SOCCER:MANCHESTER CITY are confident that the Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy will become their first signing of the summer, but they have distanced themselves from reports they are also trying to persuade Arsenal into a €22 million deal for Samir Nasri.

The two clubs have agreed a €7.5 million fee for Clichy and the player is expected to arrive in Manchester early next week. But there have been no talks about Nasri’s potential availability and none are planned.

Nasri, who has been prominently linked with a move to Manchester United, has one year left on his contract and City are monitoring him as a possible back-up option for later in the summer. However, their interest has never gone beyond that point and City are bemused by reports they have been closing in on a deal with the player’s agent and club.

City will be relieved to conclude the deal for Clichy, who was the subject of a €5.5 million bid from Liverpool last week, after a difficult start to their summer transfer business that saw them concede defeat to Barcelona in the signing of Udinese striker Alexis Sanchez.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is relaxed about Joey Barton’s failure to agree a new contract with Newcastle United. The midfielder has entered the final year of his current deal but remains adamant he does not want to leave this summer.

A departure during the coming weeks would deny the 28-year-old the personally lucrative possibility of a free transfer next year but, although Newcastle’s board may ideally prefer to cash in on Barton now, Pardew believes allowing him to run his contract down could benefit all concerned.

Newcastle’s manager has not received a single inquiry regarding a player who excelled on the right of midfield last season.

“Unfortunately at the moment there is no new contract for him. He has a year remaining and I think he will stay for that year. I think, like a lot of players, that yearly term contracts in the Premier League are going to be the norm.”

Guardian Service