Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini feels that his team still has a chance to close the gap with league leaders Manchester United despite trailing by 12 points.
Recently City were linked with Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and their interest seems genuine. The mega rich club wanted to buy the striker in the January transfer window, but his £52 million buy-out clause proved to be the only obstacle.
They will go for him in the summer and they would need to sell a few players to balance the book. City are already under the scanner of Financial Fair Play rules and hence need to trim the bloated squad.
The club hierarchies are concerned about the financial warnings and hence the need has arisen to cull the unwanted members of the squad. Here we take a look at five such players whose future at the club is under huge threat.
Samir Nasri
The France international was bought for £24 million from Arsenal but has failed to live up to the expectations at Manchester City. He has made only 12 appearances this season and is slowly losing out the favour of his manager.
Already seen as a flop, unless he puts up series of extraordinary performances before the end of the season, his chances of staying is very slim.
Joleon Lescott
The central defender nearly gave away the title on the final day after making an horrendous error which he would never look back with pride.
This season, he has dropped down the pecking orders at the club and has made only 14 appearances in the Premier League. Mancini doesn’t rate him highly and there is no point in paying high wages to any squad player.
Kolo Toure
The Ivorian defender believes that City must win something to save Mancini’s job.
Well, how noble it is to fight for his manager, pity that his own career is under equally dark clouds. With only nine appearances to his name this season, does anybody expect him to continue?
Scott Sinclair
The 23-year-old was signed on a four-year contract from Swansea. He was touted as the next big thing for England but with only two starts this season, his future is stuck in a limbo. Either he should leave the club to gain regular first team action or Manchester City could show him the door.
Edin Dzeko
The 26-year-old Bosnian has always performed when needed. However, he is seen as third best choice striker at the club and his status of “super-sub” wouldn’t improve if Cavani joins the attacking force in the summer.
Several other players like Gareth Barry, Maicon, Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia haven’t performed to any sort of expected levels and could all be in the firing line as well in four months’ time from now.
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