Manchester City’s lack of activity in the transfer window this summer has largely been down to the club having to tighten the purse strings due to the upcoming Fifa Financial Fairplay regulations, with the Premier League winners needing to sell before they can splurge. One player on the verge of a switch away from the Etihad Stadium is out-of-favour winger Adam Johnson, with a transfer to Sunderland in the balance. Meanwhile, City are believed to be closing in on Swansea’s Scott Sinclair as a replacement.
Johnson has played his part in City’s rise to the top, but Roberto Mancini opted to use others ahead of the County Durham-born wide man for the decisive second half of last season. The 25-year-old was reduced to the odd appearance from the bench or involvement in the cup competitions, and as such missed out on England’s Euro 2012 squad due to lack of time on the pitch at club level.
Johnson has recently admitted that he has become frustrated at City and that he needs to be playing regular first-team football.
“I’m the kind of player that needs to be playing regularly,” he confessed.
“Any player does, really, no matter what age they are. I need to play week-in week-out. You can’t just go into one game after not having played for five, and be expected to perform.
“It would be nice to get a run of games with England but I’m not sure if I’ll get that chance at City.”
Sunderland seems like an ideal destination for Johnson, with the Black Cats looking more dangerous in attack if the City man joins the likes of Stephane Sessegnon, James McClean and new signing Steven Fletcher. Speculation over a £10 million move to the Stadium of Light continues, with Johnson reported to be keen on the switch. A run of regular football will give the winger the chance to prove his worth, build back confidence and potentially be a more regular feature in Roy Hodgson’s England set-up.
Should Johnson’s move away from City be confirmed, the media are claiming that Mancini will move for Swansea star Scott Sinclair as an alternative. The ex-Chelsea attacker has shown skill, speed and an eye for goal in helping the Liberty Stadium outfit win promotion to the Premier League and was an important man in their impressive debut campaign. With England under-21 representation and outings for Team GB at the Olympics, Sinclair’s stock has risen; he is no longer a promising youngster but a very able top-level competitor.
The 23-year-old has spurned a new contract with the Welsh club, and Swansea now face a tough decision with the player’s existing deal expiring next summer. Swans coach Alan Curtis has revealed that he believes that the Premier League champions have tabled a bid and that a transfer looks inevitable.
“He’s not really interested in signing a new contract and I think Man City have made a bid. So it’s just a matter of time now before it happens and it’s good for both parties,” Curtis confessed.
A fee believed to be in the £5-6 million mark is being touted with most media sources, with the fee not as high as it potentially could and should be due to Sinclair’s expiring contract.
All-in-all it is good business for Manchester City. Johnson’s time with the club looks over as Mancini prefers other more established players, and financially axing his sizeable wage and bring in a large transfer fee is a smart move. Similarly, Sinclair is available at an affordable price and would bring a breath of fresh air and competition for places that Johnson may seems to have given up on.
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