Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City
City's transfer deadline day was like harking back to the bad old days – a couple of fans’ favourites leaving for next to nowt, and the only incoming a free agent with an injury-jinxed past and an uncertain future.
Of course, every day has been like Christmas Day for City in the past three years, and only the greediest supporters were disappointed that there were no big-money buys.
And if Owen Hargreaves can fulfil the promises he has made to manager Roberto Mancini, it could yet be a day which has a big bearing on City’s destiny this season.
Hargreaves signed a one-year deal after a day of negotiation at a secret location, the bulk of his undisclosed wages being tied to appearances.
The former United and England star has already claimed he is fit enough to play 40 games this season, but his problem now is getting match-fit and then forcing his way into a highly-competitive City midfield.
City and the publicity-shy Hargreaves chose to go through the formalities elsewhere, as media and supporters gathered at the stadium and training ground.
Hargreaves will go straight into both 25-man squads, for the Premier League and Champions League, which have to be handed in to the respective authorities by
midnight tonight.
With Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic arriving early in the summer, and then the wow factor of Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri in the past four weeks, City had done most of their business well ahead of the deadline.
On the other side, Mancini will also be delighted to have removed Craig Bellamy from the pay-roll, as he returned to Liverpool on a free transfer.
Celtic, Spurs, Sunderland and Stoke were all in the chase but Liverpool made the decisive move and Bellamy left the Wales training camp and flew north to tie up a two-year deal, after some hectic late discussions with City about a pay-off.
Bellamy had been a big favourite among City fans, not least for his two quality goals against United at Old Trafford two seasons ago, but he and Mancini could not see eye to eye and he spent last season on loan at Cardiff.
Shaun Wright-Phillips followed Bellamy out of the door with a £4m move to QPR.
The little winger cost the Blues £9million when he returned from Chelsea three years ago, but has found his first-team chances limited as City have heavily bolstered their squad.
“I just want to say a big thank you to the City fans for the support they have given me in my ten years of service there,” said Wright-Phillips.
“I will never forget you and there is always a Blue spot in my heart.”
With Roque Santa Cruz, Vladimir Weiss and Emmanuel Adebayor departing on loan last week, to Real Betis, Espanyol and Tottenham respectively, City managed most of the housekeeping they desired during this window.
They also farmed out three youngsters on loan for the season yesterday, with last season’s leading reserves scorer John Guidetti going to Feyenoord, defender Ryan McGivern heading for Bristol City and Ahmed Benali going to Rochdale.
One big deal which has not happened in this window was the departure of Carlos Tevez, whose move to Corinthians collapsed over a month ago.
A source close to the Argentinian conceded it was “impossible” for Tevez to leave as Inter Milan could not afford the £40m asking price.
Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge also remain at City.
Onuoha was hoping for a move to Bolton if Gary Cahill left the Reebok to join Spurs, but that deal fell apart and a last-minute bid to set up a loan to Everton ran out of time.
Onuoha may have paid the price of employing Tevez’s adviser Kia Joorabchian – perhaps the least popular man at City – to try to push through a deal.
Bridge turned down a loan to Celtic but both players now appear to be in limbo at the Etihad Stadium.
Mario Balotelli was at the centre of an early alert when his personal page on the club’s official website went down on the morning of deadline day, prompting talk of a move to AC Milan.
James Milner and Adam Johnson were also subject of unlikely rumours.
A hoaxer opened a fake Twitter account claiming to be Liverpool star Stewart Downing, and his false Tweet that Milner had left the England training camp in the morning started a rumour that he was heading for Liverpool, a rumour quickly quashed.
There was then talk Adam Johnson might head out on loan – again, a big no-no as far as Mancini is concerned – with Liverpool and Stoke hopeful again.
Of course, every day has been like Christmas Day for City in the past three years, and only the greediest supporters were disappointed that there were no big-money buys.
And if Owen Hargreaves can fulfil the promises he has made to manager Roberto Mancini, it could yet be a day which has a big bearing on City’s destiny this season.
Hargreaves signed a one-year deal after a day of negotiation at a secret location, the bulk of his undisclosed wages being tied to appearances.
The former United and England star has already claimed he is fit enough to play 40 games this season, but his problem now is getting match-fit and then forcing his way into a highly-competitive City midfield.
City and the publicity-shy Hargreaves chose to go through the formalities elsewhere, as media and supporters gathered at the stadium and training ground.
Hargreaves will go straight into both 25-man squads, for the Premier League and Champions League, which have to be handed in to the respective authorities by
midnight tonight.
With Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic arriving early in the summer, and then the wow factor of Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri in the past four weeks, City had done most of their business well ahead of the deadline.
On the other side, Mancini will also be delighted to have removed Craig Bellamy from the pay-roll, as he returned to Liverpool on a free transfer.
Celtic, Spurs, Sunderland and Stoke were all in the chase but Liverpool made the decisive move and Bellamy left the Wales training camp and flew north to tie up a two-year deal, after some hectic late discussions with City about a pay-off.
Bellamy had been a big favourite among City fans, not least for his two quality goals against United at Old Trafford two seasons ago, but he and Mancini could not see eye to eye and he spent last season on loan at Cardiff.
Shaun Wright-Phillips followed Bellamy out of the door with a £4m move to QPR.
The little winger cost the Blues £9million when he returned from Chelsea three years ago, but has found his first-team chances limited as City have heavily bolstered their squad.
“I just want to say a big thank you to the City fans for the support they have given me in my ten years of service there,” said Wright-Phillips.
“I will never forget you and there is always a Blue spot in my heart.”
With Roque Santa Cruz, Vladimir Weiss and Emmanuel Adebayor departing on loan last week, to Real Betis, Espanyol and Tottenham respectively, City managed most of the housekeeping they desired during this window.
They also farmed out three youngsters on loan for the season yesterday, with last season’s leading reserves scorer John Guidetti going to Feyenoord, defender Ryan McGivern heading for Bristol City and Ahmed Benali going to Rochdale.
One big deal which has not happened in this window was the departure of Carlos Tevez, whose move to Corinthians collapsed over a month ago.
A source close to the Argentinian conceded it was “impossible” for Tevez to leave as Inter Milan could not afford the £40m asking price.
Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge also remain at City.
Onuoha was hoping for a move to Bolton if Gary Cahill left the Reebok to join Spurs, but that deal fell apart and a last-minute bid to set up a loan to Everton ran out of time.
Onuoha may have paid the price of employing Tevez’s adviser Kia Joorabchian – perhaps the least popular man at City – to try to push through a deal.
Bridge turned down a loan to Celtic but both players now appear to be in limbo at the Etihad Stadium.
Mario Balotelli was at the centre of an early alert when his personal page on the club’s official website went down on the morning of deadline day, prompting talk of a move to AC Milan.
James Milner and Adam Johnson were also subject of unlikely rumours.
A hoaxer opened a fake Twitter account claiming to be Liverpool star Stewart Downing, and his false Tweet that Milner had left the England training camp in the morning started a rumour that he was heading for Liverpool, a rumour quickly quashed.
There was then talk Adam Johnson might head out on loan – again, a big no-no as far as Mancini is concerned – with Liverpool and Stoke hopeful again.
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