|
|
Manchester City plan raid for Barcelona youngsters
Sep 14, 2012 11:00:00 AM
The Premier League champions' new CEO is looking to pick the best young talent from his former side as the Citizens look to the future
By Greg StobartManchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano is eyeing a raid on former club Barcelona for the Spanish giants’ emerging stars.
Soriano started on September 1 as City’s replacement for the disgraced Garry Cook largely due to his work as vice-president of Barcelona between 2003 and 2008.
As City plan a transfer strategy to comply with Uefa’s financial fair play regulations, Soriano and manager Roberto Mancini are considering cherry-picking the best young talent from Barcelona's famous La Masia academy.
 |
|
| MANCHESTER CITY LATEST |
|
| 28/1 | Manchester City are 28/1 to beat Stoke 4-0 with bet365 |
Reports in Spain have also suggested that Soriano wants to sign one of Barcelona’s major stars such as Xavi or David Villa, but far more likely is the prospect of City buying younger players on cheap deals.
City announced on Friday that they have started work on a £100 million, state-of-the-art training centre adjacent to the Etihad Stadium that they hope will lead them to the summit of world football.
It marks a shift in the club’s focus towards recruiting, nurturing and developing the best young talent in the game.
That will concern clubs across Europe as City attempt to focus on academy development under their Abu Dhabi owners, with Sheikh Mansour having spent more than £1 billion (€1.2bn) on the club since his takeover in 2008.
Soriano is considered key to City's strategy after being credited with overseeing a huge improvement in Barcelona’s off-field activities, while the 44-year-old also has a vast number of contacts in the game and has intimate knowledge of La Masia, which is considered the most productive academy in Europe.
Follow Greg Stobart on
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets |
|
| Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached! |
|
| Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET! |
|
Related Stories
Inside Goal.Com
-
Player Ratings: Siena 1-2 AC Milan
Goal was on hand to judge all the players as Allegri's men finished third in Serie A and secured a Champions League berth next season
-
Player Ratings: Barcelona 2-1 Valladolid
Goal rates the players on show as the newly-crowned Liga champions cruised past the challenge of Miroslav Djukic's men to keep up hopes of reaching 100 points
-
Arsenal hold their nerve in top-four battle
Arsene Wenger's side produced a clinical performance to secure a top-four Premier League finish but now they must kick on if they wish to challenge for honours next year
-
Player Ratings: Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal
Laurent Koscielny's 52nd-minute volley secured the Gunners the win over Alan Pardew's side and made sure they would be playing Champions League football next season
-
Player Ratings: West Brom 5-5 Man Utd
Sir Alex Ferguson was given a farewell to remember, but certainly not for the right reasons as the Romelu Lukaku-led hosts battled back from three goals down to earn an unlikely point
