City braced for Spurs raid

July 08, 2009

Craig Bellamy

CITY are bracing themselves for a bid from Tottenham for Craig Bellamy - and reports suggest Spurs boss Harry Redknapp could join the race for Richard Dunne.

Redknapp is keeping a close eye on the striker situation at Eastlands as his Blues counterpart Mark Hughes bids to tie up deals for Carlos Tevez and Samuel Eto'o.

And although Tottenham have made no official comment on Bellamy, Redknapp is understood to be weighing up a bid for the Welshman.

Redknapp did try to sign Bellamy from West Ham before City swooped to buy him for £12m in January.

And Hughes has repeatedly praised the tenacity and goalscoring instincts of the striker, who missed 12 of City's final 15 games of last season through injury.

The Blues boss has already started reshaping his forward line for the new season, having signed Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn for £17m.

He has also allowed Brazilian Jo to go back to Everton on a season-long loan which follows the exits of Daniel Sturridge to Chelsea and Darius Vassell to Turkish club Ankaragucu - the former Aston Villa man met with great fanfare there.

A report in Wednesday's Sun newspaper, meanwhile, suggests Redknapp could fight it out with Sunderland for Dunne.

Black Cats chief Niall Quinn has already admitted his side would like Dunne at the Stadium of Light.

What do you think? Have your say.

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True Blue Middlesbrough, middlesbrough (08/07/2009 at 09:05)

One day having a jibe at City next day wanting our players.This should prove another person who is obsessed about our club.I would make him pay top dollar for any of our players.

George, Amsterdam (08/07/2009 at 09:06)

Another round up of today's press but what about giving us some insight into City's imminent deals?

dave clare, perth australia (08/07/2009 at 09:07)

16 million or do one arry, that should frighten him off. Never did like that used car salesman, please city tell him to go away.

OrigamiNinja, Inverness (08/07/2009 at 09:09)

I think in the games he has played Bellamy has performed well but everyone was concerned with his injury record before he arrived and surprise surprise it only took a matter of weeks before these concerns were realised. On this basis if Twitcher wants to give us the vast majority of our £12 million outlay back then I would let Bellamy go if we can bring in another couple of strikers.

cptpattern, Sunny Peel Hall, Wythenshawe (08/07/2009 at 09:15)

Bored. Some action please. Bellamy to Spurs - yes please. Rotten bit of business in the first place. We are in S.Africa in 10 days time - surely these targets we have bid for either want to come or not - Eto'o and Tevez (yawn) have just become another media circus. Still no defenders. Terry.....
Is this the swift early business we were told about? Can't wait to see how much Harry offers for Bellamy - something realistic maybe, about half of what we paid. Still bored.

Ambient (08/07/2009 at 09:16)

City dont have to sell. Whether later in the window MH chooses to recoup the £12m is entirely down to him. No pressure, no problem but just waiting for Cook to get his act together.

Jim Tolmie's moustache, Under Jim's nose (08/07/2009 at 09:16)

I promised I would not post until he has gone so to me this is fantastic news, never saw him as a City player and I have been a fan since 1967 and seen some mercenaries at City in that time. Before we get into the top 4 no doubt we will have to sign some mercanaries but he is someone with a poor history of injuries and temperment.Sums it up really 15 games 12 missed.

bluemoon exiled to the toon, Whitley Bay (08/07/2009 at 09:18)

ja00005 (08/07/2009 at 09:18)

I wouldn't do any business with him until he learns to stop talking about City. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder about us for some reason. He's not a rag fan is he?

abu dhabi city group (08/07/2009 at 09:21)

Bracing themselves????

Sorry, but i can't see that. It's not like the old days when we sometimes had to sell to keep our heads above the water.

And it's only 'arry at the end of the day, mr rent-a-quote where city are concerned. put the price up just for him and see how long it is before he goes runnin to the press.

Arabian Blue , Chelmsford (08/07/2009 at 09:22)

Off subject, does anyone else think Terry is trying to engineer a move to us buy claiming to be upset and demanding talks? Chelsea have said no offer is enough so why would he feel hurt unless he is using the situation to get a pay rise or wants to move.

Not sure who mentioned it yesterday about gambling debts but I have also heard he likes a flutter but I don't know about any debts to be honest.

gerry crainey is a legend!!! (08/07/2009 at 09:22)

bellamy should be kept as an impact sub, stretching tired defences with his pace, we dont need the money so why sell him and take a loss??? spurs wont pay what we paid!!!

CTID

g2thesmith (08/07/2009 at 09:23)

Id be shocked if city get rid of bellamy, not upset well certainly not if we sign both tevez and eto'o but simply suprised. Bellamy is i feel a very good squad player with fighting attitude and if hughes allows him to go then its almost as if hughes will be admitting he made a mistake in signing him. Also bellamy himself i would expect would like to stay, he has the mentality to think he is actually bettter than the robinho, tevez, eto'o of this world he will want to fight for his place and the chance to get glory with city and win a trophy.

Dunne i have loved hes been a great great player of the last few seasons ignoring last season when he had few problems, its funny i have actually prefered him and defended him over the likes of terry and carragher supporters. (few chelsea fans and liverpool ones near me). But i think we have to take our blinkers off and think he isnt all that. However i certainly dont think hes that bad, i dont think he will be easy to replace, a replacement will cost a large figure. I think Terry would be an amazing statement off the field if we was to sign him, but for 40m that is a hell of alot of cash just for few years service. Yet he would improve players around him who could become the next best thing like nedum or kompany and would also improve richards, all of which have many years ahead of him.

bluemoon exiled to the toon, Whitley Bay (08/07/2009 at 09:26)

We'd be mad to let Bellamy go, Even if we get Eto'o and Tevez, because he's outstanding quality, has loads of pace and is the perfect counter-attacking striker. Plus he totally 'upped' his game when he joined us.
Ched, Sturridge, Benjani, Vass (thanks again!), all expendable really, but imho, keep bellamy and Bojinov as we wil inevitably need the kind of flexibility and cover which these two will provide, especially when RSC's sick note hits Hughes' desk in mid-September.

On the topic of Eto'o, today's Independant:
"The view from Barcelona yesterday was that Samuel Eto'o is still not interested in joining City. If a Champions League contender comes calling he will leave but he appears to have nothing to lose by staying, since from January when the striker is out of contract, he can negotiate his own deal away from the club."

South Africa beckons next wednesday, is it just me or is it all going a bit quiet?

Reidus, Cambridge (08/07/2009 at 09:27)

keep bellamy, sell dunne

Dukinfield Blue, Manchester (08/07/2009 at 09:30)

What are the odds on him making some sort of statement along the lines of " we are interested in both players but not at the sort of Figures City are taliking about, City are so Rich that maybe they should give us both players for nothing - and pay their wages and bonuses at the same time. In those circumstances, we might be prepared to talk to City about a deal but even then City may have to pay us some money to take them off their hands".

Oh My God We've Struck Oil !, Stockport (08/07/2009 at 09:30)

I wouldn't want Bellamy to be sold, I know he is injury prone but on his day a good player with pace, Id rather have him in the team than face him. Also cannot stand "Arry Pearly King Redknapp" always has alot to say where we are concerned as though every target he is going for we always get there first.

st helens blue(exiled) (08/07/2009 at 09:32)

I wouldn't sell anyone until everything is in place. I see all the chelsea fans are a little quiet today following Mr Terrys request for a chat with Roman....Funny hey,no smoke without fire.

Slightly off the issue,did anyone hear Venables on talk sport yesterday afternoon with Mr "lets slete city" Jacobs. Unreal... This just sums up how we are being portrayed by the media. They were calling our defensive record,our away form(true not the best last year) and the money that is awash in football at the moment..Surprisingly they were lording Arry at Spurs... Nothing surprises me at the moment about the media and its all a little tedious. If Arry wants Bellamy then thats fine,tell him 20mill...

Oh well,lets see what today brings,still confident that Tevez and Terry will be City players within a week.Eto..not too sure anymore.

Dukinfield blue,I await your "you can't post on here cos you live in Merseyside" response....

john@staustell (08/07/2009 at 09:33)

'City brace themselves' - oh my God, no! What will we do against the mighty financial clout of Spuds and dodgy 'Arry?

Silly headline. If we want to sell people we will. Bellamy wont be one.

Blue Moon..., Manchester (08/07/2009 at 09:36)

bellamy will deffinately not go so this is rubbish

however dunne yeah, give them 4 million to take him.

ctid

She's Lost Control (08/07/2009 at 09:38)

Agree with Reidus.

jo alves (08/07/2009 at 09:41)

I dont mean to be negative lad`s but if Tevez is not signed today tomorrow latest then i think we can forget it,this has gone on far to long, madrid went to South Africa to sign kaka, what the hell is going on with this transfer? & i dont think it has anything to do with the FA paper work etc !!! CTID.

Chapman (08/07/2009 at 09:42)

Why use the word braced in the headline?
Tell Harry Redknapp it's £14Million for Bellamy and £6million for Dunne.Payment by Bankers Draft,no if's or but's.
Don't like the way this guy conducts his business, witness Distin,James and Benjani so let's deal with him on ours terms from now on.

MUSTHAVA PINT, DUBAI (08/07/2009 at 09:42)

Only sell both to Spurs for 20mill. Keep for another season if only there is no interest

Kippax Lover, Failswerf, Manchester (08/07/2009 at 09:42)

With his injury record I may be tempted to sell. But then we don't really need to if we are building a squad.

I certainly wouldn't sell him before we have at least 2 more strikers in.

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