City out to secure third and Kasper’s signature
MANCHESTER CITY could become the latest Premier League club to re-sign a former player this summer by making a move for Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Pep Guardiola, whose team will qualify for the Champions League if they take at least a point at Watford this afternoon, is seeking to address the club’s goalkeeping problem after the decision to axe Joe Hart backfired because of poor form and injury to replacement Claudio Bravo.
Guardiola publicly praised Schmeichel for his sweeperkeeper performance for Leicester at The Etihad last weekend with the Dane generally recognised as the best footballing keeper in the division.
Schmeichel, 30, played 10 first-team games for Manchester City at the start of his career before seeking his fortune elsewhere, culminating in last season’s title triumph at Leicester.
Paul Pogba rejoined Manchester United last summer and the Old Trafford club are also interested in taking back Michael Keane to Old Trafford, while Chelsea are pursuing their ex-striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton.
Argentine Willy Caballero will be between the sticks at Vicarage Road today with Bravo ruled out due to a calf tear, but the 35-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and does not know if he will be offered a new deal.
‘Of course I want to stay, this is the biggest club of my career, but it’s not just my decision,’ said Caballero.
‘It is the decision of the club and what they are looking for. I don’t know what will happen yet.
‘I have enjoyed playing more games this season and I just want to enjoy this next game and try to achieve my target.
‘Afterwards, probably my agent and the club will have some thoughts but for my side, I have to be concentrated on Watford because we need the points. I have to be focused.
‘If I was a young player, I probably would feel the uncertainty more but I am experienced now and I’m doing well with the situation as it stands.’
While City are odds-on to finish in the top four, any slip-ups at Vicarage Road could be costly with fifth-place Arsenal three points behind with a winnable home game against Everton in which to make up a five-goal swing.
Though Watford have lost their last five games, they will be in relaxed mood after announcing that manager Walter Mazzarri is leaving and have beaten Manchester United and Everton at home this season.
‘It will be difficult. Every year the smaller teams in the Premier League are becoming stronger,’ said defender Aleksandr Kolarov.
This is the first trophyless season of Guardiola’s career and he has been left cursing the small margins between success and failure after watching Kevin de Bruyne hit the woodwork nine times, more than anyone else in the Premier League during this campaign.
The Belgian has scored only seven times for Guardiola compared to his 16 goals the previous season, but the City boss said: ‘I’d like Kevin to be at the same level but he’s hit a lot of crossbars and that’s not his fault. He has a lot of quality.’
Guardiola has acknowledged being on a steep learning curve this season having to cope with teams like West Brom who pump the ball into the penalty area and referees who offer goalkeepers less protection than on the continent.
Kolarov added: ‘We weren’t good enough to win the title but we have improved a lot this season.
‘To win something you have to win all your home games if possible.
‘At 1-0 in some games we missed the chance to put the second goal in and finish the game and then conceded goals in the last minutes.
‘But we always dominate the games and I am sure we will be much stronger next season.’
The Serbian was undoubtedly referring to the 3-1 home defeat against Chelsea in December which City dominated for an hour but ended up being a turning point in the title race.