Report: City set to make space for RVP
According to the Daily Mirror, Manchester City are keen to sell four of their strikers in a bid to make way for Arsenal's Robin van Persie.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
City manager Roberto Mancini's admiration for van Persie is well-known, with the Italian declaring him a top-class player. Although Arsenal are keen to tie down their top scorer, the Dutchman's thirst for trophies and increased wages has led to club chairman Peter Hill-Wood admitting they may be forced to sell their biggest asset.
While the Manchester side are not lacking in the financial resources required to purchase van Persie, they are motivated by UEFA's Financial Fair Play ruling to clear out the surplus to requirements in their squad. The four believed to be on the transfer list are Edin Dzeko, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez.
Dzeko is tipped to be the first to leave the Etihad Stadium, with increasing speculation linking him with a move to Bayern Munich.
Although Tevez played his part in City's successful title charge this season, club management have grown tired of his constant entanglements off the pitch, and they consider compatriot Sergio Aguero to be good enough to supply the goals in Tevez's absence.
Santa Cruz and Adebayor were both sent out on loan this season to Real Betis and Tottenham respectively, as they were not considered part of Mancini's plans and remain a priority for the club to offload given their large wages.
A potential worry for City is the reality that the striking quartet will struggle to find another club that will offer them a salary deal matching what they draw currently. Nonetheless, Mancini hopes to be rid of them soon as he is eager to secure van Persie's signature when the Dutchman returns from Euro 2012. The English club face stiff competition from Italian champions Juventus, but Mancini has requested that the City board match or top whatever the Bianconeri are offering van Persie in order to obtain his services.