Signings are no joke for Bernardo
BERNARDO SILVA would love Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to sign more Portuguese players – so he can have the last laugh.
The Lisbon-born midfield star (below) is the butt of dressing room jokes and pranks and is desperate to get his own back on his club team-mates next season.
Silva is City’s only Portuguese player and wants Guardiola to bring more of his countrymen to The Etihad so they can join forces to take revenge against other players.
He said:
“The problem is that now
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MANCHESTER CITY are
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refusing to cash in on Ilkay Gundogan and have told Barcelona to forget about a £50million summer move.
Gundogan, 27, arrived at The ★
Etihad two years ago from Borussia Dortmund for just £20m and has enjoyed a starring role despite injury setbacks.
Barcelona are looking to
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replace legend Andres Iniesta and view Gundogan as the perfect midfield fit.
Inter Milan are also targeting ★
the Germany star who is in the final two years of his contract. City boss Pep Guardiola is likely to extend that deal but is also chasing Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng and Napoli’s Jorginho in a £105m swoop.
STEVE MILLAR
MANUEL PELLEGRINI says he ★
will be working hard to create a “balanced” West Ham squad over the summer.
The Hammers had the
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joint-worst defensive record in the top flight last season but survived after losing only two of their last eight games.
Pellegrini has taken over from ★
David Moyes after the Scots’ contract was not renewed.
And the ex-Man City boss
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said: “I will work hard to try to make a very strong squad.
“Maybe people are thinking ★
about defenders because last season West Ham had the worst defensive record in the league so we must change that but we must also have a balanced squad.
“We have time to see which ★
better players we can bring in.”
GERMAN international Marvin ★
Plattenhardt will give the nod to a £16million move to Everton – but only after the World Cup.
Plattenhardt, 26, wants to first ★
cement his place in Joachim Loew’s side who start their campaign against Mexico in Moscow this afternoon.
But once football’s showpiece ★
is over, Hertha Berlin star Plattenhardt will consider the move to Goodison as Leighton Baines’ left-back replacement.
Agent Herbert Briem will then ★
meet Everton officials to sort a deal for the free-kick specialist.
Briem said: “Good left-backs ★
are in demand. But Marvin concentrates on the World Cup first. Everything else will be discussed after the tournament.”
STEVE MILLAR