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發表於 2008-12-12 11:40:26
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The demands made by one of the world’s best players to sign for Manchester City can be revealed - Gianluigi Buffon has asked for £250,000 a week.
City’s pursuit of the 30-year-old Italian goalkeeper has stalled because he has missed the last month with a groin injury.
Buffon, however, is still pursuing the transfer and is expected to return to first-team duty with Juventus in the next two weeks. City must then decide whether to advance their interest.
No, it's not a joke: even Buffon cannot keep a straight face about the wages
The deal would include a £20m transfer fee, as well as £13m-a-year in salary for a player who currently earns £90,000 net.
In a sign of their new wealth, the Premier League club - backed by the vast riches of the Abu Dhabi royal family - have not baulked at the demands.
City manager Mark Hughes is believed to have endorsed the transfer - on condition Buffon proves his fitness.
While his new employers may be in a hurry, Hughes has faith in current No 1 Joe Hart and is urging patience.
Sources in Italy were said to be ‘completely amazed’ that City are prepared to continue with such a vast financial outlay.
Juventus are reluctant to sell, but the money is out of this world,’ said one source.
Juventus have just qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, even though Buffon played only one of their six group games. His arrival would be seen as a ‘statement signing’ by Sheik Mansour.
Gianluigi Buffon celebrates winning the World Cup with Italy in 2006
Such wages would make him by far the highest paid player in the Premier League, with his weekly salary making even the £160,000-a-week currently earned by his clubmate-in-waiting Robinho look tame by comparsion.
The highest paid English players include John Terry and Frank Lampard of Chelsea and Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, but Buffon’s signing demands would put him in a league of his own.
He has played for Italy 89 times and won the World Cup in 2006, keeping five successive clean sheets.
His loyalty to the club has been such that he even stayed at the Stadio delle Alpi when Juventus were demoted to Serie B for a season following investigations into alleged
match fixing in the summer of 2006.
However, he told Juventus at a meeting last week that he wished to leave and try his hand in the Premier League before his illustrious career came to an end.
Buffon said recently: ‘If a club is willing to pay that much for you, I will tell my agents to make the deal happen.
Spain's Euro 2008 hero David Villa could be on his way from Valencia to Manchester City
With that money Juve can go and a buy a team full of champions of their own.’
City are also emerging as favourites for Valencia striker David Villa, according to reports from Spain.
Although the player remains unsure about the move, Valencia are in serious debt and were reportedly forced to borrow £35m from banks to pay outstanding wages on Thursday. They owe an estimated £328m.
Having played for Valencia this season he cannot move to another Spanish club in January which has cleared the path for mega-rich City with £39m being discussed. Valencia’s valuation, however, is closer to £50m.
City’s spending will not stop there. Deals for Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz and Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra are in place but neither compare to Buffon’s status as a world star.
[ 本帖最後由 熱刺#29戴維斯 於 2008-12-12 11:42 AM 編輯 ] |
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