REIGNING Premier League champions Manchester City have taken their net summer spend within range of the maximum stipulated under sanctions imposed by European governing body Uefa after splashing out £32m on defender Eliaquim Mangala from Porto.
The 23-year-old has signed a five-year-deal at the Etihad Stadium and joins fellow new recruits Willy Caballero, Fernando, Bacary Sagna and Bruno Zuculini as manager Manuel Pellegrini plots City’s title defence, which starts at Newcastle United on Sunday.
As part of wide-ranging sanctions for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, City have a restriction on their transfer spending with a net outlay of £49m permitted in the current transfer window.
The combined cost of City’s transfer dealings so far surpasses £50m but is offset by the £10m recouped from the sale of Jack Rodwell to Sunderland, while Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg are said to be tracking Spaniard Javi Garcia.
West Ham United’s search for attacking reinforcements suffered a blow yesterday as Sunderland rejected a £4m bid for striker Connor Wickham.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has identified the 25-year-old as a candidate to help plug the gap left by Andy Carroll, who is out until November with an ankle injury.
Chelsea midfielder Marko Marin, deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, looks set to complete a season-long loan move to Italian side Fiorentina.
PREMIER LEAGUE 2014-15 PREVIEW: PART ONE
TRANSFERS:
Key ins: Fraizer Campbell, Brede Hangeland, Scott Dann. Key outs: Danny Gabbidon, Kagisho Dikgacoi
THIS SEASON:
A storming second half of last season may tempt Palace supporters to dream of transcending a relegation battle, but anything less fraught than last term must surely be considered a welcome bonus
LAST SEASON:
Crystal Palace defied a dreadful start, which saw manager Ian Holloway depart, to thrive under his replacement Tony Pulis and finish a heady 11th
BIG YEAR FOR:
Dwight Gayle. Striker was slow to adapt to the top flight but finished the season with a flourish. Can he now scare top defences regularly?
MANAGER SAFETY:
Leading Eagles to survival ensured Pulis messiah status. Only an early residency in the bottom three looks likely to threaten his job
5/10
TREVOR STEVEN’S VERDICT:
Will be battling the drop once again. Survival will depend on Tony Pulis’s ability to harness his experience of punching above his weight with modest squads and inspire his group
LAST SEASON:
Fourth in the Championship but scraped their target of returning to the top flight thanks to Bobby Zamora’s last-minute winner in the play-off final
TRANSFERS:
Key ins: Rio Ferdinand, Steven Caulker, Jordon Mutch, Mauricio Isla (loan). Key outs: Julio Cesar, Stephane Mbia, Ji-Sung Park, Gary O’Neil
BIG YEAR FOR:
Rio Ferdinand. At 35, must be keen to show he’s still up to it against the best. Partnership with Steven Caulker could go either way
THIS SEASON:
Vast debt pile means avoiding relegation and a huge drop in income is the main target for a club yet to deliver on the lavish spending of the current regime
MANAGER SAFETY:
Rangers sacked the last man who led them into the relegation zone, so Harry Redknapp will feel the heat if they loiter near the basement
3/10
TREVOR STEVEN’S VERDICT:
QPR made a pig’s ear of their last season in the Premier League but they have ability to spend and I don’t see Redknapp or chairman Tony Fernandes letting matters deteriorate that far this time Reported by City A.M. 16 hours ago.
The 23-year-old has signed a five-year-deal at the Etihad Stadium and joins fellow new recruits Willy Caballero, Fernando, Bacary Sagna and Bruno Zuculini as manager Manuel Pellegrini plots City’s title defence, which starts at Newcastle United on Sunday.
As part of wide-ranging sanctions for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, City have a restriction on their transfer spending with a net outlay of £49m permitted in the current transfer window.
The combined cost of City’s transfer dealings so far surpasses £50m but is offset by the £10m recouped from the sale of Jack Rodwell to Sunderland, while Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg are said to be tracking Spaniard Javi Garcia.
West Ham United’s search for attacking reinforcements suffered a blow yesterday as Sunderland rejected a £4m bid for striker Connor Wickham.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has identified the 25-year-old as a candidate to help plug the gap left by Andy Carroll, who is out until November with an ankle injury.
Chelsea midfielder Marko Marin, deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, looks set to complete a season-long loan move to Italian side Fiorentina.
PREMIER LEAGUE 2014-15 PREVIEW: PART ONE
TRANSFERS:
Key ins: Fraizer Campbell, Brede Hangeland, Scott Dann. Key outs: Danny Gabbidon, Kagisho Dikgacoi
THIS SEASON:
A storming second half of last season may tempt Palace supporters to dream of transcending a relegation battle, but anything less fraught than last term must surely be considered a welcome bonus
LAST SEASON:
Crystal Palace defied a dreadful start, which saw manager Ian Holloway depart, to thrive under his replacement Tony Pulis and finish a heady 11th
BIG YEAR FOR:
Dwight Gayle. Striker was slow to adapt to the top flight but finished the season with a flourish. Can he now scare top defences regularly?
MANAGER SAFETY:
Leading Eagles to survival ensured Pulis messiah status. Only an early residency in the bottom three looks likely to threaten his job
5/10
TREVOR STEVEN’S VERDICT:
Will be battling the drop once again. Survival will depend on Tony Pulis’s ability to harness his experience of punching above his weight with modest squads and inspire his group
LAST SEASON:
Fourth in the Championship but scraped their target of returning to the top flight thanks to Bobby Zamora’s last-minute winner in the play-off final
TRANSFERS:
Key ins: Rio Ferdinand, Steven Caulker, Jordon Mutch, Mauricio Isla (loan). Key outs: Julio Cesar, Stephane Mbia, Ji-Sung Park, Gary O’Neil
BIG YEAR FOR:
Rio Ferdinand. At 35, must be keen to show he’s still up to it against the best. Partnership with Steven Caulker could go either way
THIS SEASON:
Vast debt pile means avoiding relegation and a huge drop in income is the main target for a club yet to deliver on the lavish spending of the current regime
MANAGER SAFETY:
Rangers sacked the last man who led them into the relegation zone, so Harry Redknapp will feel the heat if they loiter near the basement
3/10
TREVOR STEVEN’S VERDICT:
QPR made a pig’s ear of their last season in the Premier League but they have ability to spend and I don’t see Redknapp or chairman Tony Fernandes letting matters deteriorate that far this time Reported by City A.M. 16 hours ago.