Mancini says Dzeko could give City edge in title race
Edin Dzeko`s chances of joining Premier League title chasers Manchester City have been boosted with a ringing endorsement from City`s manager Roberto Mancini.
|Last Updated: Dec 30, 2010, 08:35 PM IST|Source: Bureau
LONDON: Edin Dzeko`s chances of joining Premier League title chasers Manchester City have been boosted with a ringing endorsement from City`s manager Roberto Mancini.
The 24-year-old Bosnia striker is one of the Bundesliga`s most prolific scorers and City are reported to be in negotiations to sign him from VfL Wolfsburg once the transfer window opens on Saturday.
"We have the chance to win the league this year and the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko," Italian Mancini told the Daily Mail. "This player can decide titles and that is why we want him."
City, who are level on points with Manchester United at the top of the table, albeit having played two more games, have relied heavily on the goals of Carlos Tevez.With Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz both out of favour with Mancini and Mario Balotelli yet to settle despite his hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday, Dzeko`s goalscoring record looks enticing.
Dzeko was Bundesliga topscorer with 22 goals last season and second topscorer the season in 2008/9 with 26, when Wolfsburg won the title.
He has scored 10 league goals in the first half of this season, even though Wolfsburg are struggling in 13th place.
Wolfsburg`s English manager Steve McClaren said recently that it could be hard for the club to keep hold of Dzeko.
"We hope that Edin stays because he is a world class striker, but we are in the business of football and nothing is 100 percent certain," he said. "We will have to see what happens."
Wolfsburg have declined to comment on the speculation surrounding the player.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.