of the season.
The Hammers are looking for City to subsidise at least some of the former England international’s £90,000-a-week wages but City are looking to get some of their high earners completely off the payroll and West Ham will have to fund the whole of Bridge’s salary themselves.
Balotelli Struggling With Life In England
Mario Balotelli is struggling to adapt to life in England and has told friends in Italy that he wants to move back to his homeland, according to reports in a number of today’s papers.
The striker, signed for £25 million at the start of the season from Inter Milan, is believed to have struggled to make friends with his team-mates and believes that the situation isn’t going to improve.
Balotelli was seen speaking to AC Milan director Adriano Galliano following the recent Milan derby leading to speculation that Balotelli was looking for a move to the club he has openly admitted that he supports.
The 20-year-old has scored five times in his 10 appearances for City this season but has also picked up four yellow cards and one red.
Santa Cruz Set For Lazio Move
Roque Santa Cruz looks set to move on from Manchester City in the January transfer window.
The Paraguayan striker has been looking for an exit from Eastlands since it became obvious last summer that he was no longer in Roberto Mancini’s plans after just a season at the club. Fulham and Marseille have been linked with a move for Santa Cruz but Lazio have emerged as the most likely destination, according to the Daily Mail, just six months after a loan move to the Serie A side broke down.
According to the Mail, Lazio will pay City £250,000 for a six-month loan with a view to a £2.5 million permanent transfer in the summer. That represents a £15 million loss on a player they signed from Blackburn for around £17.5 million in the summer of 2009.
City Set for £7m Diarra Bid – Report
Manchester City are looking to make a £7 million bid for Bordeaux’s former Liverpool defensive midfielder Alou Diarra.
The French newspaper Le Parisien reports that Bordeaux are keen to hang on to the 29-year-old who didn’t make a single appearance for Liverpool during a two-year spell at Anfield between 2002 and 2004.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Wednesday 21 December
City Target Dzeko and Alves In £50m January Spree
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has been handed a £50 million transfer budget to buy new players in the January transfer window, according to a report today.
The Daily Mirror says that the club’s hierarchy have told Mancini they will spend whatever it takes to get City’s Premier League title hopes back on track after Monday’s 2-1 home defeat by Everton. That saw them miss the opportunity to go into Christmas at the top of the league for the first time in 81 years.
Mancini is said to be looking for two strikers to take the heat off Carlos Tevez with Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko still top of their list. City were involved in a protracted attempt during the summer to sign the Bosnian international and although they were ultimately unsuccessful Dzeko is said to have written personally to the club expressing his admiration for City and saying that he hoped to sign for them.
Wolfsburg played hardball during the summer and can be expected to do the same again, but the German club will also be wary of parting with their best player at a time when they lie just four points above the Bundesliga relegation play-off position. Dzeko was the leading goalscorer in the league last season but lies in fifth place this term having scored 10 goals for the side. The Mirror suggests that if Dzeko does come to Eastlands then he will cost City around £30 million.
City are also interested in Porto striker Hulk, who is rated by his club at around £20 million while Dani Alves is also said to be a target for Mancini. The Barcelona defender has stalled on signing a new deal at the Nou Camp amidst rumours that City may be ready to put in a bid. His current deal expires in 2012 and the Mirror suggests that Barcelona may let him go for around £12 million rather than risk losing him for nothing when his current deal expires.
Carlos Tevez Withdraws Transfer Request from Manchester City
Manchester City can confirm to its fans that “clear the air” talks have been held with Carlos Tevez.
During the meeting Carlos expressed his absolute commitment to the Club and formally withdrew his transfer request. Carlos’ contract remains unchanged and both Carlos and the Football Club are keen to focus on the opportunities that lie ahead.
Roberto Mancini commented “Carlos is a world class player whose contribution since he joined the Club has been invaluable.
I am pleased that we are now able to focus on pure football matters and to be able to look forward to Carlos continuing to play a significant role in the Club’s progress.”
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Tonight’s Premier League clash between Manchester City and Everton at Eastlands is expected to go ahead as planned despite the recent cold snap.
According to City only a heavy fall of snow today will prevent the match from being played but with forecasters predicting no snow in the Manchester area until later in the week the match should be safe.
Carlos Tevez is expected to be stripped of the captain’s armband at City following his rejected transfer request last week and although it is not yet known who City’s skipper will be Vincent Kompany is favourite to wear the armband.
Meanwhile Micah Richards is hoping for a change of fortune against Everton. The Toffees have won their last three games at Eastlands without conceding a goal and the defender says it’s time City ended this particular dismal run.
“I don’t know what it is about them when they play us, but they seem to enjoy it!” he said.
“They’re a team that works really hard for each other and if you look at them individually, they’ve got some great players.
A win tonight will see City top of the league at Christmas for the first time in 81 years and Richards knows how important it is that they extend their unbeaten run of eight games. But he believes Everton’s 15th place belies how good the team is.
“When I look at where they are in the table, I just think ‘why are you down there?’” he said. “But some teams have that sort of season where they just can’t seem to get going.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Wednesday 15 December
Dzeko Writes To City Asking for Transfer
Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko has written to Manchester City asking the club to buy him in the January transfer window.
The 6ft 3in hitman was a transfer target for City during the summer but they failed to match Wolfsburg’s 45 million euro valuation and the Bundesliga side refused to accept City’s offer of 30 million euro.
Dzeko was said at the time by friends to be keen to join the Eastlands outfit and is said to have written his letter to a senior executive at City earlier this season. In it the Bosnian striker expressed his admiration for the club and his gratitude for their efforts to buy him during the summer.
After scoring 22 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last season Dzeko has scored a slight more modest but nonetheless impressive eight goals in Steve McLaren’s side’s opening 15 games this season. He joined Wolfsburg in 2007 from Czech side Teplice for a fee of 4 million euro.
If Dzeko does join City it will almost certainly mean the end of Emmanuel Adebayor’s time at the club. Juventus are said to be favourites to sign him, initially on loan with the view to a permanent transfer in the summer.
Meanwhile, Carlos Tevez is not expected to take part in City’s final Europa League group match with Juventus in Turin tomorrow. Tevez returned to training yesterday after a four-day break in Tenerife but did not see boss Roberto Mancini who is in Italy for an eye operation. It is thought that he will not travel with the rest of the squad to Italy.
Despte that, Tevez will play for City if he is picked. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph his advisor Kia Joorabchian said “Carlos has never said he is not going to play so those rumours are rubbish.
“He will play if picked and 100% do his best. He feels that is important every time he puts on the shirt.”
Manchester City Transfer News: City Sign Gai Assulin
City Sign Gai Assulin
Manchester City have finally signed former Barcelona midfielder Gai Assulin.
The 19-year-old Israeli was at Eastlands yesterday to put the finishing touches to a deal with the club after City agreed to pay the Spanish side £400,000 in compensation.
Assulin was hailed as “the news Lionel Messi” after making his debut for Barca as a 16-year-old against Girona in a Copa Catalunya match. He also made his international debut for Israel 14 days before his 17th birthday.
However, other than appearances in minor cup competitions Assulin failed to break into the Barcelona first team. After a lengthy injury spell that saw him miss the whole of the 2008-09 season Assulin was called up from the club’s B team last season but failed to make a first-team appearance and departed the Nou Camp by mutual consent this summer.
Assulin was due to have a week-long trial at Blackburn this summer but decided to hold out for a bigger club and was first linked with City at the beginning of August. Work permit issues aren’t a problem as he now holds Spanish citizenship.
Assulin has been training with City’s elite development squad for a number of weeks and turned out for the Blues in a youth tam friendly with Ajax last month.
He said: “I had heard a lot about City, and as soon as I saw the club I wanted to stay. I’m at a great club and I hope to be here a long time. I have to take my opportunity and learn every day in training.”
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As the Carlos Tevez transfer saga settles into its Christmas run, the latest story from Eastlands is that Manchester City will not be selling the Argentine striker. The decision comes after talks between the club’s executives and owner Sheikh Mansoor this morning.
Tevez handed in a transfer request over the weekend citing a desire to be with his family who live in Argentina. Some newspapers are reporting on Monday that a move to Spain could result in his family moving from Argentina and that Barcelona and Real Madrid are both interested. Whether they would be able to afford the £50 million that City would demand if they did decide to sell is another matter.
Tevez himself says he is willing to take a pay cut to leave City – he may need to. Rumours of the size of his pay packet vary with former City legend Rodney Marsh claiming on the BBC over the weekend that he had been told by “a reliable source” that Tevez is the highest-paid player in Europe, earning £286,000 a week after tax.
The City captain claims he wanted to leave in the summer but was talked into staying, principally by his agent Kia Joorabchian, and that he turned down a £1 million sweetener.
City have blamed Joorabchian for the current state of affairs though Tevez himself refuses to blame Joorabchian.
“I hugely resent suggestions that I have been unduly influenced by others,” he said in a statement.
“I wanted to leave in the summer, but was convinced to return. Sadly, my feelings have not changed. I am disappointed that the management should now see fit to try to portray the situation in another light.”
Some outlets are suggesting that City may compel Tevez to play in the reserves. That sounds unlikely but the club are saying that they aren’t prepared to entertain any offers for the 26-year-old during the January transfer window
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Manchester City: Tevez Blames ‘Certain Executives’ For Transfer
Tevez Points Finger At Cook and Marwood
Carlos Tevez says he will definitely leave Manchester City and has blamed “certain executives” at the club – believed to be chief executive Garry Cooke and football administrator Brian Marwood – for his decision to leave.
Tevez handed in a written transfer request on Saturday and last night issued a statement in which he said he had reached “an important part” of his career. He also slammed the suggestion that he had been influenced in the matter by his agent Kia Joorabchian and thanked the club’s owner Sheikh Mansour for his support.
There were suggestions over the weekend that homesickness and the fact that his family lived back in Argentina was the principal reason behind the 26-year-old wanting to leave Eastlands and though this wasn’t alluded to in Tevez’s statement he did suggest he had wanted to leave in the summer.
He said “My feelings have not changed and it is ¬regrettable we have reached this ¬situation but it is something I have felt for some time and have spent many hours thinking this through.
“I wanted to leave in the summer, but was convinced to return to the club. Sadly, my feelings have not changed. I hugely resent the management’s suggestions that I have been unduly influenced by others.
“I am disappointed that the management should see fit to try to portray the ¬situation in another light.
“My relationship with certain executives and ¬individuals at the club has broken down and is now beyond repair.
“I wish to clarify that I have no personal issue with the manager.”
It is believed that that City offered him a seven-figure bonus to make him change his mind during the summer; however, Tevez rejected the offer.
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid almost inevitably lead the chase for the Argentine though City would want a fee of around £50 million.
Manchester City are being linked with a bid for Yoann Gourcuff. Boss Roberto Mancini is believed to have been given the go-ahead to launch a January bid for the France midfielder.
The Lyon playmaker joined his present club just four months ago after the club’s president kept to his pledge to ‘break the bank’ for the 24-year-old and signed him from Bordeaux in a deal worth £20 million.
Arsenal were interested in Gourcuff during the summer as a potential replacement for Cesc Fabregas should he have left the Emirates. City signed David Silva but Roberto Mancini believes he needs more creative options and had Gourcuff watched when he played for France against England last month.
Gourcuff signed a five-year deal with Lyon but reports in today’s press suggest that a bid from Manchester City of around £25 million could be enough to tempt Lyon to part with their recent recruit.
Carlos Tevez Hands In Transfer Request To Manchester City
Tevez Wants To Be Closer To Family; Relationship With Mancini Breaks Down
Carlos Tevez has handed in a formal transfer request to Manchester City. The Argentine international wants to return to his homeland to play for Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires and to be with his family. Tevez’s wife and daughters live in Argentina.
City are believed to have turned down the request and are willing to give him a pay rise of over £100,000 a week.
The Sunday Mirror reports – bizarrely – that Real Madrid are at the front of the queue for his services, though that rather contradicts the point of the story.
Tevez recently signed a two-year rental agreement on a house in Cheshire and is two years into a five-year deal worth £140,000 a week. But the paper reports that Tevez is not commercially driven and would soon retire from the game completely to spend more time with his family.
Tevez reacted angrily to being substituted in last week’s victory over Bolton and spent the week making his peace with manager Roberto Mancini but it is reported that he has now put in a formal transfer request in the hope of returning to Argentina.
Tevez has played abroad for the past six years but became disillusioned following the premature birth of his daughter Katia last February. His family have remained in Argentina while he plays in England but he has become increasingly frustrated with life at City under Mancini and there are reports that he now longs to play for the club he supported as a boy.
He has apparently told friends he will work hard for City while he remains at the club but that his future lies away from Eastlands. There are also suggestions that he could retire from the game completely.
It remains to be seen whether the prime motivation for his transfer request is a desire to be closer to his family in Argentina or that the breakdown of his relationship with Mancini has led him to want to move away from City.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Saturday 11 December
City Linked With Dortmund Teenager
German teenager Mario Goetze is the latest player to be linked with a move to Manchester City. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has an £8 million release clause in his contract with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and there are reports that City are ready to meet that price in January.
Goetze only made his debut for Dortmund in November 2009 having come up through the club’s youth system but has impressed enough over the past year to earn his first international call-up making his debut for Germany as a second-half substitute in their friendly with Sweden last month.
City have apparently watched Goetze on a number of occasions this year and are one of a number of clubs said to be interested in the youngster.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Sunday 5 December
City Linked With Bale Bid
Manchester City are being linked with a £45 million player-swap bid for Spurs midfielder Gareth Bale.
According to goal.com – and today’s News of the World who are suggesting a deal worth £60 million – City are set to offer Emmanuel Adebayor and Joleon Lescott to Spurs in a bid to tempt them to part with their star player.
However the website suggests that Spurs are unlikely to part with Bale with a source at White Hart Lane quoted as saying “There is more chance of us getting relegated this season than selling Gareth Bale. Don’t worry, he is going nowhere.”
City Step Up Loach Bid
Manchester City have stepped up their attempts to sign Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach.
City boss Roberto Mancini is set to offer £3 million for the 22-year-old, according to the Sunday People, and may even offer to loan the keeper back to the Hornets as part of the deal.
Current second-choice keeper Shay Given is still keen to leave Eastlands and Mancini wants a replacement for when he goes.
Manchester United and Spurs are also said to be keen.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Friday 3 December
Manchester City transfer target David Luiz has admitted that he does not know if will still be a Benfica player in January.
The 23-year-old has been the subject of interest from both City and Chelsea, though recent reports suggest that Luiz’s £25 million price tag makes him too expensive for City who do not want to get into a bidding war for the Brazilian defender.
Luiz was linked with a move to Real Madrid during the summer but the arrival of Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu scuppered a move to Spain after Mourinho cast doubts on his ability to play at a higher level than the Portugese league.
Luiz has apparently turned down a new deal at the Lisbon club and was quoted this week as saying.
“I do not know where I will be in January, in the summer or in 2015.
“The rumours from England – I know that and I follow them, but this does not depend on me.
“I refused another renewal because I have a contract until June 2015 and am happy here. I have a clear conscience.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City have told six players signed by Mark Hughes that they can leave the club.
Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Shay Given, Roque Santa Cruz, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Emmanuel Adebayor between them cost £92 million and manager Roberto Mancini has told them all they can leave.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Thursday 2 December
Adebayor Wants Spurs Loan
There are reports today that Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor is ready to “go to war” with the club in order to force through a loan move to Spurs in January. This is despite recent comments from the Togo international that he has already sorted out a deal taking him to Juventus, though he reportedly now wants to stay in England.
The report comes in today’s Daily Mirror which reports that after a series of bust-ups with City boss Roberto Mancini, Adebayor is set to quit Eastlands for White Hart Lane, with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp hoping City will pay half his wages. Again that flies in the face of previous reports that suggest City are refusing to offer any wage subsidy for players they are looking to offload.
City are said to be reluctant to sell to rivals at the top of the Premier League. They refused to sell Craig Bellamy to Spurs during the summer and have even sounded out Liverpool about taking Adebayor.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are said to be keen on Shaun Wright-Phillips; AC Milan, Lazio, Espanyol and Blackburn are keen on Roque Santa Cruz, though City are hoping for at least £7 million for the £17.5 million Paraguay striker; Manchester United are said to be keeping an eye on developments surrounding Shay Given, though a move to Old Trafford looks unlikely; and Pablo Zabaleta also interests AC Milan.
City In Caricco Talks
City are to step up their bid to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Daniel Caricco. The centre-half is rated at around £12 million and initial discussions are said to have taken place.
The 22-year-old Portugal under-21 international broke into the Sporting first team two years ago after coming through the club’s youth system and is said to have been watched extensively over the past year.
City’s interest in Caricco could mean the end of their interest in Benfica defender David Luiz. The 23-year-old is regarded by City as too expensive at £25 million.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Wednesday 1 December
City Interested In Pereira
With the transfer window just a month away, as ever we can expect a flurry of rumours surrounding new signings at Manchester City.
Just two today: first of all City scouts are watching Benfica’s Uruguayan World Cup star Maxi Pereira, according to the Daily Mirror.
The 26-year-old wing-back is also attracting interest from Barcelona with Benfica likely to want a fee in excess of £6m.
Pereira signed for Benfica from Uruguayan side Defensor in 2007 and started his career as a midfielder, but he moved to right-back after a season after his lack of pace was exposed in the Portugese League. Pereira has also made 41 appearances for Uruguay, finding the net on one occasion, in the World Cup semi-final defeat to Holland in South Africa.
City are also monitoring Brazilian teenage midfielder, Zezinho. The 18-year-old joined Santos earlier this year and has been linked with a move to Europe with Inter Milan poised with an £8 million bid.
Manchester City are being linked with a move for Real Madrid defender Pepe. The Brazilian has slipped down the pecking order at the Bernabeu with the arrival at the club this summer of Ricardo Carvalho and boss Jose Mourinho may be prepared to let him go rather than wait until the end of his contract in 2012. A move in January is said to be unlikely but a summer move is a possibility. Chelsea are also said to have showed an interest but may be prepared to launch a January bid.
Pepe is said to be one of lowest earners at Real on around £30,000 a week having sacrificed part of his wages to the 30 million euro fee Real paid his former club Porto.
Reports from Italy also suggest that Manchester City have made an enquiry about Udinese defender Cristian Zapata.
Inter Milan are also said to be interested in the 24-year-old Colombian who is valued at around £15 million but reports suggest that Udinese are unwilling to sell Zapata to another Serie A side.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Wednesday 24 November
Adebayor Claims Juventus Loan Deal
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor claims that he is off to Juventus in January.
The Togolese striker has been unhappy since the beginning of the season about a lack of first-team opportunities and told SportFoot magazine: “I don’t know what I did wrong to Roberto Mancini, but he never makes me play.”
He went on: “I’m going to change scene during the transfer window in January and I can tell you that City have already reached an agreement with Juventus for a loan. I therefore expect to be able to leave in December.”
The situation is complicated by Serie A regulations stating that a side cannot have more than one non-EU player on loan. Juventus already have one such player in the shape of Serb midfielder Milos Krasic, however reports from Italy suggest that Krasic could be offered to Arsenal despite only arriving in Turin from CSKA Moscow in a 15 million euro deal this summer. Krasic has scored four goals in nine Serie A games this year.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror suggests that Brazilian striker Hulk is ready to join City in January with the Eastlands outfit ready to offer Porto £20 million for the 24-year-old. Hulk has hit 11 goals in 10 league games this season and 16 in 16 games in all competitions.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Tuesday 23 November
Barcelona Interested in Richards – Report
Reports from Spain suggest that Barcelona will put in a bid for Manchester City right-back Micah Richards should Dani Alves leave the Nou Camp.
The Spanish daily newspaper Sport suggests that City will put in a bid for Alves should there be no progress in talks on a new contract. Alves’ deal at the Nou Camp expires in 2012 and talks recently broke down over an extension. However, the paper adds that Barca are ready to put in a £6 million bid for Richards.
The full-back returned to the England fold for last week’s defeat by France but has slipped down the pecking order at Eastlands with the arrival in the summer from Hamburg of Jerome Boateng. Richards is under contract at City until 2013 and was linked with a move out of Eastlands during the summer.
Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours, Sunday 21 November
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City Line Up Dzeko ands Coentrao For January Transfers – Report
As the transfer window looms speculation is now rife as to whom Roberto Mancini will sign for Manchester City in January.
Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko is believed to be their number one striking target. The Bosnian was a target for City during the summer but the deal fell through after Wolfsburg demanded a £45 million fee for the 24-year-old.
Today’s Sunday Mirror reports that City have received what the paper describes as “encouraging ¬messages from the Bosnian’s advisers,” even though the player himself this week described rumours linking him with a move abroad as “laughable.” Of course, it all hinges on Wolfsburg dropping their asking price for a player who scored an impressive 29 goals in 45 games last season and has followed it up with an equally impressive eight in 12 games this season. It also depends on City finding buyers for the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Shay Given, Roque Santa Cruz, etc, etc.
As we reported on Friday City are also keeping an eye on developments at Barcelona where contract talks between the club and defender Dani Alves have broken down. The full-back has a deal at the Nou Camp until 2012 and could be ready to cash in, probably next summer.
However, the Mirror also reports that City are set to make a bid for Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao in January. The paper reckons the Sky Blues are ready to bid £20 million for the Brazilian defender with whom both they and Chelsea were linked during the summer.
Manchester City: Balotelli Going Nowhere Says Mancini
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Balotelli Will Stay At City
Mario Balotelli is going nowhere according to Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.
The 20-year-old has been the subject of speculation this week after being spotted speaking to AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani on Sunday night after the Milan derby leading to rumours that a move to the club he supported as a boy may be on the cards. Balotelli himself further fuelled the rumours when he said that he would be at City “until June” and that he would love to be reunited in the same team as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his former strike partner at Inter who is on loan at Milan.
“In Milan there is this restaurant where all the Milan and Inter players go and the Milan owners,” said Mancini. “This is normal. It’s like San Carlo in Manchester.”
Mancini also pointed out that Balotelli has a five-year deal at City. “Mario must play first before he leaves. He has played only a couple of games,” he added.
The striker serves the last of a three-match ban for Sunday’s game at Fulham and Mancini said he must change his mentality.
“He must think to play because if Mario plays, he can score every game. Mario mustn’t talk with the referee and he must think only about his job because he can make a difference on the pitch.”
