Man City May Be Rich Now, But Will They Just Chuck Money Around In January?

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The New Voice Of Football column at FootballFancast.com

Manchester City broke the British transfer record on transfer deadline-day to sign Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.5million after the takeover at the Eastlands Stadium by the ADUG on the same day. Since then the media have come to the conclusion that the wealthy Arab owner’s will be prepared to chuck as much money around as is needed to land any player they fancy.

I for one do not think this will be the case. Wealthy? Yes. Stupid? No. While, City are in the position to outbid anyone for a player they want, they simply won’t pay massively over the odds just in order to get their man.

Take the case of Robinho (left), Chelsea wanted him and offered £30million, so City steal in and do a deal at £2.5million more, Real take that deal and so Robinho ends up in Manchester, despite the Brazilian revealing recently that Stamford Bridge was where he wanted to play.

So now look at the list of potential targets for the Premier League side in January, which include David Villa, Kaka, Gianluigi Buffon, Esteban Cambiasso, Fernando Torres and Roque Santa Cruz.

Now the name on that list that has cropped up most recently, with a World Record price tag attached is Valencia striker Villa, but how did anyone arrive at the figure of £60million? Valencia, are in dire straits financially and surely if City are to pay £60million. Then another club has to be willing to pay £55million, but I have not heard anything to that affect. So why would the City owner’s launch in at £60million?

Take what will probably be a much cheaper option in Mark Hughes former player Roque Santa Cruz at Blackburn Rovers, if offers are coming in for him at around £15million. Would it not make sense to just gazump them by a little in the same way City did with Robinho and Chelsea?

The only possible exception on that list is AC Milan playmaker Kaka, who if the Rossoneri decide to sell then a bidding war will ensue, starting at a pretty big fee and ending up anywhere. However, City will again only have to go that extra yard if they really want to recruit the soon to be former FIFA World Player of the Year to the Eastlands.

Yes, Man City will certainly be making a few big-money signings in January, but I can’t see them offering £10-20million more for a player just to get their man. You see my experience of rich people is they didn’t become rich by throwing it away when they simply didn’t have to.