Manchester City's cruel Champions League defeat to Barcelona expectedly dominates today's back pages, and although we have plenty of quotes and comments relating to the game, the transfer news must come first!
According to the Daily Mirror, Wigan boss and former Manchester City striker Uwe Rösler is ready to sign Jack Rodwell in an emergency loan deal. The £12m man has made just four starts this season after struggling with a persistent hamstring injury and has failed to break into Manuel Pellegrini's plans when he has been fit. Reports suggest that Wigan's German general will offer the Englishman first team football in his bid to catapult Wigan Athletic back into the Premier League.
Reports earlier in the week suggested Inter Milan were ready to make a summer bid for City striker Edin Džeko, and sources closer to the Italian giants have strengthened those rumours this morning. Italian newspaper Tuttosport believe that Džeko and 21-year-old Real Madrid striker Álvaro Morata are on sporting director Piero Ausilio's transfer wishlist and sufficient bids will be made for the pair at the end of the season.
(Edin Džeko's future at Manchester City remains in the balance following a flurry of rumours this week)
In other news, Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has earned his plaudits for a commanding performance in his side's 2-1 second leg loss to Barcelona at the Nou Camp last night, and the Daily Telegraph's Henry Winter had plenty of praise for the valiant Belgian and his courageous team this morning.
“Kompany is such a model professional, whole-heartedly committed to being the very best leader of the team and ambassador for the club, that one would have needed a heart of granite not to have some sympathy for City’s captain as he shook hands with the victors, his European dream wrecked for another year,” Winter said.
(Vincent Kompany led by example last night, but saw his Champions League dreams shatter for another year)
“This was a game when Kompany’s men had always been up against it, having conceded two away goals, but this was also a game which produced certain positives.
“Joe Hart demonstrated how he has trained on again under Manuel Pellegrini’s astute handling of that mid-season wobble. James Milner worked tirelessly for City, shuttlingback and forth, making tackles and occasional chances. Edin Dzeko alarmed Barcelona’s centre-halves when he came on.
“City should not be too discouraged. They have acquired more experience of life in the VIP quarter of European football. They are developing a camaraderie that saw them compete to the very death here, even when reduced to 10.”
However, Lionel Messi claims the tie was never in doubt, and that his side's progression into the last eight rested on scoring the opening goal. In an interview with FourFourTwo.com, the Argentinian genius commended his team on a professional performance.
"We knew we had to get a goal to calm ourselves down because of the potential they have.
"In spite of their goal, I think that the tie was never in danger. We played well throughout and achieved our objective of getting through.
"After two very serious slip-ups in the league, in games where we didn't play well, today we saw the Barcelona that people expect to see and we defeated a very difficult rival."
(Lionel Messi was close to his brilliant best last night and opened the scoring with a wonderful chip to put the tie beyond doubt)
And finally, after picking up yet another hamstring injury, The Manchester Evening News report that Sergio Agüero will have a scan on his troublesome hamstring today. Let's hope it's nothing!
