Taking on Champions League big guns United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, in a bold bid to sign Argentina international Carlos Tevez, few gave them a prayer.
Twelve months ago, it would have been unthinkable. Even 12 weeks ago, few would have put money on the Blues pulling it off, for all their new-found wealth, as it had not yet been matched by success on the field.
And yet, with Tevez due to reveal his destiny next week - and City also gearing up for a major announcement - the Blues are now strong favourites to land Tevez.
Reports that the player has already signed are wide of the mark but, barring any late hitches, it appears City will fight off their last remaining rival Chelsea.
A weekend radio interview with Tevez's adviser Kia Joorabchian, the man who also owns economic rights to the player, offered some major clues about Tevez's mind-set.
And the conclusion, unless Joorabchian is playing an elaborate game, would seem to point the £25.5m striker in the direction of Eastlands.
Here, M.E.N. Sport analyses the key parts of that Talksport interview and give our own football-style verdict on how the Blues appear to be in front as the game goes into injury time.
Q How happy is Carlos Tevez today or is he a little bit sad that it's come to an end at Manchester United?
KJ I think Carlos is not happy - he's a little bit sad. He has had two years at the club, two great years and they have won two Premier League titles, one Champions League title, and one Carling Cup in his time. And he is quite sad that in two years there was not one...
Q He felt unloved?
KJ Well, they didn't really give him any offers for two years. Over the duration of two years there was a lot of talk about signing him but we never actually got to the point of receiving any offers for him at all.
Q It sounds like the offer Manchester United have made him was too little, too late. Is that fair to say?
KJ The offer from United was a very good offer. It came about ten days ago and was for the loan price of £9m plus the final option price of £25.5m and they made him a good contract. But Carlos needed time and I want to make it very, very clear that we never, ever at any time asked them for more money, at any point in the last two years. Even after they made their offer we never, ever asked them for more money. We never spoke about that. Carlos just felt that over the last two years they hadn't made the offer to sign him, he needed a little bit of time and they were under a bit of a time restraint with the situation that was going on, and we couldn't get there in time.
M.E.N. VERDICT: RED CARD FOR UNITED
Q Is he going to stay in the Premier League?
KJ He has made that really clear, that he does want to stay in the Premier League.
M.E.N. VERDICT: RED CARDS FOR MADRID AND INTER
Q Has he got a favourite club that he'd like to go to? Would he like to stay in the north west at the moment?
KJ Carlos, as you have seen throughout his career, loves to go to clubs that fight for things.
M.E.N. VERDICT: CHELSEA 1 CITY 0
Clubs that have a history, grass roots types of clubs. He was at Boca Juniors which is a very grass roots type of club, then at Corinthians which was an underdog in everything they did - they were bottom of the table when he joined them and he won the premier league with them. He loved the fight.
M.E.N. VERDICT: CHELSEA 1 CITY 1
He went to West Ham, and when he had the opportunity to leave in January he didn't want to - he had a great love for their fans and a great connection with the club and wanted to make sure it survived. I think now he will make his decision based on the club he feels has a deep history, have ambitions to win titles, to move forward, and that he can be part of that ambition.
Q Give us a clue - is that Liverpool back on the table, or Chelsea, or Manchester City? Are we too far away …
KJ To be fair we ruled Liverpool out because Carlos doesn't want to go to Liverpool due to the competitive nature of Man United and Liverpool. He has a lot of respect and a lot of love for the fans of United, and think he would rule Liverpool out as their greatest competitor.
M.E.N. VERDICT: RED CARD FOR LIVERPOOL
M.E.N. VERDICT: CHELSEA 2 CITY 1
Q What about Manchester City then, would he rule out United's city rivals?
KJ City and Chelsea would be the two clubs on the table. City have obviously been in contact with us - I have spoken to Garry (Cook) and Mark (Hughes) on several occasions. We haven't talked to them about contracts, or to Chelsea either about that, because we have respected the fact that Carlos is a Manchester United player and always wanted to respect that point.
M.E.N. VERDICT: CHELSEA 2 CITY 2
Now we will see which will be the best option, the club with the biggest ambition, the club with the real passion to do something different in the Premier League.
Q Would he mind, then, missing out on Champions League football for a season if he fancied joining up with the likes of Robinho? If he thought `I'll give the Champions League a miss knowing I have a lot more to give in this Premier League over the next few seasons'?
KJ Without getting into the point of whether he will go to Chelsea or City or wherever, the issue is that Carlos wants to go to a club that has real ambition, a club which is showing intent, which he can help achieve great things. In a club like City, they have definitely shown a lot of ambition in the players they have brought in over the last year or so. They are bringing in better players. A club like Chelsea is also showing a lot of ambition - they want to win the Champions League.
Both of them have that ambition but what is important is that Carlos is very happy in England. He is extremely settled and his family is in a very good shape here - they love the country. He wants to stay here - with the two European clubs that have come to him, he hasn't totally disregarded the option but he has put it down his pecking order.
M.E.N. VERDICT: CHELSEA 2 CITY 3
Q I know Carlos is in Argentina having a well-earned rest at the moment, but when will you be in a position to make a decision? What will it be based on? What's the next step?
KJ We told Man United the same thing (on Friday), that Carlos is not willing to make a decision now. He has been two years on a loan deal and would like to have a little bit of time to digest all the offers and think about his future because he is thinking about his future for the next five years.
This is purely and utterly Carlos Tevez's decision, no-one else makes it for him, not myself or his agents. It is for the next five years for his family, so he needs time to think about that. He needs to be making that decision to go to the best club, he thinks, for him and his future in the Premier League.
Q Does he think maybe his face didn't fit at Old Trafford? He made 18 starts this season and 31 the season before for United - there is obviously a little bit of a difference and a difference in the manager's thinking.
KJ I don't think it's correct to say his face doesn't fit. He was very much a part of the Man United team for the last two years, but clearly in the last year he has been very disappointed and he has been even more disappointed that it had to come to the fact that the loan deal had finished … if Wayne Rooney's contract or Cristiano Ronaldo's contract had been finishing, six months before, would they have offered a better deal to them at that time?
Would they have tried to secure their services a bit sooner, or shall we wait until Cristiano has gone and then try to secure him? He has that feeling that maybe he wasn't the most wanted person at United. Rightly or wrongly, that's how he feels. Personally I feel United made a fantastic contribution to try to secure him with a last-ditch offer, but it was maybe a little bit too late.
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Lets get one thing clear...Tevez is a really good player.....but no global superstar.....not by any stretch of the imagination...He is no Kaka...No Messi....No Ronaldo....unfortunatly.I feel that until we either qualify for the Champions League or appoint a manager with a CV the "A" list superstars will overlook us...unfortunatly!!!
some players want to join a club that is top of the pile and winning most things year on year fair play to them, some players try it and then find they need a new challenge and the chance to acheive great things against all the odds, i feel that tevez is one of these players(look at he clubs he has been at before he joined utd) i must admit these types are very few and far between but they require more than just rolling teams over every week.
if you look back at tevez career he has done this throughout the only time he has not is when he signed for utd, he has seen both sides of the coin if you like and obviously prefers the chance to really make his mark at a club.
i dont think he felt able to do this at utd and the same will apply at chelsea (if he goes there) but at city that is a different thing all together as he will be joining city at the begining of the journey not just turning up for the after show party. and this i feel is realy what motivates carlos tevez.
Right after your 3-2 to City verdict he better sign!!
THE SUN TODAY:
MANCHESTER CITY have completed the £40million signing of Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz.
Blackburn striker Santa Cruz, 27, agreed a £15million switch to Eastlands and completed a medical.
His fee will increase to £18million based on appearances.
Tevez, 25, agreed to the astonishing move from Old Trafford, as we predicted back on May 23, after a long chat with City boss Mark Hughes convinced him of the club's ambitions.
The Argie striker became sick of being down the pecking order at United and Hughes told him he will be his main hitman.
His £25.5m move will be completed on July 1 when his two-year loan deal with United comes to an end.
City will give him a five-year contract worth £100,000 a week.
Tevez chose City ahead of Chelsea.
Santa Cruz was signed on a four-year deal which sees his wages double to £80,000 a week
Come on Carlos... Sign baby, Sign!!!
I suspect that arrogance on the part of United was part of the reason for not offering Tevez a deal before the last minute.
There is a mis-placed belief by their idiotic " fans ", and management, that every good player in the world wants to play for them.
In the pasr this has been proved not to be the case,with players turning down their approaches, but they continue to believe this hype.
Respect is something which most human beings are entitled to , with the exception of many of the arrogant Rag idiots obviously, ang I believe that their management have seriously mis-judged the Tevez situation.
SAF comes across as an arrogant and self-important individual, and their " fans " glory in the arrogance and contempt that the club displays towards other managers and clubs.
A lesson in humility would not go amiss to the " world club champions " ( joke competition) and their army of bufoons.
Tevez is money mad and to think he is turning down winning medals just for money, glad he has gone!
City 3 Chelsea 2 - it would make a very welcome change if we actually beat them at football as well this season, feels like they batter us every time we play them. I think Chelsea will win the league this season mind you, City will be in the top 6, and that will be progress.
Well structured article by Stuart Brennen.
I met him once briefly and he seems a good guy and reporter.If he is going to be Manchester City's regular reporter then I wish him well.
I like many others of the blue faith believe these signings when I see them announced on the club website or when the player is introduced at the SportCity stadium.
July is going to be a very interesting month for the club.Who is next to arrive?
If he does'nt sign for us now I am just gonna give up on all this transfer window madness and lock myself in a dark room until September.
What with all the gossip ,kids enrolled into Cheadle Hulme school, Skybet 1/10 to join City, family love Manchester...blah , blah , blah...I know they say theres no such thing as a dead cert ....but come on.
Oh and by the way how busy is that lad gonna be on the shirt printing counter , having TEVEZ on yer back is like having two extremely large fingers pointing directly at the swamp !!!!! BE LOUD , BE PROUD , BE BLUE.....MCFC..ITS A MANC THING !!!!
Let's get one thing clear...Nick is a really boring whinger...but no football pundit....not by any stretch of the imagination...
City 3 Chelski 2. If only it were that easy...
I fancy Tevez to join us, but do wonder what he will make of the reaction from the bitter rags once he realises they loathe and despise us every bit as much as they loathe and despise Liverpool. The pretence that we don't really matter is coming to an end at Ragsville. MUFC v MCFC is your cup final now!
"and City also gearing up for a major announcement"
What major announcement? Have i missed something?
Nick Treason, Have you ever been out of Surrey?
I was in a Melbourne sports memorabilia shop last Wednesday and pride of place was a signed Man U Tevez shirt going for a packet. It attracted more customers than anything else in the shop.
I did remind a couple of guys that if they were to hold off for a few more days they'd be able to buy the same in a nice blue colour.
Tevez has as big a name as any other superstar on the planet. Except Camberley.
Nick: We need to qualify for the Champions League first, before those "superstar" players would even consider us. One step at a time, and replacing the manager would just be madness, just when we have a semblance of stability.
Both Barry and Santa Cruz signed for Hughes, both more than capable of being in a top 4 team. Lets walk before we complain we're not running.
Tevez would be an excellent signing - funny to see the reds claim he's "money-mad" still, despite the evidence that utd offered him just as much money as City.
Nick, The Voice Of Reason - i am one of the most cynical people you will ever clap eyes on mate - but if the signature of Carlo Tevez does not float your boat then you best stay in Surrey mate! The only thing to get clear with that post is your southeren smogged mind! Kaka, Messi ,Ronaldo (!!!) what are you on down there!?? Get back to Blackley and get some gravy on yer chips son!
Nick ,The Voice of Reason, , Surrey Stockbroker Belt,(Blackley Born & Bred).
23/06/2009 at 10:40
Crap!
You are only saying this because all last season you have said Hughes could not get any big name players..... Here is a top class player who is wanted by top teams all around the world and because it looks like he is coming to us you are discrediting this fact because it goes against what you have been saying!!! If we get Eto will you be saying the same thing?
You are an absolute joke of a city fan!
danny WILMSLOW-your manager wanted him to stay,infact by all accounts he got down on bended knee.
Its getting to you isnt it danny
Good ole Nick The Voice of God Knows What banging the same old boring drum yet again. Why do you bother? You can't stand the manager, you do nothing but slag off the players, nothing is ever right ... yet you have undying loyalty to the club... Who do you want as manager? Mourinho? Scolari? They're the same two who failed to lure any "A list superstars" to Chelsea. In fact one of the only two "A" list superstars to come to England chose City instead of them.
Good ole Nick The Voice of God Knows What banging the same old boring drum yet again. Why do you bother? You can't stand the manager, you do nothing but slag off the players, nothing is ever right ... yet you have undying loyalty to the club... Who do you want as manager? Mourinho? Scolari? They're the same two who failed to lure any "A list superstars" to Chelsea. In fact one of the only two "A" list superstars to come to England chose City instead of them.
come on the blues
Nick The Voice of Treason strikes again!!!!!
What I need is to see Tevez sign a contract at Eastlands, gives a press-conference about how he committed himself to City, and see him pictured with Mark Hughes and a City-scarf. Than I will say: Final score City 3-Rest of the world 0. Up until then, I will wait in patience and not let stories mix up my mind. Remember how we signed Robinho ...
does anyeone else no about this major announcement
Lets not forget our defence, which also needs seeing to, after many mistakes last year! But First lets get Tevez, and aim a swipe at the rags across town. But seriously we need to sort our defence out to get into the place MCFC aim to be at the end of next season.