SOCCER:EDIN DZEKO is set to break the Bundesliga transfer record by joining Manchester City from Wolfsburg for a fee in the region of €40 million, according to reports in Germany. The Bosnian striker has made no secret of his desire to leave the German side for a bigger club and, while his dream has always been to join AC Milan, the fact the Italians have just signed Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria reduces the chances of that move coming off.
However, City have the ambition to become one of Europe’s top clubs and they also have the financial backing, and a transfer of Dzeko next month is looking more likely. Coach Roberto Mancini has also confirmed he is a fan of the 24-year-old.
The Wolfsburger Allgemeinenewspaper quotes Mancini saying: "We have the chance to win the league this year and the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko. This player can decide titles and that is why we want him."
Wolfsburg’s managing director Dieter Hoeness declared last week his club is preparing to make major changes to the playing personnel after a disappointing first half of the season. Selling a player of Dzeko’s talent may not be his preference, but the player’s malaise at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, who seem unlikely to provide him with the chance to play in the Champions League next season, may be one of the reasons the team has not been functioning since Steve McClaren took over as coach in the summer.
A fee of €40 million, which the Wolfsburger Allgemeine reports would be made up of an initial fee of €30 million with five million to follow in the case of City qualifying for the Champions League, while €5 million would go on signing-on and agent fees, would break the Bundesliga’s transfer record. Bayern Munich hold that with their €30 million outlay on Mario Gomez from Stuttgart in 2009.
Diego’s sale from Werder Bremen to Juventus last year is the most expensive foreign sale to date at €27 million, while he returned to the Bundesliga last summer, joining Wolfsburg for a cut-price fee of €15.5 million.
Out-of-favour Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has snubbed a loan move to Lazio because he wants a permanent deal, according to the Italian club. The Paraguayan does not feature in the plans of Mancini and the Premier League title contenders want to make room for Dzeko.
Talks have been taking place with Lazio regarding Santa Cruz, who was signed by former City boss Mark Hughes, but a six-month loan appears unlikely. “We take into account Santa Cruz’s reaction and his desire to make any transfer permanent,” Lazio president Claudio Lotito is quoted as saying by Italian media. “We consider it a wise decision for him. It’s no coincidence Lazio seek a strong rapport with their players and therefore understand his questions and ambitions.”
