Manchester City Linked With Bale and Lewandowski

Here we are in the run up to a big Premier League match against the media favourites Liverpool, and almost like clockwork the first stories about Manchester City players leaving have appeared in the Press. These have also been joined by stories telling us who we are signing in return!

Well, here we are in early November and about to face Liverpool in what the media are dressing up as a title decider. Facing the media darlings at Anfield is never easy but there are few surprises these days about the tactics employed behind the scenes to try and unsettle our squad.

So, it will be no surprise to any Manchester City fan that Raheem Sterling is linked with a move to Real Madrid. Whilst i believe Raheem will end up at either Barcelona or Real Madrid one day, I cannot see it being soon. It will be when Guardiola moves on and will not be part way through a season.

So what is driving this lazy conjecture? Well, the media seem to be suggesting we are in the hunt for Gareth Bale and are accepting him as some part payment for Sterling. Accordingly the bookmakers, especially those with close links to the media outlets reporting the story, have seen the odds of Bale to City tumble.

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Knowing how much value Guardiola places upon his wingers tracking back and working hard, why would we be remotely interested in Bale? He seems to be a player largely retired from playing football, content to spend his time on the golf courses of Spain.

Much more likely would be a move for Bale to Manchester United. But of course that would not help in the build up to the big Premier League match!

The second piece of transfer related news is also equally improbable. This flows from pieces in the European press this morning suggesting City are about to break the bank to land Polish wonder striker Robert Lewandowski.

Given we tend to have a billion corners a game, having Lewandowski would be a stroke of genius. But at 31 years of age he does not fit the profile of the players we sign. Why would we pay such a fee and explode our wages structure?

The fact Lewandowski is plying his trade at Bayern Munich and they have just sacked their manager after slumping in the Bundesliga seems relevant. I can imagine as Bayern continue to negotiate the release of Leroy Sane that they would be offering players in exchange in an attempt to lower the price, I just cannot see that player being their star player!

I know if I was working at City and negotiating with Bayern regarding the Sane deal I would be bored by now, so likely to start asking for the impossible. I would ask for Alaba, Lewandowski, Kimmich and Thiago all in part exchange for Sane!

Anyway, there will be more crazy media stories about City as the week ploughs on as we get closer to the Liverpool game. And as we approach the opening of the transfer window in January expect to be linked to every player on the move by any agent worth their salt who is just trying to negotiate the best terms possible for their player!