£4m City bid for Steed is rebuffed
Manchester City have had a £4million bid for Steed Malbranque rejected by Fulham.Blues boss Stuart Pearce has identified the Frenchman as the player he wants to provide the creative spark badly lacking in City's midfield in recent seasons.
And, with most of the cash from Shaun Wright-Phillips' £21million move to Chelsea still unspent, Pearce is unlikely to be deterred by Fulham's initial rebuff.
The indications are City will be back with a fresh, improved offer today and are hopeful Malbranque could be available for Saturday's Thomas Cook Trophy clash with Olympiakos at Eastlands.
'I can confirm the club has had a substantial bid rejected by Fulham for French international midfielder Steed Malbranque,' City communications chief Paul Tyrrell told the club's official website.
'It is disappointing that our offer has been turned down but we still retain a strong interest in the player.'
Malbranque, 25, joined Fulham for £5million during the summer of 2001 after helping Lyon finish second in the French league.
With the Cottagers he has established himself as a lively midfielder with an abundance of attacking flair.
Malbranque has scored 38 goals in his four seasons with Fulham, as well as setting up countless others for his teammates.
He also led France to the final of the 2002 European Under-21 Championships in Switzerland and was an unused substitute for the senior side on one occasion last year.
City have already signed one player from Fulham this summer in former England striker Andy Cole.
Since then, Pearce has also captured Aston Villa's international hit-man Darius Vassell.
Should the new Blues chief complete the hat-trick by persuading Fulham to part with Malbranque, it would represent a significant stride forward in his development of the club since taking over from Kevin Keegan last March.
The 25-year-old has played in excess of 130 games for the Cottagers since moving to London from Lyon, where he started out as a trainee.
A neat, passing midfielder with an eye for goal, he is exactly what City have lacked since the retirement of Ali Benarbia and the departure of Eyal Berkovic following his row with Keegan.
Although Robbie Fowler has taken on some of the creative responsibilities, he is now injured and with Wright-Phillips and Nicolas Anelka both seeking alternative employment since last January, Pearce knows he needs someone to supply the chances for Cole, Vassell and Bradley Wright-Phillips to convert.
The Football Association of Wales have been given until tomorrow to clear a £250,000 debt they have run up at the Millennium Stadium.
Stadium owners, the Welsh Rugby Union, have demanded payment for costs incurred for the football team's five internationals played in Cardiff since February.
Paul Sergeant, stadium boss, has written to all 28 members of the FAW council to request settlement in order to avoid problems ahead of Wales' high profile World Cup qualifier against England next month.
'Such is the magnitude of this matter I've no alternative but to write to every one of you and ask that you release payment for past costs without further delay,' Sergeant said in his letter, according to the Daily Express.
'There is a major international match looming and we have no desire to jeopardise it over such a simple matter.'
皮雅斯真係醒
買親都係好野 :o 但係出手低左d喎...:icon126: are u sure 4m can get steed..... 10M一次過買般莫迪同steed la:icon126: Originally posted by 熱刺#29戴維斯 at 2005-8-4 08:06 PM:
10M一次過買般莫迪同steed la:icon126:
10M買R.Keane+Steed 好過 :icon126: Originally posted by 小妖 at 4-8-2005 08:10 PM:
10M買R.Keane+Steed 好過 :icon126:
2個加埋起碼13M.... this one is gd Originally posted by 熱刺#29戴維斯 at 2005-8-4 08:06 PM:
10M一次過買般莫迪同steed la:icon126:
般莫迪:icon126: Manchester City have made an improved bid for Fulham's Steed Malbranque,
believed to be in the region of ￡5 million.
Stuart Pearce is pushing hard to make the French schemer his major summer
signing despite Chris Coleman's determination not to sell any of his stars
on the eve of the new Premiership season.
Coleman has already been resisting Newcastle United's offers for Luis Boa
Morte but Pearce is optimistic that the cash will prove too tempting to turn
down.
"We've tabled a very substantial offer to Fulham," he told Sky Sports News.
"A very fair offer.
"We're waiting on an answer from them basically.
"He's a player I respect a great deal and I think he'll benefit our club
greatly.
"I would like to see him come and join us. The ball is in Fulham's court and
basically we're waiting to hear from them.
"I think the offer we've put on the table is quite substantial and, if I was
them, I'd take it."
Pearce feels City are lacking a creative spark following the departure of
Shaun Wright-Phillips to Chelsea. 5M 就得既話 ,賓叔都出下手啦:icon113: 都好呀......起碼後生過FIGO......... Originally posted by TAMTOM at 2005-8-5 08:14 PM:
5M 就得既話 ,賓叔都出下手啦:icon113:
係都侯生出手先啦 :icon126: oh.....唔係又要down grade打法甲///// Originally posted by alonso at 2005-8-5 08:20 PM:
oh.....唔係又要down grade打法甲/////
係up grade:icon126: Originally posted by alonso at 2005-8-5 08:20 PM:
oh.....唔係又要down grade打法甲/////
G14 :icon126: oh...............佢又唔係冇人要......
而且最大問題係佢都冇話要走....... Originally posted by alonso at 2005-8-5 20:20:
oh.....唔係又要down grade打法甲/////
打歐聯喎:icon111::icon101: liverpool都有.......仲要有新歐聯衫著......... Originally posted by alonso at 2005-8-5 08:24 PM:
liverpool都有.......仲要有新歐聯衫著.........
唔係必然正選 :icon126: 咁個season咁漫長.....60幾場波點踢得曬......
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