Whatever way you look at the situation it doesn't make sense.
If he hasn't already signed a pre-contract agreement with either Chelsea or Villa, surely Sturridge should think again.
If the striker wants examples of how home-grown kids can prosper at Eastlands then he clearly doesn't have far to look.
A quick glance across the dressing room on any given match-day will immediately show him that his contemporary Micah Richards has done pretty well for himself, that Shaun Wright-Phillips found the grass no greener on the other side of the fence when he took off for Stamford Bridge and that Nedum Onuoha and the much-feted Stevie Ireland have shown what can be done, achieved and earned if you are prepared to knuckle down and work hard.
Perhaps Sturridge simply doesn't want to wait any longer for his chance, perhaps he sees an influx of talented big-money signings as unfair competition but surely if he thinks he has the tools to take him to the very top then he should back himself against all-comers and reach the conclusion that City is one of the most ambitious clubs in the world at the moment.
And if young Danny does end up wearing the Blue of Chelsea rather than that of City does he really think that he will be an automatic choice for their new boss Carlo Ancellotti? If he thinks he is at this stage of his career a better bet than Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba or even Joe Cole then he is wrong.
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The question that most City fans are pondering is why a 19-year-old relatively unproven but clearly talented young striker would want to turn his back on a club that has nurtured him through the ranks at the exact time when the rest of the Premier League is coming out in a cold sweat worrying about who Mark Hughes might sign next?
But his departure, no matter how puzzling, now seems inevitable with talks to keep the England youth international at Eastlands reaching a weary and predictable impasse before the end of the season.
Boss Mark Hughes confirmed after the final match of the season against Bolton that there were no fixed plans to go back to the negotiating table. He also stressed that an offer was still there to be accepted.
What the manager didn't say was that many people within the club felt Sturridge has already made up his mind to leave - a belief hardly contradicted by the youngster handing out end of season gifts to some of the staff at the Carrington training ground.
The exciting and naturally talented Academy product is clearly a player who will make his mark at one level or another. He scored six City career goals from a dozen starts and 19 substitute appearances but is nowhere near the polished, finished article.
He was widely believed to be seeking a pay rise that would have put him in the £35-40,000 per week bracket, which is a lot for someone of promise that has yet to be fulfilled on anything like a regular basis.
That for instance, is thought to be around twice as much as neighbours United are paying Danny Welbeck a teenager whose progress, experience and potential almost mirrors that of Sturridge.
He has had the sense to stay and fight for place in the first team and there are many who feel Sturridge should have done the same and that his impending departure smacks of haughtiness and haste.
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Daniel son,your being foolish.
I've got a sneaking suspicion that he's made up his mind he's leaving City and so his excessive salary demands are made in the knowledge that City won't budge and that provides his excuse for leaving.
If only he'd just come out and say he's got an offer from what he considers a better club than City.
A very balanced,logical and realistic article Chris.
It should be essential reading for young Daniel.
Under Malcolm and Joe I think the acceptable was 6 poor performances for each player. The premier is reduced in match numbers so I think this will now be 4. Only Mark Hughes and his coaching staff know the bad behaving players who did not do themeselves or their club justice last season. It is for that reason why we finished 10th and out of europe with the culprits now earmarked to make an exit.
OK we can criticise managment for at times naievity and frustrating tactics but I have to believe and accept that the management know the ins and outs of the players better than me and what they consider to be the strongest team to put out. As supporteres we would have to be with the players watch them in training and in the dressing room to assess and provide more meaningful critique.
I think also have to accept that we lost key players through injury, that impacted and weakened the quality and depth of in real terms of a shallow squad.
Transfer activity is now stepping up a gear and MH has a fine record in the transfer market and with a season under his belt will now with his pot of gold bring in players of the right calibre, physical presence and the will to win that we have been lacking since the Alison Mercer days. We have some fine young players who given the right attitude, desire and commitment can excel. But they must listen and learn from their management team and peers. Manchester City is the place to be. I for one will return in the new season to witness the new City, the new force to be reckoned with.
I suspect and support the view that their are some greed people in the game who have not proved their worth to the squad Sturridge is a prime example one so young but making demands for what? May be being ill advised by his agent but I consider the damage is now done and he will depart. Given that that is, if other managers believe they can meet his pay demands and get value for their investment. Money is tight and strong will and judgement will be required for any club to jump for him. Although, seeing 6 million being quoted for Campbell makes you wonder if some managers possess common sense fi they meet this fee as Campbell again has not set the premier alight or am I living on some other planet?
Maybe he is just trying to get the best deal possible? People are villifying the lad without knowing the facts. Let's wait and see what happens.
Please stay and look at the players who will be lining up with next season
I do think he will leave - however i can see the back of the papers in 5 years, ''If only City paid his wages'' i think we should negotiate hard with his advisors because this lad is something special and will be a premiership great in my eyes.
If he wants to go let him go,City will survive without Danny boy!!
I've said for a long time that it must be down to more than money. Maybe he just realises he's not actually gonna play much for city seeing as we've already go loads of strikers and are likely to buy one or two more?
Obviously, what i've said can be completely ignored if he goes to chelsea but if he decided to go to a west ham/fulham/everton type club then he'd probably play a lot more for them than he would for us...
But what he should do if he actually has any sense is go and play abroad somewhere if he's not gonna stay with us.
At the end of the day,we dont want players who don't want to play for us.Whatever he has been offered he is obviously intent on leaving and sitting on the bench somewhere for an extra 20-30k per week. If that is the case then let him go.If he doesn't want to be part of something big then thats his issue.Sturridge-remember s.w.p?
Bailey's on a roll at the moment isn't he? Balanced, tempered articles which point out the bigger picture to those who immerse themselves.
I'm not sure i agree with him though, if I were him I'd be looking at the names supposed to be coming in, looking at Boj's resurgance, Bellamy's recuperation and then lookin at the door...
In all honesty, what has given this season apart from 'promise'?
Cash in!
Only a few clubs can or will want to meet his salary-demands, but so far I've read nothing of any club that actually invited him and his agents for talks. Chelsea is being mentioned a lot as they were (!) interested in him last year. Im not sure Chelsea (i.e. Ancelotti) is now.
I still want Sturridge to sign for City and prove everybody wrong. I'm sure if he can do a 'Stevie Ireland' he will soon get the wages paid he wants now. He's talented enough to give it another go. If he signs elsewhere, good luck to him but he won't be missed.
just been mentioned on Talk Sport that we are 'close' to signing Tevez and a statement may be made later today.......tick....tock....tick
In KAM, GC&MH We TRUST. CTID
This is the situation really. He hasn't played that many 1st team games over the last 2 seasons - and with our prospective new signings (whoever) he'll get less next season. He's already been offered a fair wage (age/experience) and can't command a very substantial increase. He'll get very few starts for Chelsea if he moves there (bench warmer at best). It's his call but let's get some sort of fee (tribunal)if he moves on.
dickson etuhu mark 2
We've just signed an established England international who has proven his talent time and time again in the Premier League at his previous club where he was Captain on a £90k per week contract...
Daniel Sturridge and his advisors want us to provide him with a contract worth anywhere between £35K - £75K depending on what you read...
...and this for someone who consistently makes the wrong decisions, wanting to beat a whole team on his own rather than pass to his team-mates, wanting to play silly buggers and do fancy dan tricks when a simple pass would do...
ARE YOU HAVING A LAUGH!!!
Tell you what, Danny boy, why don't you take yourself and your greedy unrealistic demands and try and find a club that will tolerate an unproven, bigheaded, average footballer that believes his own press...
A career in the Championship beckons...
In a way, I feel for some of these players. Many times they are unfairly lynched without the true facts being known, with no way to defend themselves. Sometimes it's best they say nothing and do their business in the confines of an office. We don't know what's being discussed. And I'm pretty sure anyone within that office wouldn't come out of there blurting anything that was said!!
Personally, I like to wait for official confirmation of 'fact's', statements etc., before I cast my opinion. Hughes, Richards, Elano and now Sturridge have had to face the wrath of the fans, when the only information on offer is pure speculation. I hope for their sakes, they don't read the forums.
The fact is the club should have had him tied to a longer deal much earlier.
goodbye, simples
He should keep his head down and keep learning his trade, then the money will follow. In days gone by when we didn't have much money players were in a strong bargaining position and could ask for and get inflated slaraies becuase we couldn't dip into the transfer market to replace them. This is now not the case and we are in a stronger position.
Sturridge has promise, that is all. You don't pay players for potential as it isn't proven and besides we have had years of having players 'with potential', but 'potential' doesn't win things now does it? I want players who have just about reached or are at their potential.
It seems to me that suddenly we are the richest club so an agent or the player now thinks 'I'm having some of that'. Bad move though as he is a fringe player only.
Maybe, like another Academy product, some players think that they have made it and are Mr Big Time Charlie after a hanful of first team performances and a few grand a week. Finacially successful yes but no real 'achievement' in teh game.
Take some of the older players at the rags like Giggs and Scholes. They didn't give up at 21 did they, all blinging it up about town. They were and are still hungry to acheive more and more. Meanwhile we have Big Time Charlies who have won nowt.
Times are changing though. If Sturridge goes then so what, we will get somebody in who is proven and wants to play for us.
Good article Chris.
I would love to see Daniel stay, having been a fan of his since his very early days with City. Albeit prone to injury, he is a raw and exciting talent who has given glimpses of his ability (the Blackburn game springs to mind). The key word in there is "glimpses" and until he can deliver week in and week out (Onouha, Ireland etc), he really can't expect the stellar wages as are paid to the top players.
This whole affair smacks of greed and perhaps an element of brinkmanship on Daniel's side. The problem for him now is, if indeed it is brinkmanship, has he burnt his bridges with MH?
The club should stand firm. They've made what they consider to be a fair and final offer.
If he goes where's his guarantee of regular first-team football, unless in a lower part of the Premiership, and will those teams be able to afford to his wage demands? I wouldn't have thought so for a relatively untried and untested player.
As Cloughie would have said:
"You, young man are a being a very silly boy. Now get out there and show me what you can do"
I can't see that the subs bench is any more comfortable at Chelsea or Villa than it is at City! It may be possible that young Daniel was aggitated by Mark Hughes's attempts to offer him has bait in the Rocque Santa Cruz saga back in January (allegedly) therefore feels a lack of loyalty on the club's part, who knows!! He should however, be mature enough to realise that Mark Hughes does not hold a grudge (Elano, Robinho and Richards three recent examples of undermining his authority). If he goes, he goes. The blue machine marches on.
I hear he won't make himself available to play unless he is 100%. Physio reports are key to Leslie with emphasis on the "players attitude to his injury". He's not worth the money he's asking for yet and obviously doesn't want to graft to earn it. Talented no doubt, as is Elano. But it's not enough without wanting to play for the shirt. Get rid and move on.
Maybe he doesn't think he can make it against the calibre of striker that (hopefully) we'll be bringing in shortly. If he doesn't believe in himself, then it would make perfect sense to get the longest, highest paid contract from whoever. If you anticipate sitting on a bench for the next 5 years, then doing it for 50k a week makes more sense than sitting there for 15k doesn't it?
The fact is the club should have had him tied to a longer deal much earlier.
I was, i am, i will be again, Germany: Yes and MH has said exactly that many times. He has said that he would never have allowed it to happen.