Manchester City preparing a move for Henry

British newspapers The Independent and The Times claim that Manchester City is interested in signing Barcelona forward and French international Thierry Henry (31) next summer.

The Independent claims that Manchester City have accepted they won't be able to sign a star player this transfer window but will consider returning to Barcelona for Henry this summer, having received an indication that the Frenchman did not feel January was the right time to leave Barcelona.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes and Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook would both like to sign Henry and the failed transfer of AC Milan's Kaká earlier this week has not put them off the idea of high-profile signings this summer.

Henry appears to fit Manchester City's profile of a player whose broader image rights could have value. The French striker would also understand Garry Cook's notion about maximising footballers' intellectual property rights, an issue that is believed to have caused the collapse of the Kaká deal.

Manchester City wouldn't have been left with the impression that their pursuit of the striker is a lost cause. Henry's age could be a bigger problem than his willingness to abandon the prospect of Champions League football next season. It is believed that the transfer fee for Henry, whose contract at Barcelona expires in 2011, could be around 15 million euro°.

The Times claims that Manchester City have already taken the first steps in their attempt to bring Henry back to the English Premier League. After the failed bid to sign Kaká from AC Milan, Henry would be next on Manchester City's list of transfer targets with the Frenchman both fitting the club's need for an iconic signing to raise their commercial profile as well as their prospects on the pitch.

City didn't yet approach Henry or Barcelona directly but has made preliminary moves to sound out Henry's availability and whether the player would want to return to English football as part of the club's new project. The contacts have just started and City will continue the process over the coming weeks.

If a transfer next summer seems possible, Manchester City will then decide if they will meet Barcelona's asking price, which is expected to be around 10,5 million euro°, and match Henry's salary, which is thought to be at this moment more than 5,5 million euro a year.

Read more:
Messi and Eto'o on Manchester City wish list
Manchester City will come after Henry in January
Bid from Manchester City for Toure

Chelsea and Inter want to reduce Deco fee

British newspaper The Independent claims that Barcelona midfielder and Portuguese international Deco (30) is close to agreeing personal terms with English Premier League Chelsea (read more here).

With Barcelona asking 20 million euro° for the player, a deal between the two clubs nevertheless doesn't seem as close. Jorge Mendes, Deco's agent, is negotiating with Barcelona trying to convince them to reduce the fee. Chelsea would be willing to pay 13 million euro°.

Inter Milan would als be reluctant to pay the fee demanded by Barelona and has therefore set their sights on trying to land Chelsea's Frank Lampard. Inter manager José Mourinho meanwhile suggested in Brazil to journalists that he hasn't yet given up on the Portuguese midfielder:

"I cannot forget Deco, Lampard and Drogba. I am not nostalgic but I really like those three players, they helped me win some great titles. These are players who I could never say no to. I would love to work with them again in the future, but I am not too obsessed with this idea. I don't know which of these three will leave their clubs but we will see."

Read more:
Scolari will take Deco with him to Chelsea
Deco top target for Bayern
Chelsea or Inter for Deco

Deco and Marquez represented by superagent

British newspaper The Independent had last week an interesting profile of Portuguese player's agent Jorge Mendes, who is currently representing Barcelona players Deco and Márquez.










How Mendes has made himself key player behind the biggest deals in Europe

Scolari's move to Chelsea is just the latest multi-million pound move to be brokered by the Portuguese superagent.

When Jorge Mendes was asked to write a column for the Portuguese sports daily, O Jogo, during the European Championship, the title that was originally suggested, somewhat jokingly, was "My Millions". Mendes said no to that, instead agreeing to the column being called "The Value of Euros" which could, even so, be interpreted two ways. It's not just the football competition; it's the currency.

Mendes' name doesn't mean much to the average football fan. But it should. Still just 42, he is one of the most powerful men – maybe in terms of deals the most powerful man – in the game. Mendes is also an agent, a shrewd businessman and a clever media operator with his own management company, website, which employs full-time journalists, and contacts that spread from his Portuguese base throughout the world, particularly in the valuable markets of South America.

Pini Zahavi has long been regarded as the number one super-agent but, this summer, as with last year, Mendes' name is being mentioned by the biggest clubs in Europe as the man with the greater influence. He has just taken Jose Mourinho to Internazionale and Luiz Felipe Scolari to Chelsea to make the pair the highest-paid club managers in world football.

That Mendes has found time to write a column is astonishing. He has been, and is set to continue to be, the busiest agent in the business and makes many millions indeed. Having been allowed by Scolari to have access to the Portugal team hotel during the European Championship, Mendes has been a visible presence at the opulent lakeside complex as he looks after his clients and plots their futures.

Referred to as a "tranquil oasis" in the hotel blurb, the Beau Rivage in Neuchâtel has been anything but that for Mendes. Not only has he schemed to get Scolari to Stamford Bridge but he is also at the heart of deciding what will happen to his star client, Cristiano Ronaldo, who wants to move to Real Madrid. Then there is Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Ricardo Quaresma. The list goes on.

Not a single player, it seems, leaves Portugal, or moves clubs, without Mendes being involved and it has already been calculated, probably correctly, that Scolari's squad is the most valuable in the tournament on the transfer market. And Mendes represents the eight biggest names.


Read the full story here


Read more:
Deco chooses Chelsea over Inter
Marquez offered to Atlético Madrid
Deco could swap places with Lampard or Gattuso

Could Henry return to Arsenal?

British tabloid The Sun claims that Newcastle is preparing a 20 million euro° bid to bring Barcelona forward Thierry Henry (30) back to England. Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has put the French international on top of his wish list (read more here and here) and Newcastle owner Mike Ashley would have given his approval.

Keegan thinks that the arrival of Henry could have a similar effect on the fans as that of Alan Shearer back in 1996 and Ashley wants to bring a big star to the club. Newcastle insiders believe that Henry could be attracted by the prospect of becoming the key figure of a new project at Newcastle, a club with a great tradition and great fans. Barcelona would be ready to let go Henry, who has three years left on his contract, if a decent offer comes in.

The latter is confirmed by British newspaper The Independent, who reports that Barcelona is desperate to sell Henry. With the other Manchester City target Ronaldinho believed to want some of his current team mates with him in Manchester, the possibility has been raised of both arriving in Manchester (read more here), although this does not seem financially possible.

And Newcastle manager Keegan laughed off the rumours at a press conference, saying his club is shopping in a different market: "The Henry story, I went to a talk-in and a 10-year-old kid asked me: 'If you could fetch one player to Newcastle United, who would that be?', and I said Thierry Henry because I think he is the best player the Premier League has ever had. From that, we are now signing him, which is fantastic, really."

Meanwhile, Thierry Henry himself has said in an interview with British television channel BBC One that he doesn't regret his decision to leave Arsenal last summer and that he doesn't think about leaving: "I'm happy here at Barcelona and I still have three years of my contract left with the club."

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to the Major League Soccer or a return to England, Henry said he missed England and seemed to indicate that he would not consider a move to a Premier League club that is not his former club Arsenal: "There has been since I arrived here a lot of speculation from day one but, hey, go back where? There's only one team for me in my heart. It took me a while to understand what that club meant. In England there's only one team for me. Everybody knows the love and affection I have for Arsenal."

At a press conference today, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger reacted to the statements of his compatriot saying that he still has a close contact with Henry and leaving the door for a return open: "I read the statement. He said he is happy at Barcelona but if he comes back he will only play at Arsenal. I find that a very good statement. Although at the moment I do not think about re-signing him, you can never say never. I still think he has a lot to offer as a player. For me, Thierry is an efficient goalscorer."

Read more:
Premier League clubs circling around Henry
Henry is realistic target for Manchester City
Henry negotiating with new MLS team

Premier League clubs back in for Ronaldinho

Now that the negotiations with Milan doesn't appear to be anywhere close to a conclusion, some interested English Premier League clubs could give it another go and try to transfer Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho (28).

Manchester City
On Tuesday, British tabloid The Daily Telegraph claimed that Manchester City believes that they can successfully re-enter the race to sign Ronaldinho. Manchester City representatives would have met with Roberto de Assís, brother and agent of Ronaldinho, in Manchester (read more here) and with Barcelona officials in Barcelona (read more here) earlier this month. Kia Joorabchian, the British-Iranian representative of Manchester United forward Carlos Tévez and Liverpool defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano, is said to be possibly involved in the negotiations.

British tabloid The Daily Mirror says that Manchester City president Thaksin Shinawatra has hired player's agent Pini Zahavi hoping he can broker a deal thanks to his close relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, also a close friend of Zahavi, would have given his approval to the transfer, although British newspaper The Independent says that Ronaldinho would not be a priority of the manager.

With Zahavi flying back to England in the next hours with a report, there could be an announcement in the coming days. Manchester City owner Shinawatra will be for the first time in months in Manchester this weekend and meet with Eriksson to discuss the coming transfer summer.

Talks were already confirmed last weekend by Manchester City executive director Taweesuk Jack Srisumrid (read more here). The club wants to become the biggest English club in East Asia and Ronaldinho's status could give a boost in that direction and at the same time get more people to the stadium. Manchester City would hope to sign the Brazilian for only 9 million euro° with Barcelona happy to get his salary off the books. Ronaldinho would be offered a week salary of 190 000 euro° or even a part of the ticket sales and the merchandising.

Tottenham
British tabloid The Daily Mirror claims today that Roberto has been offering his brother around the Premier League and that Tottenham was one of the clubs taking the offer seriously. The club is considering a bid and a Tottenham official flew to Spain to meet with Ronaldinho representatives recently. Ronaldinho would be a huge transfer coup for Tottenham and guarantee them lucrative marketing and publicity spin-offs. Manager Juande Ramos would like to sign the player.

Chelsea
Italian newspaper La Repubblica claimed on Wednesday that also Chelsea would have rejoined the race for Ronaldinho (read more here and here). AC Milan adviser Ernesto Bronzetti indeed told Italian television channel RAI Sport last weekend that Chelsea is one of the main clubs to go after the Brazilian: "Few clubs can afford Ronaldinho. Milan and Chelsea are the two clubs who are insisting the most for a transfer. But Ronaldinho doesn't really like English football."

Read more:
Manchester City serious about Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho agent met with Chelsea
Ronaldinho used Manchester City

Rijkaard wants to finish Barcelona job

Asked about the rumours linking him with a summer move to Chelsea (read more here), Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) said in an interview with British newspaper The Independent that he didn't even consider the option yet: "I'm not someone who makes plans. If I work somewhere then I am not thinking about other things. First, I finish the job here."

Read more:
Chelsea wants Rijkaard
Rijkaard brother denies Chelsea
Rijkaard feels used by Ten Cate

The board vote goes to Mourinho

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo says the support for former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) in the Barcelona board is growing. There would now be a clear majority of board members who are in favour of Mourinho taking charge of the team as of next season. The general feeling is that the Rijkaard era has finished. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who will have the last word, is still standing by his manager but starts to realize it will be very hard to terminate his mandate as president together with the Dutchman.

Mourinho seems willing to wait for Barcelona to take a decision. Earlier this week, Mourinho even sent out his adviser Eladio Parames to deny in the British newspaper The Independent the rumour that he aleady had spoken with Inter president Massimo Moratti. Because it seems Inter Milan is pushing very hard for the Portuguese, Barcelona would now have contacted Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes asking him to give some more time to Barcelona.

(read more on the manager debate here)

Rijkaard brother denies Chelsea

In an interview with British newspaper The Independent, Herman Rijkaard, the brother and adviser of Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) denies the rumours (read more here) about a possible move to Chelsea at the end of the season: “Maybe Chelsea would like to have him because he is a good trainer and a decent guy, but it is not an option at the moment.” Not even Chelsea’s millions could attract the manager: “Frank has money. He can eat two or three steaks a day if he wants.”

Herman Rijkaard says his brother is having a very good time in Barcelona and wants to stay until 2009: “He has still one year left and he’s not the kind of guy who signs a deal and then doesn’t fulfil it.” After Rijkaard leaves Barcelona, his brother expects him to take one year off.