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 #5 - Pablo Zabaleta

A FAN favourite if ever we have seen one. The gritty utility man certainly put himself about last season and, for his troubles, ended up coming off the pitch for treatment in the majority of his outings.

The versatile Argentina international even has his own comic book sketch on the Manchester City website called 'Zabman'.

Last campaign was marked by a stunning Zabaleta goal at Craven Cottage as City romped to a 4-1 win over former boss Mark Hughes' Fulham, and add to that an FA Cup Winners medal, it was a very successful season for the former Espanyol man.

Ironically, he is another one of Hughes' signings - like Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong. All three are the spine of the team, willing to throw themselves at a brick wall in order to defend the goal at all costs.

|Image courtesy of mcfc.co.uk|

At just £6.5m, Zabaleta was an absolute steal by Hughes in August 2008. His importance to the team was emphasised when he made his 100th appearance for the club on New Year's Day in the 1-0 win over relegated Blackpool.

His commitment and work rate is what sets him aside from most players, as the 26-year-old runs himself into the ground on a regular basis for City. Above everything else, the fans love a player who shows that sort of determination - which is why they have adopted want-away striker Carlos Tevez as one of their own.

But what does this season hold in store for the man capped nine times by his country?

With his ability to play at either right or left-back and in the middle of the pitch, there will always be a position available for him. The arrival of Gaël Clichy from Arsenal this summer has added another player to the left side of defence, which means Zabaleta will be giving stern competition to fellow right-back Micah Richards.

With the Champions League games set to have a huge effect on player fatigue, Roberto Mancini will no doubt continue his rotation policy, meaning the 2008 Olympic Gold medalist with Argentina will be used to great effect both in the league and domestic competitions in order to keep the squad fit to fight on all fronts.

Hoping to add to his FA Cup triumph, Zabaleta will be even more hungry for success (if it is even possible).

Player Preview #4 - Vincent Kompany

WITHOUT a shadow of a doubt Manchester City's stand-out performer last season, emphasised by his Player's Player of the Year and Official Supporter's Player of the Year awards - not to mention a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

FA Cup triumph was a fitting way to end a fantastic season for the Belgian, who was City's most consistent performer throughout the term (rivalled by former Hamburg teammate Nigel de Jong).

The 25-year-old was Roberto Mancini's first choice centre-back all campaign and only missed one Premier League fixture. Perhaps one of his more impressive performances came in the 1-0 victory over Chelsea in September, where he restricted Didier Drogba to shooting from long range for the entire game.

Kompany captained the side, in the absence of Carlos Tevez, as City secured a place in the FA Cup Final at the expense of Manchester United, with a 1-0 win in April - and it looks like he is set to be given the role on a permanent basis, should the Argentinian (and fellow member of the PFA Team of the Year) get his wish to leave the club this summer.

|Image courtesy of mcfc.co.uk|

The powerful defender will fit the bill perfectly. His presence alone is enough to ward off attackers, but with the added responsibility of leadership, Kompany will command greater respect from his fellow professionals in a role he will relish and make his own for several years.

At £6m, the Belgian was probably one of Mark Hughes' most shrewd captures during his reign as City boss, and, at the time, no one would realise how crucial his arrival would prove to be.

He was employed mainly as a holding midfielder to allow the likes of Stephen Ireland, Elano, Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips the licence to roam free, before being converted to a centre back after the departure of Richard Dunne to Aston Villa.

Now he will be a fantastic role model for young defenders coming through the ranks - the likes of Dedryck Boyata in particular will learn vast amounts from his fellow countryman, and new arrival Stefan Savic will surely turn to Kompany for advice on how to improve his game. Not to mention the academy and Elite Development stars vying for their opportunity in the first team.

Kompany is in the peak of his career and, minus a few championships in his native Belgium, only has last season's FA Cup triumph to boast on his CV. But all that is about to change. He is at the heart of City's revolution, and he is going to be the man hoisting the trophies aloft as he goes down in history as being one of the club's most successful captains.

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.

The Final Farewell?

I CANNOT understand why Carlos Tevez is so discontent with life at Manchester City. The man is on more than £200k-a-week, is worshipped by avid and loyal supporters (who even had the decency to embrace him after he submitted a transfer request last season) and is at a club that is moving so quickly in the right direction he will soon be unable to move for silverware.

Apparently it is 'impossible to find a house in Manchester for less than £6m' - not from where I am looking. Poor Tevez, maybe he wants a house with carpets so he does not slip when walking in his diamond shoes.

The captain of a football club should lead by example, not make a mockery of everyone associated. While the 27-year-old can be replaced (should any team be able to match the asking price - and astronomical wages) it will still be a bitter blow to the fans who have tried to make him feel so at home since he joined in 2009.

Although he maintains that he is unhappy regarding the situation with his family, surely he has enough money for them to be moved to England.

Yet, I cannot stay frustrated for too long. No one can deny what he has achieved at the club. His goalscoring record alone is sensational, with 52 goals for City - including three against Manchester United.

If his wish to leave the club is granted by Roberto Mancini, the squad will certainly miss the energy levels that Tevez provides. His presence in the team seems to ignite the rest of the players and spark the game into life.

|Image courtesy of mirrorfootball.co.uk|

The game against Tottenham Hotspur is a key example. Although City were already 1-0 up, his pure passion and determination shone through and he revitalised the team just when it looked like the visitors were going to snatch a late equaliser.

Many things can be said about Tevez - that his attitude towards the club in recent times has been poor, and, while this may be true, no one can question his work rate. For months the Argentine has been unhappy with life in Manchester, yet he has turned out and given his all for the club.

While City fans may be disappointed - maybe even angry - about his decision to want to move to pastures new, who are we to stand in his way and berate him? If you were unhappy in a job and were offered a new opportunity the surely you would take it?

It is time we accept that Tevez has his heart set on a move away from Eastlands and we should wish him all the best for the future. It is likely that he will return to play against City in the Champions League at some point in his career, and I, like many other Blues, will be applauding rather than a select minority who deem it necessary to hurl abuse at a one time hero, forgetting all of the wonderful things he did in his time at the club.

If this is the end, remember that he was the FA Cup winning captain.