Mancini in negotiations with Monaco last season before deciding to stay.

mike65

The guardian have a story confirmed by Mancini that he was casting far and wide as he looked for a possibly way out of City to other top or potential top clubs, most seriously with Ligue 2 side Monaco.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/01/manchester-city-roberto-mancini-monaco

The Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, held extensive negotiations with Monaco with a view to joining the club at the end of last season. The talks, lasting almost three months, led to Monaco believing he would join them and can be revealed for the first time.

The details of the extraordinary negotiations have been disclosed to the Guardian, corroborated at the highest level, and suggest that Mancini was close to accepting Monaco's offer, before opting to stay at City when his team overhauled Manchester United to clinch their first title since 1968.

The five-year contract, put forward during a meeting in Rome, was tax-free with Monaco's majority shareholder, the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, willing to pay Mancini €8m (£6.4m) a year, plus substantial bonuses, if he left the Etihad Stadium. Rybolovlev, ranked 100th on the Forbes list of billionaires, bought his majority stake in Monaco in December 2011 and is determined to use his wealth to return the club to the Champions League after a difficult period in which the 2004 finalists have dropped into Ligue 2.

Txiki Begiristains arrival has obviously prompted speculation about Pep Guardiola, it looks like it mightn't take too much to see Mancini leave.

Maximus Alexander

I'd be happy enough with Pep going to City. I have a strong feeling he won't be able to repeat the success he had at Barcelona.

Knex*

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I'd be happy enough with Pep going to City. I have a strong feeling he won't be able to repeat the success he had at Barcelona.

With an infinite budget?

Unfortunately money does buy you success in the world of football. With the squad already in place at City, Pep could go a long way.

homerjay2005

Knex. wrote: »

With an infinite budget?

i wouldnt call it infinate, Citys spending in the summer was very very poor compared to other years and they had to sell a few players before they could buy, due to their enormous wage bill.

the days of them spending 100million a year are gone i would imagine, they cannot sustain that anymore.

Neil3030

They could still spend high on players, just not on wages.

Imagine if Pep could entice some of Messi/Xavi/Iniesta to Eastlands :eek:

homerjay2005

Neil3030 wrote: »

They could still spend high on players, just not on wages.

Imagine if Pep could entice some of Messi/Xavi/Iniesta to Eastlands :eek:

money means nothing to those players, so i doubt they ever will go there, in fact id be willing to bet money that those 3 players will never play for City.

id say they will stay at Barca and retire there, unless theres some major f*ck up and Barcelona went into admin and they had no choice but to leave.

Blatter

Mancini is a very strange person. He says things and discloses information that most managers wouldn't do in a million years.

Maximus Alexander

Knex. wrote: »

With an infinite budget?

Unfortunately money does buy you success in the world of football. With the squad already in place at City, Pep could go a long way.

Well I don't think the budget is anything like infinite. As Homer says, they were pretty reluctant to buy last summer.

I've long thought Pep's success at Barcelona was in part because of his history with the club and its philosophy and play style, and in part because of the incredible players who have also grown up with that philosophy. I don't think it had much to do with him being a great manager in general, and even though its early days yet, I reckon this is backed up by the club's continued domination since his departure.

City is a different thing altogether, and I don't think money can buy what Barcelona have.

karma_

Knex. wrote: »

With an infinite budget?

Unfortunately money does buy you success in the world of football. With the squad already in place at City, Pep could go a long way.

City have been very clear on their plan for development in the future. Investing huge sums was only ever going to be to place down a marker to get the team to a level to compete and we have done that. Further investment is being made off the field and it's clear that those in charge plan to see City develop their own talent in the future rather than spend huge sums every season. The new appointment only reinforces that notion.

GavRedKing

If he does leave some manager will be walking into a nice little setup.Cant see him leaving anytime soon though.

Sgt Pepper 64

GavRedKing wrote: »

If he does leave some manager will be walking into a nice little setup.Cant see him leaving anytime soon though.

Oh I can - because of the CL - his old failing

Your Airbag

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I'd be happy enough with Pep going to City. I have a strong feeling he won't be able to repeat the success he had at Barcelona.

The worry would be he could persuade Barcelona players to follow him to the Ethihad due to his connections and great relationship with them.

Messi and tikka takki at the Ethihad. No thanks.

GavRedKing

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Oh I can - because of the CL - his old failing

I just can see him walking, now he might get pushed but that will only happen if they can bring in someone like Mourhino or Pep IMO.

Leiva

GavRedKing wrote: »

I just can see him walking, now he might get pushed but that will only happen if they can bring in someone like Mourhino or Pep IMO.

wonder what odds I would get on that ?

always had a inkling that he will end up there.

CSF

I would think Guardiola's philosophy would only work in the Premiership if he could bring in the likes of Messi and Iniesta. I don't think one could go out and sign players of that measure elsewhere regardless of budget.

Paully D

Happens all the time. Managers, players, club representatives and agents all meet on the sly with each other about potential moves etc. The only surprise about this is it actually came out in the press.

GavRedKing

Leiva wrote: »

wonder what odds I would get on that ?

always had a inkling that he will end up there.

Id say if Mancini does go then Pep and Jose would be favourites to replace him.

Pep at Utd, Jose at City? Be some craic :pac: