striker Jermain Defoe has admitted that he is loving life at the club under boss Andre Villas-Boas.
The England international has had an up-and-down time at the White Hart Lane side, with former coach Harry Redknapp using the forward sparingly last season.
Defoe has admitted in the past that he has considered leaving the club due to the amount of time he spent on the bench, but the diminutive marksman has been given a run of games in the team this season.
The attacker has revealed that Villas-Boas adopts a contrasting approach to each game, and that the players are happy under the Portuguese tactician.
“What I like about him is every game has a different approach,” Defoe is quoted as saying in The Sun.
“You know exactly how we’ve got to play when we’ve got the ball and not got the ball. Every player knows their jobs and if you speak to any of the boys, he has been fantastic.”
Defoe featured for England in Warsaw in midweek on a heavy pitch, and the forward is hoping that the game will not take its toll when he returns to club action this weekend.
“It was quite heavy out there on your legs but hopefully I’ll feel all right at the weekend.
“They are tough opponents and it was always going to be a difficult game even if the pitch was good.
“I don’t want to make excuses because both teams had to play on the pitch and maybe it was a fair result in the end,” he concluded.
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Defoe is expected to feature for Spurs against Chelsea on Saturday.
Everton fans will be relieved following news that injured Belgium international Kevin Mirallas will be available much sooner than first thought, and could even start when the Toffees take on Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League this weekend.
The creative winger was taken off at half time during the Merseyside derby on Sunday after picking up a knock from a stern tackle by Liverpool’s Luis Suarez. Blues boss David Moyes was concerned that Mirallas could be out for up to a month with ligament damage.
This morning however, it was announced that the Belgian’s injury is not as bad as initially predicted, following a scan by the club’s medical team.
The 25-year-old has been in good form since joining from Olympiacos for £6million in the summer, contributing one assist and one goal to the Toffees’ cause.
Steven Naismith, who scored Everton’s second goal against Liverpool at the weekend, told reporters he was impressed with Mirallas first half performance in the Mersey derby.
“Kevin was our main direct threat in the derby in terms of driving at defenders and it showed with the amount of chances he was creating for himself and others” said the Scottish forward.
“Losing him at half-time in the game was a blow, but Liverpool changed their system in the second half as well and it became a bit scrappy with a lot of fouls – the game kept getting stopped which didn’t help.
“Looking back, there was some great play from us too – switching sides and with Kevin being a massive threat creating chances.”
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Steven Pienaar will also be available for selection after serving a one-match suspension, meaning the Everton midfield will be at full force against Fulham with the exception of Darron Gibson who is currently sidelined with a thigh injury.
A few months ago, very few football fans will have heard of Peter Herbert unless they happened to have an interest in the outcome of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, in which Herbert is the lead defence counsel for Dr Augustine Ngirabatware.
Herbert has been a committed and hard-working lawyer for many years, but by football fans he will forever live in the memory as the man who tried to silence Spurs fans, and furthermore enthralled himself and the Society of Black Lawyers into the heart of any incident or allegation where the term “racism” or “racist” could be applied.
I first heard Peter Herbert on talkSPORT in the days after the Kick It Out T-shirt boycott, in which the likes of Jason Roberts and the Ferdinand brothers refused to wear the anti-racism campaign’s warm-up t-shirts in protest against a lack of progress in the battle against racism throughout the world of football.
Although condemned by some managers, it would be difficult to not understand their point of view. In recent months, two senior, high profile players were handed minuscule bans for using racist language and England’s Under 21 squad were racially abused by sections of the stadium of Serbian supporters – reigniting the issue over UEFA being rather toothless in their approach to stopping racism. A five figure fine, of which no fan would ever end up accountable for, will never stop racist chanting.
Enter Peter Herbert, a man calling for change and with good reason too. Initially, the barrister was concerned with setting up a Black Players Union, arguing with Andy Gray that it would not be a divisive organisation.
“[The black players union] is not a breakaway anything; it sits alongside mainstream structures and works in partnership with them,” Herbert explained to Keys and Gray.
“It’s a support group, somewhere safe to talk about your problems. They give the FA the primary information and expertise needed to change the system. Freedom of choice and change, that’s what we’re about.”
I liked the sound of Herbert, he argued effectively – but then again he is a lawyer. Andy Gray then called out his interviewee on a comment he had made previously. When asked how he would feel about a white players union, Herbert replied “they’ve already got one, it’s called the BNP”. Suddenly, a man who quotes Martin Luther King was beginning to edge towards sounding more like Malcolm X.
Suddenly, a string of incidents had blemished the name of English football as pundits warned we were heading back to the dark ages of the 70s and 80s where National Front chants were sung on the terraces and banana throwing was acceptable. At Millwall, Marvin Sordell accused small sections of the crowd of racial abuse, of which a 14-year-old boy was subsequently banned from the New Den, and Oldham’s Lee Croft was wrongly believed to have used racist language towards a ball boy.
Peter Herbert however was handing the larger issues, all be it the wrong issues. Clarke Carlisle, PFA Chairman and Question Time panellist, has accused Herbert of careerism following the two issues he has decided to champion.
First came the Mark Clattenburg incident. Chelsea made a complaint to the F.A. over the referee apparently using racist language during a game. Now, I wasn’t there, but I’m fairly certain Mark Clattenburg, a man who has refereed for years, during a period in English football where racism is the number one topic, in the middle of an extremely tense title-race clash, would not just slip in a couple of racial slurs. Peter Herbert was also not at the game, but he decided to file his own complaint with the Metropolitan police, who have now dropped the case over a lack of evidence.
Then, Peter Herbert delivered the bombshell that he will always be remembered for. He warned Tottenham Hotspur that he would be making another official complaint to the police unless more is done to stop racist chanting at White Hart Lane. But, Herbert does not only mean the disgusting hissing noises made by away supporters doing impressions of Nazi gas chambers, he also wants an end to all chants involving the “Y-word”. The “Y-word” is a racial slur; originally it was a term of offence. But it has been adopted by Spurs fans of every ethnicity and religion as a defence mechanism against anti-Semitism, as well as being a banner of identity.
Herbert is fighting a battle with Tottenham he simply won’t win. And furthermore, I believe his hostile efforts will prove detrimental in the bid to stop racism. In Leicester, an Under 15s team called Nirvana FC, constituted of mainly Black and Asian players, received racial abuse from spectators. The club claim that their opposition’s supporters made monkey noises, offensive gestures and ended the match with a violent pitch invasion. The sudden outburst of racist behaviour, that wouldn’t have happened a few months ago, happened for the same reasons a Chelsea fan was caught on camera doing a monkey impression – because the sensationalist approach to racism in football, has heightened racial tensions.
I don’t accuse Herbert of being a provocateur, but his method of attracting the headlines, labelling the FA as systematically racist, and getting involved in every allegation will not make him any friends and will not add weight to his arguments.
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Saying that Herbert should stop complaining is an easy position for someone who has no experience of being racially abused. However, it is a view shared by John Barnes, a man who knows more than anyone about racism in English football.
“The Society of Black Lawyers should stick to law. They are lawyers, they should not be getting involved in football, they should be getting involved in legal matters for which [the Clattenburg case] isn’t one,” said Barnes.
“Racism is a big problem in football and it’s a serious problem but what’s going to work against it is if you start looking for racism where it doesn’t exist.”
John Heitinga has admitted his frustrations in being left out of the Everton team and feels underprepared for international duty with Holland.
Heitinga was voted the Toffees’ player of the season last year, but has not started any of the matches so far and made just two substitute appearances against Manchester United and Aston Villa.
He is currently with the Dutch squad as they prepare to face Turkey in their opening World Cup qualifier.
He said: “I’ve felt better reporting for international duty. The Everton boss’ decisions feels bad.”
The 28-year-old was reportedly close to leaving Goodison Park in the summer after Fenerbahce made £5million bid for the player, but has stayed at the club to fight for his place.
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Manager, David Moyes has preferred the central defensive pairing of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka so far this campaign.
“It’s a bullet I must bite every year. I was also left out for most of our early games in the two previous seasons”, Heitinga added.
The jeering at the conclusion of Saturday’s 1-0 loss against Stevenage was not because of the result (well, it was – one point from nine is not the start the fans had wished for). No, the negative, irritated reaction was due to the insipid performance from entire Oldham team
It was bereft of imagination or attacking instinct. It was dull, labourous and lacked an energy that might at some point make the opposition feel slightly uncomfortable. This was a well-oiled Stevenage which still has obvious traces of Graham Westley’s philosophy flowing through it. It is rough, powerful and ready to fight for three points. Ultimately, they were allowed to settle into their usual effective style without many questions being asked.
The single goal loss came from yet another defensive mishap. A long ball aimed simply away from the Stevenage’s penalty area was naively allowed to bounce by young James Tarkowski. The 19-year-old defender was then out-muscled, keeper Alex Cisak raced out and commited a blatant foul inside his area. Penalty awarded. Penalty dispatched.
Last Tuesday night, Athletic were on course for a 1-0 victory against an average Walsall side. However, with 10 minutes remaining club Captain Dean Furman inexplicably attempted a back-pass without realising a Walsall player blocked his path to Cisak. To the home support’s horror, George Bowerman was gifted the opportunity to bury the ball into the net, which he duely did.
Three days previous and Tarkowski was at fault again, bizarrely heading upwards rather than out. MK Dons, who won 2-0, were far from slick yet scored from the resulting corner. For the sake of his self-belief Dickov needs to take him out of the starting 11. Cliff Byrne, with his vast experience and steady, unforgiving nature, makes him a fine candidate to move in from right-back and partner the impressive Jean Yves-M’voto.
So three league games, three defensive calamities. It is very much like last season. Hard work a plenty, lapses of concentration in the dangerous and crucial areas more so. However, move beyond the defence and there are more ills. Take the midfield. With James Wesolowski’s torn hamstring, Dean Furman has a lost his influential partner. The energy was been sapped. There is little imagintion, movement and more worryingly no willingless to find space.
Saturday saw Dickov switch from his usual 4-4-1-1 to a more flat 4-5-1 with the inclusion of Carl Winchester, who formed a midfield three with Furman and Yousuff M’Changama. Despite a congested core, Stevenage were able to use their intelligence to constrict space on the Boundary Park pitch. Ok – so find some, you would say. It didn’t happen. And so Stevenage were able to organise themselves with ease.
It was also evident on Saturday that Robbie Simpson does not suit the lone striker role. Despite being generally ineffective, he did look slightly more threatening after the break when Dickov replaced Winchester with the powerful Matt Smith, allowing Simpson to drop into the hole behind Smith, who was instructed to lead the line and dominate aerially.
Ultimately, the performance as a whole was far from acceptable. To claim just a single point from two winnable home games is a dreadful return. The tempo that was set in the opening half against Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup has yet to be replicated. In truth it has become laboured, and this against sides such as Walsall, who are tipped to struggle.
If Walsall are supposed to find themselves towards the foot of the table, then Oldham, on this evidence, will not be far from them. Of course, the opening 10 or so games do not require fantastic results. As long as there is promise in the performance and style teams generally excel once they have gelled and formed strong partnerships. Results come eventually with good performances. Oldham might be waiting a while.
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Chelsea are still sitting pretty at the top of the table, but boss Jose Mourinho is continuing to claim Manchester City are the title favourites.
They may have come unstuck at Villa Park this evening, but the Blues are still six points clear at the top of the table and have a great chance of taking the trophy back to Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho claims that City’s three games in hand are their saviour, but with the Citizens form of late it would be a shock if they went on to win the rest of their games this season with the Manchester derby next weekend.
Here is why we think Chelsea have to be considered the clear title favourites.
Fixture list
Mourinho has been banging on about Manchester City’s games in hand, but has he had a look at Chelsea’s fixture list?
To say it is kind would be an understatement.
Tough games at home Arsenal and away at Liverpool aside; the Blues are facing solely relegation battling teams. Of course, you can’t take games for granted but Chelsea should not drop too many points from now until the end of the season.
Ability to win when not playing well
When Manchester City don’t play well they don’t win. That is just the way it is.
Chelsea and Mourinho have a canny ability to grind out a 1-0 win when they need it most, when they have ten men on the pitch that is!
It may not be the most stylish, but at times it is unbelievably effective especially at Stamford Bridge.
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Experience
The majority of that Chelsea side, plus Mourinho, has been there and done it in the Premier League.
While City won the title more recently, Chelsea still have the core that has been together for a while and with the likes of John Terry, Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic and Frank Lampard all being vastly experienced, that should help.
The last time England played, they faced a tough fixture at Wembley against Ukraine – arguably the most tricky of opponents to overcome in the qualifying group.
However, what was more difficult to stomach was the failure of England’s youngsters to make a real impact on the game – personified in the young promise of Tom Cleverley.
On a night that England struggled to a home draw with visitors Ukraine, one glaring issue was Roy Hodgson’s readiness to use their inexperienced and unprepared youth.
A one off poor performance? The game that revealed England’s next ‘big thing’ to be just another ‘could’ve been’? Or, an example of an inherent English problem? Tom Cleverley’s disappointing performance did not only highlight how undeveloped he looked, but also highlighted the disparaging distance between the future stars of England and the ‘Golden Generation’.
Firstly, it cannot be ignored how poorly Cleverley performed. Frequently touted as the answer to England’s midfield problems, Cleverley is in the unfortunate position of filling the void of ageing stars Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard once they retire. However, Cleverley looked markedly off the pace; his touch, tactical awareness and tepid approach were glaringly obvious, and until he was substituted, looked completely out of his depth.
This was highlighted best by his three attempts at goal. The first two were clear goal scoring opportunities, but he lacked the poise and finesse expected, especially given his position as an attacking midfielder, someone who is needed to create and score goals.
Though unfortunate to hit the woodwork on his third attempt, Cleverley’s failure to convert any of these chances was worrying for someone playing in such a goal-necessary position. His performance was also highlighted by his lack of link-up play with Jermaine Defoe, as well as his failure to imprint himself on the game.
Throughout the match he looked uncomfortable in his position, as well as almost in awe of the expectation upon him. Despite the fact that at 23 he is not as young as some players in the England squad, he is still a young and inexperienced international, with a huge amount of expectation upon him.
And herein lies the problem. England seem to have skipped a generation, cast off a lot of ‘maybes’ and ‘could’ve beens’, over relied on the Golden Generation and incorporated a significant number of younger players too early.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, only 19, has already played 7 games, and seems to be cementing a place as a starter for both club and country. When Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge were struck with illness, both 23, Raheem Sterling (17), Ryan Bertrand (23) and Adam Lallana (24) were called up. With a combined total of only 57 youth caps between them, and only Bertrand holding any senior caps (two), this presents the problem England – an inability to graduate young players through its youth system so that, come 23/24, they are ready for senior international football.
Instead, many players are flung from U17/19/21 to the senior squad following a handful of good performances in the Premier League. Sterling is a fine example of this; after Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers requested Sterling to stay in the U17s, and not be promoted to the U21s, Roy Hodgson called him up to the senior squad, forgoing both the U19 and U21 squads.
Though Hodgson did say Sterling would not get any playing time, it does exemplify an English trend – one of bi-passing youth ranks, direct entry into the senior squad, placing large burdens of expectation upon their shoulders (though this is in part down to the media) and burning them out before they reach their physical and technical peak.
Not only does it potentially harm players as individuals, it also has the prospective of collectively damaging England’s chances of success at international competitions. One reason for Spain’s success is often put down to its players continually playing together at various stages of the national set up, thus creating a homogenous team that has a greater understanding of one another.
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England, on the other hand, are at complete odds with this; over relying on a handful of players that are still (just about) young enough to play for England (Gerrard, Lampard, Ashley Cole, John Terry et al) while cherry picking the best of the players just about old enough. They are then forcefully integrated into the senior squad, and expected to step up to the plate straight away. Although they may have a group of gifted individuals, England has continuously failed to assemble a national team for the past three tournaments.
Though a number of factors obviously affect how teams are brought together (injuries, manager, club commitments, personal issues), it is no secret that England fails to allow its potential future to evolve together. Where the likes of Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso and Torres all have a history of playing together during their primitive years, England forces gifted individuals in to a team and expects greatness. This is baffling to say the least as international managers get less time with their squad, so the constant changing of players creates an extremely unsettled, and unbalanced, side.
So, who is really to blame? Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have a combined total of 190 caps, yet the rest of England’s front 6 had a total of only 93 – the same number of caps Frank Lampard possesses individually – with Jermain Defoe throwing 51 of those in to the pot.
So, is it really Tom Cleverley’s fault that he wasn’t ready to play for England? We can only hope that with his good form at Manchester United over the past few weeks we’ll see a vast improvement against San Marino or Poland.
It’s the end of the English footballing season in May 2005. Arsenal are about to lift their 10th FA Cup with their victory on penalties over Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The Premier League has narrowly eluded them, with last season’s historic Invincibles side, unable to overcome the Oligarch fuelled power of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. But things are rosy for Arsene Wenger’s side.
A second placed finish in the Premier League sets them in good stead for another crack at the title next season and their new 60,000 seater Emirates Stadium, is entering its final phases of construction. And to poignantly add a bit of gloss onto proceedings, they’ve just done the double over their North London rivals Tottenham, who finish a relatively standard 9th in the league.
Indeed, Martin Jol’s side showed some fleeting glimpses of quality in the league, none more so than when they buried four past Arsenal in their infamous 4-5 loss at White Hart Lane, but this was still a side with the likes of Noe Pamarot and Noureddine Naybet starting every week. In many respects, they are light-years behind the red side of North London.
Fast forward to the present day and that rosiness that seemed to come as a perennial bonus with every Arsenal season ticket, simply could not be further away. As we enter the final stages of 2012, supporters don’t need to be slapped round the face with the seven-and-a-half year statistic that is there continued trophy drought. Because there is potentially something far more depressingly poignant sitting on the horizon.
It is of course the age-old threat that’s never been fulfilled from their hated rivals up the road in Haringey. Arsenal fans have heard it all before when it’s come to the men from Tottenham Hotspur and their designs on finishing above them in the league. Each time the Gunners have had their backs against the wall, the old cockerel has choked at the vital moments. Be it a final day, lasagna based bottle job, or self-destruction of a 10 point lead, Spurs have continuously failed to outdo their North London rivals.
But where as once the notion of Spurs bettering Arsenal in the league was one of near absurdity – indeed, it’s not happened since 1995 – today, the reality is that it’s now become a very distinct possibility.
The rivalry between both Spurs and Arsenal has been given a real shot in the arm in recent years, given the Lilywhites growth in prominence. Where as for much of Arsene Wenger’s reign in North London, Tottenham have resembled little more than plucky underdogs, their recent renaissance under Harry Redknapp has given the fixture more meaning than it every has in recent years.
And it offers an interesting yardstick for the plight of Arsenal over the last few years. The Gunners have continued to taste Champions League football every season. Title challenges have continued to remain on the cards for Arsene Wenger’s men, despite them never quite being able to see it out through the course of the season. But as their quest for a trophy continues, the focus has always been on the fluctuating gap between themselves and the Manchester United’s and Chelsea’s of this world. Never what’s been going on behind them.
Because if – and it remains a massive if – Andre Villas-Boas’ side manage to finish above Arsenal in the league this season, it perhaps represents so much more than a power shift in the merciless exchanges between the two sets of fans.
The two ways of looking it are of course wither Tottenham have progressed way beyond what many would perceive to be their projected means. The other, that Arsenal have in fact regressed, as they’ve reclined onto a similar plateau of ambition to the men from White Hart Lane.
And it’s here in which, depending on your viewpoint, you can gauge the seriousness of what a superior Spurs finish to Arsenal in the league, may represent. Let’s be under no illusions here in that Tottenham have hardly fluked their way into challenging for Champions League qualification. Even since the mediocrity that lingered in the mid nineties. Spurs have continued to invest heavily in their squad, more often than not, to greater extents than Arsenal.
Some may suggest that the club have simply been more wise and intelligent in that spending. That may be so, but has it really just been a bit of common sense and a spot of financial rationality that has seen them bridge the gap?
Clubs shouldn’t spend for the sake of it and Arsene Wenger’s legacy is the biggest testament to that in recent memory. But in that seven-year gap since Arsenal last won a trophy, they have seen the financial gulf between themselves and their North London rivals rise almost beyond measure.
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For the last available accounts, the Gunners’ net income dwarfed Spurs’ by near on £92million. The cash cow that is the Emirates Stadium makes well over double the amount of matchday income that White Hart Lane is capable. While they, as every team does, have debts to structure, Arsenal are in a different financial post code to Tottenham Hotspur.
But while that gulf of fiscal health has increased between the two clubs, the gap of competitiveness has shrunk. And however you wish to frame that, it produces some awkward questions for the hierarchy in the red half of North London.
Tottenham’s upturn in fortunes was perhaps an inevitability. All clubs go through periods of success, regression and dormant stages of mediocrity. But given the off pitch progress Arsenal have made, that gap they once held over there great rivals when they last won a trophy, simply should’t have been shredded to the point it is today. How they go about regaining it, is a question that certainly produces some difficult answers.
Summary: Norwich were denied a crucial win in their bid for Premier League survival after Luke Moore earned Swansea a late point. Michu opened the scoring for the Swans only for Robert Snodgrass to cancel it out just before half time. Michael Turner put the home side in front only for Moore to pounce 15 minutes before the end to leave the Canaries 13th in the table and still very much in a relegation scrap.
Norwich City 2-2 Swansea City: Key moments
10 minutes: Michu thought he’d opened the scoring for Swansea, sweeping the ball past Mark Bunn but referee Michael Oliver disallows it for Luke Moore’s foul on Jonny Howson in the build-up
15 minutes: Norwich are forced into a change as a groin injury ends Bunn’ss afternoon and the goalkeeper is replaced by Lee Camp.
22 minutes: Michel Vorm keeps his side level with a brilliant save to keep out Michael Turner’s volley after good work from Robert Snodgrass to dig out a cross under pressure from Wayne Routledge.
37 minutes: GOAL! Michu wasn’t to be denied for a second time as he put Swansea in front. From a short corner Jonathan De Guzman drove to the byline and picked out a cross that gave the Spaniard the simplest task of converting his 21st goal of the season from six-yards.
41 minutes: EQUALISER! Norwich are back on level terms within five minutes and it’s Snodgrass first goal at Carrow Road since arriving in the summer. Elliot Bennett sneaks past Ben Davies on the right flank and his deliver catches Vorm in two minds leaving Snodgrass with the simplest task of touching the ball into the net.
HALF TIME
51 minutes: Routledge outfoxes the Norwich defence with an excellent ball over the top to send Moore clear but Camp is on hand to perform a goal saving block that keeps the score level.
60 minutes: GOAL! The Canaries take the lead through the unlikely source of Turner. The architect is Bennett again as he swings an inviting free-kick into the penalty area that Turner converts on the half volley with all the poise of a seasoned top-flight striker.
75 minutes: EQUALISER! A corner isn’t cleared by Norwich allowing Dwight Tiendalli to re-deliver the ball that is headed back into the danger area by Angel Rangel for Moore to lift the ball beyond Camp and into the net.
FULL TIME
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Good day for….Luke Moore: The Swansea frontman was handed a rare start by Michael Laudrup and repaid his faith with the equalising goal that ended a run of three straight defeats for the South Wales club.
Bad day for….Javier Garrido: It was a difficult afternoon for the Norwich full back up who had his hands full up against Dwight Tiendalli and Nathan Dyer but always looked suspect when engaged by the Swansea duo.
Chris Hughton said…”We wanted a win but nothing changes, we still have to get enough points from the six remaining matches to make sure we’re secure. We’re at the part of the season that makes everyone that bit anxious and you have to have belief in the players.”
Michael Laudrup said…”I think it’s important to come back with a positive result because… we have two weeks now before the next game against Southampton, which for me we have to win if we want to end up in the top 10.”
Manchester City have opened talks with Sevilla for striker Alvaro Negredo, according to reports from The Metro.
The Citizens have turned to the Spaniard after growing frustrated in their pursuitof Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, who will cost in excess of £50million.
New City chief Manuel Pellegrini has made obtaining a front-man his top transfer priority following Carlos Tevez’s switch to Juventus.
The Argentine’s departure leaves City with only two recognised centre-forwards in Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero.
Negredo is said to match Pellegrini’s requirements, and the Chilean is confident that he can offer something new to the Premier League side’s attacking armoury.
Sevilla are far from keen to lose their star man, but are believed to be willing to business for around £24m, a figure that City can easily match.
The 27-year-old was in fine form for the La Liga side last term, but could not stop them from finishing in a mid-table position, missing out on European football.
Atletico Madrid are also keen, but Negredo could be open to following former team-mate Jesus Navas to the Etihad Stadium.
West Ham are also thought to be keen, but cannot offer the striker continental football, which is believed to be high on his list of requirements.
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Manchester City fans, could Alvaro Negredo fire your side to Premier League glory?