Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given could be on his way to Premier League rivals Manchester City today, according to a report in British tabloid newspaper The Sun. It is claimed that the Citizens have had a bid of £8.5 million accepted by the Magpies and that the 32-year-old has already had a medical at Eastlands.

Toon Army manager Joe Kinnear recently admitted he had failed to persuade Given to add to his 11 year stay at St. James’ Park and it now seems that he will sign an £86,000-a-week contract with Manchester City.

Source: soccernews.com

Brazil striker Robinho said on Tuesday he has no dispute with Manchester City and is ‘committed’ to helping the team become a force in the English Premier League.

Robinho left the club’s training camp in Tenerife on Monday, sparking reports that he had walked out for good. But Robinho said the club knew he was going back to his homeland for family reasons.

Robinho, who moved to City from Real Madrid last year for a British record transfer fee, left on the same day that AC Milan star Kaka turned down a world-record move to City.

“I feel it is important to underline that I did not return to Brazil because of the Kaka deal,” Robinho was quoted as saying by the BBC.

“He is one of my good friends and it would have been great to see him at Manchester City, but it had nothing to do with his decision to stay in Milan. I am committed to helping Manchester City become the force the owners assured me they will become.”

A statement posted on Robinho’s website says the striker is happy at Man City and will return to the club in a few days.

“I had made Manchester City aware that I needed to return to Brazil because of a family matter,” Robinho said, according to the BBC. “I will return to the club and hope to sort this out as soon as possible.”

Robinho’s departure from the training camp could still land him in trouble with City, however.

“I do know Robinho is not at the training center in Tenerife,” executive chairman Garry Cook said on Tuesday. “If he has left the training ground it is a breach of club discipline. I am waiting for a full debrief.”

City stunned the football world when they beat out Chelsea to sign Robinho in the final minutes of the transfer window in September, paying Madrid a British record transfer fee of £32.5 million.

While he has scored 12 goals for the club, City are still in the bottom half of the standings and only four points above the relegation zone. The team were knocked out of the FA Cup by League Championship club Nottingham Forest.

Robinho has not been afraid to criticise his teammates in public or advise manager Mark Hughes about who he should be signing.

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After heavy speculation in the media, the Brazilian / AC Milan superstar Kaka have turned down a 100 million pound deal to move  to Manchester City in the English Premier League that would have earned him an estimated weekly wage of 500 000 pounds.

Hundreds of Milan fans gathered outside his home on Monday in an attempt to convince him to stay – and Kaka responded by beating his hand on his heart while holding a Milan shirt.

Here, he gives his reasons for remaining at the San Siro:

“I believe I have made the right choice.

“To have gone to Manchester City could have been a great project but in the past few days I have prayed a lot to understand what the right team would be and in the end I have decided to remain here.

“I don’t want anything else, I just want to be well and be happy in the place where people love me.

“From this story I have understood how people love me at Milan, the fans and my team-mates have helped me make this choice.

“Milan has always turned down offers for me.

“I always said to everyone to first agree with Milan and then we can talk. But Milan had never accepted an offer for me.

“No member of my family has pushed me to go anywhere.

“I have not had any arguments with my father.

“My family has been very supportive and at no time have they forced me one way or the other.

“There were rumours that this story had come out because I wanted to renew my contract, this is not true.

“I have remained with the team where I am linked by heart.

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The assistant manager for Manchester City Mark Bowen has insisted that they are close to signing on Brazillian and AC Milan superstar Kaka.

Reports says City have made a £100million bid for the 26-year-old.

“We believe the deal is very close,” said Bowen. “We are selling the future plans of the club to the player.

“I’ve read a lot about his love of Milan – and that goes without saying – but even when people said the deal was dead that was not our understanding.”

“We are still hopeful of signing Kaka,” added Bowen. “The situation has been a surprise to everyone but obviously negotiations have been going for a fair while.

“How close we are I don’t know, but our understanding is that it is very much a strong possibility that Kaka will be coming to Manchester City.”

City are ready to offer Kaka £15million in wages, according to reports.

Source: soccernews.com

Pic: goalvideoz.com