City put five players up for sale in bid to raise £50m.
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Manchester City are looking to offload five members of their first-team squad in an attempt to bring in £50m’s worth of transfer funds to help fund a sensational last-minute deal for Real Madrid star and long-time Manchester United target Angel Di Maria.
The Premier League champions have made a formal approach to Di Maria over a possible move to the Etihad Stadium, and have requested that the player holds off making a decision on joining United as they look to sell the players necessary to help meet Financial Fair Play regulations in order to sign him themselves.
The players that manager Manuel Pellegrini has in mind have been revealed, with a mass exodus expected in the final few days if City can find buyers for these five first-teamers:
5) Micah Richards
Available for just £8m, Manchester City shouldn’t have too much trouble finding suitors for out-of-favour defender Micah Richards, who has been somewhat unfortunate in falling behind big names such as Pablo Zabaleta and new signing Bacary Sagna in the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium. The likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United and West Ham are thought to be monitoring his situation and could pay up between now and the end of the transfer window.
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4) Scott Sinclair
Despite some highly disappointing displays in the last couple of seasons, both for City themselves and in a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion last season, the Premier League champions hope they can bring in £6m for winger Scott Sinclair, who has had a hard enough time getting into the team anyway without the arrival of a player of Di Maria’s quality.
3) Matija Nastasic
Supposedly a target for Arsenal, Juventus and AS Roma, promising young defender Matija Nastasic has become surplus to requirements at City after they signed Eliaquim Mangala from Porto, and he now looks set to be made available for transfer for just £11m. The 21-year-old has at times been regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in Europe, and has the makings of a top class centre-back if he plays regularly, so they should find buyers for him before the transfer window closes.
2) Alvaro Negredo
One of the first in the firing line with a new attacking player on the way is Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo, who had an up-and-down first season with City after joining from Sevilla last summer. One of the more valuable players in this list, City hope that they can bring in around £15m for the experienced centre-forward, who has been linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan this summer. With the likes of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic ahead of him in the pecking order, it certainly makes sense to offload Negredo now if a player like Di Maria can realistically be brought in.
1) James Milner
Finally, a further £10m could be brought in from the sale of England international midfielder James Milner. Di Maria has been offered the number 7 shirt at United and could be given the same at City as they look to offload the current bearer of that number. Milner has been a solid if unspectacular performer for City in his time with the club, and is likely to have interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur if he is made available for this relatively generous fee.
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