The summer transfer window closed in England earlier this month, but players can still leave for teams abroad until August 31. With that in mind, we have some Manchester City transfer news, talk, rumors and gossip to discuss.
As always, remember that until it’s a done deal, officially, take it with a grain of salt.
Having failed to land Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Real Madrid are moving on to a new forward target in the Premier League top six and it’s City/England star Raheem Sterling. It’s thought that Sterling can be plucked away from the Etihad for several reasons.
The addition of Riyad Mahrez this summer has created some crowding in the position group and he hasn’t yet signed an extension on top of the deal that he penned when he moved over from Liverpool in the summer of 2015 after a very ugly, protracted holdout and transfer saga.
Sterling broke the British transfer fee record when he made the £49 million (doesn’t that figure seem cute now?) switch and his current contract reportedly pays him £175,000 a week.
It is understood that Real Madrid are prepared to give the Kingston born English international a significant pay raise. The Guardian, who typically have a fun, tongue-in-cheek way of reporting on transfer rumors, state the following:
“With a swoop in mind, Real are going to send their scouts on a fully top-secret mission to watch Sterling play for England against World Cup also-rans Spain next Saturday.”
Elsewhere, we knew that Yaya Toure’s days with the club were through at the end of last season, but it has taken awhile to find out where his next destination will be. Today, some clarity, as he’s passed a medical with Olympiacos. The agent of the Ivory Coast international fueled speculation that his client was set to join a London based club, but there’s no there there on that one.
Toure returns to the Greek club he joined in 2005 and won a double with. The Mirror has more on this mercurial man on the move.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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