With the January transfer window just weeks away, more and more rumours start to appear each day and today is no different.
Popular football magazine Shoot are linking City with a move to sign Charlton Athletic youngster Ademola Lookman during the window and report that City are willing to loan him back until the end of the season: “Championship starlet Ademola Lookman is reportedly drawing interest from the Premier League big boys.
“The Charlton Athletic forward, who only made his first-team debut for the club last month, has been scouted by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham this season ahead of the forthcoming January transfer window.
“The 18-year-old, who joined the Addick’s youth academy set-up from Waterloo FC only last year, scored his first professional goal during Saturday’s crushing 3-2 defeat at league leaders Brighton and Hove Albion.
“However it is Lookman’s impressive statistics of a sensational 16 goals for Charlton’s Under-18 and Under-21 squads this term that have alerted the elite clubs within the English top-flight, with Man
“City understood to be willing to loan the winger back to the Addicks for the remainder of the Championship campaign.”
Switching the focus to tonight and Borussia Monchengladbach Head Coach Andre Schubert had his say on the Champions League clash when he spoke to journalists at his pre-match press conference.
One news outlet that carries his quotes is ESPN and they say that Schubert is hoping his side can carry the momentum from the weekend’s win over Bayern Munich into tonight’s game.
The German side are currently 12 matches unbeaten, with their last defeat against City in late September, and they can claim a place in the latter stages of the Europa League with a victory at the Etihad.
Schubert said: “This has nothing to do with the Bayern match. It is a European game that is very attractive and we want to continue being in Europe.
“But we can take things out of the Bayern game -- that we can play against very strong teams and get a result. They are one of the best teams in the world at the moment.
“That gives us strength and confidence and we want to show that again.
“We are going through a good spell at the moment. The fans should be excited and have expectations. As long as we remain with our feet on the ground, stay cool and maintain our targets, we don’t have any problems with that.
“We know what we have to do. We will do everything we can to put on a great display against a great club.”
And finally, as our open training report stated yesterday, Yaya Toure is back fit and in the match squad for tonight’s game and the Mirror say it will be a welcome boost to Manuel Pellegrini.
David Anderson writes: “Yaya Toure is back for Manchester City’s must-win Champions League clash to give Manuel Pellegrini a welcome boost on the injury front.
“Toure trained today and Pellegrini claims he is feeling no effects from the minor muscle injury which kept him out of Saturday’s loss at Stoke.
“But Martin Demichelis is out with a tendon problem to become City’s 38th different injury this season.
“Sergio Aguero is also still sidelined, along with Fernando, for the Borussia Monchengladbach game as the striker continues to feel the effects of his sore heel.
“’Yaya is fit,’ said Pellegrini. ‘He had a very small muscle injury. It did not take too long for him to recover so he is in the squad list.’
“Pellegrini claims Aguero is still in pain when he tries to walk because of his heel and does not expect him to be back for Swansea on Saturday.
“’It is an injury that means he cannot work,’ said the City boss. ‘He needs time to recover from that problem. It is not a serious injury, it is painful.’
“’We hope he can train this week, but we will have to see how he improves. If he can run normally, maybe he can do it.’
“Despite his long crock list, Pellegrini claims he will field his strongest side in an attempt to win the game and finish top of the group.
“City must beat Monchengladbach tomorrow and hope Juventus lose in Seville to finish first and Pellegrini says the Blues will try their best.
“’I’m trying to play this game because it is an important game,’ he said. ‘The most important thing is to qualify, and when you do that, you try to be top of the group. We don’t have too many players to rest.’”
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