Thursday Gossip

Here's a transfer alert that will not gladden the hearts of Blues fans - the whispers in Italy are that Roma are set on luring away City favourite Pablo Zabaleta.

What have the Romans ever done for us indeed? Duncan Castles, writing in The National, reckons they've even gone so far as to make an initial approach over a possible move for Zaba.
He writes: "The Serie A club, emboldened by their recent US takeover and with new coach Luis Enrique in place, are understood to have offered a fee close to the £6.5million City spent acquiring the Argentina international three summers ago.
"Zabaleta has been a consistent member of Roberto Mancini's starting line-up at City, valued for his athleticism, attitude, and a tactical intelligence that enables him to play in either full back position and all across the midfield."
All is not lost, however: "The 26 year old agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract extension in December 2009, and City are expected to reject Roma's offer." That's better, eh?
Over at The Guardian, resourceful Andy Hunter has managed to find a potential City target who has not been mentioned previously this summer, something of a feat in itself.
He declares that City "are considering adding a third defender this summer to Roberto Mancini's squad by joining the pursuit of the highly-rated Uruguay international Sebastián Coates.
"Coates has been linked with several clubs in South America and Europe following an impressive two seasons at the heart of the defence of Nacional, the Montevideo club that recently won the Uruguayan championship, and his graduation to the national team at the Copa América.
"Scouts from several Premier League clubs have monitored the 20-year-old in recent months, and City are now understood to have made an approach during the Copa América, where Coates won his third senior cap in the final group game against Mexico.
"However, they face competition from a rival Premier League club – Arsenal had the 6ft 6in defender watched a dozen times last season and are in the market for central defenders, as are Liverpool – and growing interest in Coates has seen Nacional raise their asking price towards £20m."
That sounds awfully steep for a player who almost joined Porto for barely £3m last month, but he is very tall. Think of the photo opportunities with Shaun Wright-Phillips ...

i don't mind us buying anyone for the future so long as they aren't expensive. £3M or £4M is ok, but we don't really need more expensive defenders

Topdawg, do we really need another defender for the future? Look at the age of Micah, Kompany, Robbie Savage, Clichy...not exactly pensionable age, we still have boateng, Boyata and Lescott, again a good few years left in them (give or take a BM or 2)

true lee, but we don't know if they are gonna make it in the big time (robbie especially)