Player Preview #9 - Emmanuel Adebayor

CURRENTLY unsettled at Manchester City, Emmanuel Adebayor could get his wish to move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer, providing potential buyers stump up the £14m asking price.

Having spent the last five months of the previous campaign on-loan at Spanish giants Real Madrid, Adebayor is holding out for a permanent deal that could take him back to the Santiago Bernabéu.

He has made no secret of his desire to leave Manchester, and is just one of several want away players under Roberto Mancini's charge at the Etihad Stadium. But, the Togolese striker's £170,000-a-week wages will be a major stumbling block if he is to engineer a move away from City.

Reports have suggested that he has turned down approaches from Blackburn Rovers and Paris Saint-Germain, who were hoping that they would be able to tempt Adebayor with a move back to France.

|Image courtesy of telegraph.co.uk|

But the former Arsenal man would prefer a return to Spain where he played at the highest level under José Mourinho. Los Merengues made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League, only to be seen off by fierce rivals Barcelona, who would go on to win the competition 3-1 against Manchester United at Wembley.

It is understandable why Adebayor would want to leave City. Despite the attraction of European football, he has simply fallen out of favour with Mancini, and there is no shortage of funds at the club to recruit more strikers should both Adebayor and Tevez leave this summer.

No player wants to sit on the bench, or not even get in the matchday squad week in week out, so it is only fair that the man who cost £25m when he signed from Arsenal in 2009 should be allowed to leave should the right offer come in.

What may displease City fans is the way Adebayor has gone about his demands to leave. Too often he has spoken out of turn, verbally bashing the club from time to time. Though the City faithful never like to boo a returning player, I cannot see Adebayor getting the warmest of receptions should he ever cross the white line at the Etihad Stadium in the future.

Player Preview #3 - Wayne Bridge

HAVING joined West Ham United on loan for the remainder of last season, Wayne Bridge now has a 'relegation black spot' on his CV for potential employers, as he looks set to be one of the players shipped out by Roberto Mancini this summer.

The former England left-back, who retired from the international scene after the 'John Terry saga' two seasons ago, was a first team regular when he completed his £12m move from Chelsea in January 2009, making 22 appearances in his first season, before adding another 28 in the 2009-10 campaign.

But, with the arrival of Serbian Aleksandar Kolarov, Bridge's first team opportunities were limited, and he made just seven outings last season - with the majority coming in the UEFA Europa League.

Now that Gaël Clichy has completed his £7m move from Arsenal, Bridge will find himself even further down the pecking order to fourth or maybe even fifth choice, with Pablo Zabaleta and Joleon Lescott preferred to slot in at left-back.

|Image courtesy of guardian.co.uk|

The former Chelsea man, who began his career at Southampton, will be surplus to requirements this season - unless, touch wood, all four players above him in the pecking order sustain some sort of horrific injury.

With Clichy leaving Arsenal, it has started a transfer bidding war for Newcastle United left-back Jose Enrique between the Gunners and Liverpool. Should any deal for the Spaniard go through, it seems likely that the Magpies will move for out-of-favour Bridge, who could be available for around £6m.

The 30-year-old will always be remembered by City fans for his refusal to shake former best friend Terry's hand during the 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge in February 2010. Tension had ben building between the two players after it was revealed that the Chelsea skipper had been having an affair with Bridge's then girlfriend.

So much was the anticipation of the handshake, SkySports even changed the schedule of their advertisements before the game just to broadcast the face-off between the two players.

It seems likely that the number three shirt will be vacated by Bridge this season, but I would like to wish him all the best for the rest of his career - should his future lie away from Eastlands.

Savic In Good Kompany

SHOULD Stefan Savic complete his transfer to Manchester City from Partizan Belgrade, he will be the understudy of one of the stand-out defenders of last season in the shape of Vincent Kompany.

At just 20-years-old, Savic has made six appearances for the Montenegro national team - including a start in the 0-0 draw with England in the EURO 2012 qualifying campaign at Wembley.

With the departure of Carlos Tevez seemingly imminent, it is likely that Kompany will be handed the captain's armband for the new season - and what a leader the Belgian could prove to be.

Already the role model for young fellow countryman Dedryck Boyata, the 25-year-old will be able to take Savic under his wing as he develops into another fine centre back to be at the heart of City's defence for many years to come.

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It is another shrewd swoop from Roberto Mancini, having already dipped his toes into the water with the £7m capture of Gaël Clichy from Arsenal on Monday. The deal for Savic is believed to be in the region of £6m, which would take City's spending to £13m this summer - a stark comparison to the £105m last summer, and the £120m the summer before that. But not to worry, it is early days in the window - I am sure Mancini will find a way to strengthen the squad with another £100m.

However, this is not Savic's first experience of life at an English club. In 2010, the centre-back had a ten day trial with Arsenal - with whom he said he had agreed to join in the summer. The transfer never went through and the youngster signed for Partizan.

There is not a player yet that Mancini has brought in who is not up to the standard of the Premier League. Granted, striker Edin Dzeko had a tough first season at the club, but, like all City fans, I believe the Bosnian will be a handful next season.

Whether Savic will have an immediate role remains to be seen, but I can only say that I am excited to see another fine prospect at Eastlands - a player who could become another leader and be lifting trophies in the not too distant future.

Welcome to Manchester.

Gaël Force

MANCHESTER City are edging ever closer to their first acquisition of the summer transfer window, with Arsenal's Gaël Clichy having a medical at a private hospital in the North-West.

The deal is reported to be in the region of £7m - a figure that is normally trebled when it comes to City's excursions in the transfer market. Several times in the past few seasons, the club has been held to ransom because of the seemingly bottomless pit of money available to the club since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought City in September 2008.

In that time, more than £300m has been invested on new players as City continue their push for football domination.

The arrival of Clichy is likely to signal the end of Wayne Bridge's Eastland's career, while it also throws question marks over the capability of Aleksandar Kolarov, who Roberto Mancini purchased for £16m from Lazio last summer.

|Image courtesy of footie.co.za|

Despite making 24 Premier League appearances, the Serbian did not live up to the expectations of his price tag. It is the perfect opportunity to provide competition for the left-back position, with Argentine Pablo Zabaleta more than capable of filling in when needed.

Strength in depth has always been one of Mancini's main policies when he took charge in December 2009, and the arrival of an established defender - who can boast Champions League experience on his CV - emphasises the attraction of Eastlands.

Clichy has made over 200 appearances in his career, and at just 25-years-old Mancini has targeted a player who is at his peak. The Frenchman possesses great pace and a fantastic attacking drive - which will be crucial in City's bid to land a first Premier League title.

The Arsenal man, who began his career at Cannes, won the Premier League title with the Gunners in the 2003-04 campaign, while also helping Arsene Wenger's men to FA Cup glory in 2005. Clichy was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2007-08 season, where he played every game for the North London club.

Player Preview #1 - Shay Given

ALTHOUGH Shay Given only played a handful of games in the last campaign due to the incredible form of Joe Hart, he is still regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League.

His demands for first team football mean that it is likely the Republic of Ireland number one will be heading out of Eastlands this summer - with Aston Villa seemingly his most likely destination, in what could be a promising transfer window for Roberto Mancini.

His last appearance in a Manchester City shirt was in the 1-1 at Juventus in December, as City secured qualification from the UEFA Europa League.

Prior to that outing Given only made one other appearance in the Carling Cup exit at the hands of West Bromwich Albion.

Having made a sensational debut in the 1-0 victory at home to Middlesbrough in the 2008-09 season when he completed his £6m move from Newcastle United, Given immediately became a fans' favourite.

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The price tag was considered by many as being a bargain for such a talented goalkeeper, who was a key figure in City's surge for European football in the 2009-10 season, before he dislocated his shoulder towards the end of the campaign in a 0-0 draw at Highbury.

Since then, the development of Hart has seen Given's first team opportunities limited, and it is understandable why the 35-year-old would prefer a move away from City - with a host of clubs vying for his signature.

While Aston Villa lead the charge, it is also rumoured that Arsenal, West Brom and recently relegated Sampdoria are also interested in completing a deal for Given, who has notched up 113 caps for Ireland.

There will be many City fans hoping that Given decides to see out his career at Eastlands - it is, however, unlikely. A player of his calibre needs to be playing games at the highest level and it would be unfair for Mancini to deny him a move away for the second consecutive season.

He has played in more than 400 Premier League games and has made over 100 appearances in domestic and European competitions. While his departure will be a great loss to City, it will be a fantastic acquisition for whichever team Given decides to join.