1. Kaka (from AC Milan)
2. Lionel Messi (from Barcelona)
3. Christiano Ronaldo (from Man United)
4. Ronaldinho (from AC Milan)
5. Samuel Eto (from Barcelona)
6. Michael Essien (from Chelsea)
7. Gianluigi Buffon (from Juventus)
8. Steven Gerrard (from Liverpool)
9. John Terry (from Chelsea)
10. Fernando Torres (from Liverpool)

As you can see it’s quite a shopping list, I’m surprised to see some of the names on the list (Gerrard and Terry for example) but all in all it’s going to be an exciting time for City fans come January and next summer’s transfer windows.

Mark Hughes has already stated that it may be “difficult” to bring in a lot of these players in January because the teams they already play for will be mid-season and will not want to disrupt their current teams.

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Manchester City target Christiano Ronaldo

Yes you read it right - arabianbusiness.com reports that the head of Abu Dhabi United (the new City owners) has big plans for the club, including the building of a “dream team” that includes the Manchester United star winger Christiano Ronaldo.

Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim has stated that he is prepared to table a massive (please sit down before you read on) bid of $240 million for the United Star during the next (January) transfer window and it is his “top priority” to bring Ronaldo to Eastlands.

Read the full story here http://www.arabianbusiness.com/529737-abu-dhabi-planning-240mn-ronaldo-swoop 

“Ronaldo has said he wants to play for the biggest club in the world, so we will see in January if he is serious.

“Real Madrid were estimating his value at $160 million but for a player like that, to actually get him, will cost a lot more, I would think $240 million.

“But why not? We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United.”

It is also reported that Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) and Fernando Torres (Liverpool) are also on the “wanted” list… With reports that the sum allocated to City for transfers over the next 2 years is $450 million - is there a player on the planet that could refuse?

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Let’s face it - city haven’t had a decent striking record since the days of Anelka (or previously Shaun Goater) and with Benjani and Vassel out due to injury and Jo away at the olympics it leaves us with Bojinov who although looks promising needs to get a lot of match experience after being sidelined for the whole of last season, Sturridge who is a real promising striker but inexperianced and Caicedo who was (it seemed) absent for most of the match.

City have already made an offer for Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz (which Blackburn have got out of their pram about and rejected) but there is “talk” of an increased offer from City.

But you have to ask yourself - what will happen when all city’s strikers are back and fit? Who will get the starting spots?

Of course we need “strength in depth” but you also have to realise that there will be too many strikers at city!

We will have Bojinov, Jo, Benjani, Vassell, Cacedio, Sturridge and A.N. Other

Which leads be to believe that Caciedo and possibly Vassell could be on their way out of the City of Manchester - which would be a real shame for Vassell as he has played his heart out for the blue’s time and time again…

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Corluka was the best of the worst on the night.

I know that technically the season hasn’t started and it’s “pre season” but tonights 1-0 loss against FC Midtjylland has got to be the worst I have seen city play for quite some time (and I have seen them play some really pants football in the past).

They looked all over the place tonight - passes were going astray, they were beaten to the ball for most of the game and they looked beaten before the 1/2 time whistle…

Player ratings:

Joe Hart = 5/10 Looked shell-shocked after the first goal.

Richard Dunne = 6/10 Not the usual rock in defense, made some terrible passes…

Corluka = 7/10 Usual physical performance - best defender on the day.

Richards = 6/10 Did plenty of running… he just didn’t know where he was going most of the time.

Elano = 5/10 Never really got into the game - subbed in the 2nd half.

Johnson = 5/10 Lucky not to be sent off near the end of the match after lashing out…

Petrov = 6/10 Tried hard but we didn’t see many of his wide runs (kept coming inside).

Caicedo = 3/10 Was he there then?

Sturridge = 6/10 Took some really wild shots - some on target and at least he tried to score!

Bojinov = 5/10 His usual ball skills were absent today, he just looked like a fast running big bloke…

So… All in all it was a terrible performace and one that I hope we city fans don’t see again - Mark Hughes looked furious at his squad and you can only guess what was being said in the dressing room!

All this talk of “Jo will make a difference” is fine - but if the rest of the team play like they did tonight then Jo will never see the ball - never mind score.

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But is it all doom and gloom? Are us city fans guilty of thinking that Thaksin would flood billions into the club and turn us into another Barcelona or Real Madrid overnight? When in reality he has given us the ability to appoint a quality manager (sorry Mr Hughes but at the minute I am talking about the previous manager - the mighty Sven) and bring in quite a few decent player… If you had told any City fan a couple of years ago that we would be signing Brazilian international strikers then he would have said you had been sniffing something!

So let’s not dwell to much about Ronaldhinio - he may have been a good signing but he could have also sucked the cash out of the club too, let’s not worry about Thanksin’s problems to much (You don’t get his reputation and bank balance from not knowing what you are doing) and lets look forward to the 2008 / 09 season… From what I have seen pre-season City have a very good, fluid and tight squad that could just surprise you!

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