Mondays gosip from the club

It seems that the first big transfer issue of the summer has been settled - and in favour of European champions and everybody's football darlings Barcelona. Who'd have thought?

Most media outlets have Chile sensation Alexis Sanchez on his way from Serie A to the Nou Camp this morning, having been linked to half of Europe's top clubs in the last few weeks.
Here's Ian Herbert's take in The Independent: "In a development destined to send a chill through any clubs seeking to make up the gap on Barcelona, the European champions are likely to end Manchester City's pursuit of Udinese's Alexis Sanchez this week with a £32m move taking him to the Nou Camp.
"The rest of City's transfer plans had been on hold pending their pursuit of the Chilean forward, with chief executive Garry Cook leading negotiations last week.
"But City's £25m valuation of the 22-year-old has been matched by Barcelona, and the Catalans' willingness to offer a further £7m in performance-related add-ons allied to the striker's preference to join them is expected to seal the deal.
"A late £31m bid by Chelsea cannot be ruled out, but Gino Pozzo, who manages Udinese's transfer business for his father, club owner Giampaolo, is likely to favour Barcelona over City, Manchester United, Juventus and Internazionale.
"Pozzo had initially suggested that City were in the box seat for Sanchez, though that was before Udinese's series of meetings with interested clubs.
"City are unwilling to pay the usual £2m-£3m premium they are charged this summer and Barcelona are understood to have been the first club to meet the asking price."
Back home, Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers reckons his promoted side have a mountain to climb on their first day in the Prem, and he should know.
As Jamie Dunn reports on goal.com: "Rodgers has just completed a charity climb of Kilimanjaro, but is expecting an equally tough challenge when his side faces Manchester City on the opening day of the season.
"The newly-promoted Welsh side travel to Eastlands for their first Premier League fixture, which promises to be a difficult baptism in England's top flight.
"And Rodgers, who raised more than £15,000 on the charity climb, is eagerly anticipating the difficult and challenging campaign ahead.
“'That’s like climbing Kilimanjaro twice!' joked Rodgers, according to Wales Online. 'It’s incredible – I had climbed the highest free-standing mountain in the world and then I had a text that I had to go to Manchester City away.'"
Talking of walesonline.com, they run with a story that "Craig Bellamy is pleading with Manchester City to let him go on a free transfer".
They add that "the Welsh striker, who spent much of last season attempting to guide Cardiff to Premier League promotion, currently has a £4m price-tag slapped on his head."

Bellamy seems like an ungrateful sod at the moment.

City let him go to Cardiff on loan last season which probably cost us over £2M in wages alone (depreciation probably cost us £3M more).

Now he wants to go for a free?

Why not just buy himself out of his contract if he so desperately wants to play for Cardiff?

He can certainly afford £4M.

Thing is topdawg things like this should be done behind closed doors. I dont know who released it, but if the leak was from the club its a bit pathetic and if bellers went to the press to put preasure on the club I would suggest with Mancini it would be the wrong thing to do.

Personally just to save those wages I would let him go on a free but put in a few riders as well mainly as for the remaining time of his city contract he doesnt go to a prem club (unless Cardiff are promoted)

I still wouldn't let him go for free though regardless of who has made the comments.

£4M is a very low amount for his transfer anyway.

I wouldn't mind it as £2M initial fee and £3M if Cardiff get promoted (whenever that happens). That would get him off our books and at least pay the wages of a few youngsters.