Join Me at City!
Bravo’s plea to chile pal sanchez
CLAUDIO Bravo has urged his Chile team-mate Alexis Sanchez to join City.
The Blues goalkeeper is a close friend of the Arsenal ace, who has said he will make a decision on his future this week, after Chile played Germany in the final of the Confederations Cup last night.
City boss Pep Guardiola wants to spend £50m to bring Sanchez to the Etihad Stadium – and he is helped by the fact that the 28-year-old is now in the last year of his Gunners contract.
Bravo, whose penalty shoot-out heroics against Portugal earned Chile their place in the final, is doing his bit for the Blues’ cause. “He’s always reaching new heights with the national team,” he said when asked about Sanchez. “It’s great to see him growing as a player. Of course, I would love to have him as a team-mate. But it’s not a matter just for the two of us. It’s something the clubs have to go through.”
Bayern Munich appeared to back away from their interest in the player this week, when president Uli Hoeness said the club were focussing on younger targets.
But Bravo reckons that even though Sanchez is not in the flush of youth, he still has his best years ahead of him.
“I’ve said on numerous occasions, he’s one of the best players in the world,” said Bravo.
“He plays at an incredible level for the national team and an incredible level at his club. He has a great future ahead of him.”
PEP Guardiola was disappointed at times during his first year in charge of City that supporters wouldn’t always watch his team for 90 minutes.
However, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has been backed to make good on his word that the Blues will be much better come next month by a former teammate.
Having seen what was achieved at the Nou Camp, Ronald de Boer is in no doubt that the ‘best manager’ can lift City’s football onto the same level as those mesmerising Barcelona teams and keep supporters glued to their seats in the process.
“He will improve Manchester City next season, without doubt,” he told the Sunday Mirror.
“I say this because he’s the best manager. He changes games. He makes teams play. People in the street look at his teams and think, ‘Wow, OK, I want to see this!.’
“At Barcelona, you were almost afraid to go to the toilet. You knew that, if you did, there was the possibility of missing something special. He can get Manchester City to that level.
“Fans will come to the stadium because they will see something happen. The result may not always be great, but they know the players will be playing attractively. They will do everything in their power to win games.
“They might concede, but the supporters will enjoy watching them so much. And, yes, they will do better next season.”
Guardiola declared himself happy with his first year in charge at the Etihad despite the lack of silverware. Coming up so short in the Premier League and Champions League was admittedly not on the cards, although the manager preferred to focus on the growth of his players and the steps toward their potential.
As he prepares for another stab at the twin goals of the club, Guardiola’s old rival Jose Mourinho will be looking to thwart him with his United team.
While City finished higher in the league, a win in the Europa League final added to United’s trophy count for the year and – more importantly - grants them a place in next season’s Champions League.
If the battle for Manchester supremacy is ready to rear its head again, Ajax youth team graduate De Boer made his allegiance clear as he took a swipe at Mourinho’s trophy success.
“People will talk for decades about the Barcelona team that Pep had,” he said. “That is what he can create at City.
“And I don’t think people will remember the European final that Manchester United won against Ajax. It’s very easy to play with five at the back and drop the defenders to within 20 metres of your goalkeeper.”