Kev keen to keep Anelka

Chris Bailey

June 29, 2004

PRIZE ASSET: Nicolas Anelka

KEVIN KEEGAN will not be encouraging bids for his leading marksman Nicolas Anelka.

The Blues boss, who paid '12.5million for the former Arsenal and Real Madrid striker and then handed the 25-year-old a five-year deal, has no intention of selling his prize asset despite persistent whispers from other clubs.

Fulham, who are due to go back to Craven Cottage, are the latest club to be pondering a '7m swoop for Anelka as a late replacement for Luis Saha.

Anelka, who grabbed 24 goals last term and still has three years left on his contract, has repeatedly said he wants to return to Carrington despite being linked to a move to both Fulham and Celtic.

No bid

The Blues have received no contact, official or unofficial, from the Londoners though in their current financial plight, shopping for Bosmans, the board might find it hard to turn away a big cash offer.

Keegan will welcome back his troops for pre-season in eight days time with a right-sided defender his number one priority. World Cup duty with China could rob him of the services of first-choice full-back Jihai Sun for four matches against Everton, Chelsea, Blackburn and Portsmouth.

China are currently unbeaten in Asia Zone Group Four and face matches with Kuwait, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The Blues could also face the early-season absence of long-distance travellers Claudio Reyna and Paulo Wanchope as the USA and Costa Rica step up their campaigns to qualify for Germany 2006.

Meanwhile, Wigan and Ipswich are leading the chase for City's former Dutch defender Gerard Wiekens. The 31-year-old was released on a Bosman at the end of last season after nearly 200 league and cup starts for the Blues.

Keegan has told the Blues favourite that he can train with City if he hasn't been fixed up before the start of pre-season.

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SAL the KID, Oldham (29/06/2004 at 13:04)

The reason he`s stay is quite simple.....no-one else wants him.

Harry H, SK (29/06/2004 at 13:28)

Count Duckula went to the rags for how much? & they want Anelka for #7m! LMFAO!

John, St Austell (29/06/2004 at 13:34)

I thought Wanchope made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't be playing for Costa Rica this summer as he wanted to concentrate on the league? He did! So why run this in the story?

Baz, Radcliffe (29/06/2004 at 14:03)

Quite simply the class of our team,he needs to up his commitment next season but still if we sell him we take away half of our goals and then where would we be.If we did sell him I wouldn't like to rely on any of our other forwards,a bunch of nobodies.

J (29/06/2004 at 14:23)

So the MEN is fast running out of names to link with a move to City, which we are all bored with anyway, and has concocted another non-story about the Elk leaving, including the quote "the Blues have received no contact, official or unofficial...". Really, I know KK has made some dodgy decisions but to off-load our top striker at a loss of B#5M, don't make me laugh! Nice of them to finish the article on another wind-up about the Chop being a possible early season absentee while playing for Costa Rica, despite numerous reports stating that he has put his International duties on hold so he can put City first. Must try harder MEN!!

Andy, Sale (29/06/2004 at 14:33)

We still owe more than 7 mill to his last club so if we are so hard up that we have to let him go for that amount then we are basically another Leeds. They got in all sorts of trouble because they had to sell players to get them off the wage bill but they sold them for less than they still owed on them. It's a recipe for disaster.

des, manchester (29/06/2004 at 14:38)

why does this paper keep putting stories like this on ?
until something concrete is said whats the point...
besides Anelka has stated many times hes happy to stay put, so if KK says the same the story is a pointless exercise unless you have nothing else to report...!!!

bluecity, east stand (29/06/2004 at 14:41)

No truth in the story -if saha was worth 11m then annelka is worth 15m

Andrew, Brentford (29/06/2004 at 15:33)

And the good news is that Sun Jihai will be missing for the first four games so it's not all doom and gloom!

Lee, Bolton (29/06/2004 at 15:53)

I would just like to echo your sentiments Andrew, the yellow "defensive" peril missing for 4 games. Its the first high point of a miserable closed season.

Ed, Manchester (29/06/2004 at 16:08)

Yet again the MUEN makes up a ridiculous story about Man City. Why not run the story about the rags not receiving any bids for Ryan Giggs!!! I have said it before but what agenda does this so called local paper have when all they do is write stories that either a) have no substance or b) have no relevance. I await a reply with baited breath.

Ollie, Guernsey (29/06/2004 at 16:11)

Who is reporting these stories? Shouldn't a responsible newspaper report factual stories? If City was going to sell him why would they be picking up bosmans now when they could use the money from the sale to purchase players? City want him, he wants City, we need his goals, he needs first team action to secure a place in the French squad. Think about it before printing unfounded stories. Next you'll be printing that we're going to be signing a 33 year old bosman on B#30,000 a week and who would believe that!!!

Alan, Manchester (29/06/2004 at 16:30)

This is June almost July, it's the cricket season. Leave it alone till September.

Blue Mood, Sale (29/06/2004 at 16:31)

The bad news is we'll probably have signed Helveg who's surely just a right-sided Tarnat minus the shooting (i.e. slow and old!!). As for Anelka leaving-can you imagine watching Fowler huffing and puffing around the pitch every weekend? I am becoming more and more disillusioned with the approaching season...

steve, m/c (29/06/2004 at 16:32)

If Elk goes were doomed. Why are people giving sun such a hard time. At least he can get up and down the pitch, could be a half descent defender if told how to do it properly and to play the simple pass out of defense.

JamCity, Stuck in bolton (29/06/2004 at 17:09)

Nico must stay! Anelka is a key part of the team and with a partnership with Wanchope he'll be even better next season. Nic Anelka is a blue!

Devilsadvocate, Manchester (29/06/2004 at 17:15)

Does the MEN have an agenda to create scare stories around City? And if so why? If no one has put a bid in and the player is under contract and not on the transfer list there is no story. The tenous (At best) link is the lack of money at City so should we now expect stories about no bids for SWP or Barton? Face it everyone the MEN is a Man United paper plain and simple. Take as an example of bias the club listing on their site if there were no bias at the MEN the list of local clubs would be in alphabetical order. The only time its worth reading these pages is after an actual event.
(To go back over old ground, again, the reason that City appear below United is because when the football section was relaunched many moons ago United were in the Prem, City in div one so it made sense to organise the navigation with the higher divisions towards the top. All internet navigation surveys show that users don't want it changed once it's become established, so we haven't. Hope this helps - Ed)

Blue Boy, Manchester (of course) (29/06/2004 at 18:45)

****** The Elk Is Blue************

He is going nowhere unless he was dropped from the team - believe me - this is the only reason he would leave the real half of Manchester -

Kev - You need to do a few signings son - where is the money!

Get a grip of the fat cats rapido -

We know you squandered most of the rent son in some of those ridiculous signings - You was probably a bit giddy at the time - but seriously son we need 2 or 3 good named players to stand a chance of survival next season - Why did you let wiekens go?

Dont tell me he was no good - he was blue and sweated for the shirt - as for the has beens your thinking of getting in son - FORGET IT!

guy debord, hulme (29/06/2004 at 19:12)

No chance, he'll be poppin' 'em in for us next term.
As for Sun, I like his commitment but he can't defend...at all, should be cover for SWP next season.
As there's only 8 days till the pre-season starts KK needs to address the RB problem urgently.

Red Devil, Prestwich (30/06/2004 at 07:55)

let's be realistic lads - when did a world class player ever stay at City for a lenght of time in the last 20 yrs?? Even your half decent players like Jensen sod off to pastures new. By the way good to see Thatcher (mediocrity personified) is getting into the swing of things! He called you massive 3 times in his first sentence when asked what it felt like to join city.

Bobster, Konstanz, Germany (30/06/2004 at 10:20)

In response to Ed's footnote at the end of devilsadvocate comments - It's true you have gone over that stuff before, but you'll go "blue" in the face trying to convince some of the regulars on here that you're not biased. I don't think you are, but nothing-stories like this one, seemingly without substance or foundation, of which Chris Bailey is the undisputed master, do not help your cause.

bert magoo, stockport (30/06/2004 at 11:08)

Sell him ! We have won nothing with him - do you know even massive clubs like coventry have won the FA Cup or something in the last 30 years - im sick of my embarrasment of a club winning nowt. Manchester United have won 26 trophies since we last won the mighty League Cup back in 76- how sad are we ??? So if getting rid of Anelka helps us buy some new players then lets get on with it and PLEASE can we bring those crazy blow up bananas back next year which make us so crazy.

Tim Kendall, poynton (30/06/2004 at 11:55)

Sell him, and we don't score. Look at the stats!

CF, Manchester (30/06/2004 at 13:33)

bert magoo. Even if we sold him and paid PSG what we still owe, we wouldn't have enough left to buy anyone decent and that would leave us with folwer again. Even if we did, KK would probably buy more pension seeking garbage.

rod, south wales (30/06/2004 at 13:42)

Anelka is class act.

Hes not a loyal player but if his manager has sold all the players whom created chances from midfield and he has to carry fowler,
who was keegans downfall.

I would leave nick cause city are heading in the wrong direction.

Wrong manager !
Wrong board!

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