By Ross Mackiewicz.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has clearly got his eyes set on landing Spanish hot shot Fernando Torres this summer. The Italian has added fuel to the fire by admitting his admiration for the Liverpool striker.
Torres is currently nursing a knee injury which has ruled him out for the rest of the Red’s campaign. He has endured a difficult season with a number of injuries that has blighted Liverpool’s chances of making the Champions League. Ironically Manchester City may be the club that replaces the 5 time European Cup winners in that illustrious 32 team competition come next month, and City boss Mancini is fully aware that the Citizens won’t be the only club courting the Spanish superstar.
He said: “Fernando Torres is a fantastic striker.”
“But all the teams in Europe are interested in him.”
“We must get the rest of the matches out of the way first, then we will decide about other players.”
With four games to go and two of them at home against Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur who are also battling for the holy grail of the Champions League, the former Inter boss has no doubts just how invaluable a place in the competition is when attracting some of the world’s biggest stars.
“All the top players want to play in the Champions League…Next year we want to be a team who wins the Premier League. To do that we need top players.”
Meanwhile the Italian is keen to keep Emmanuel Adebayor’s feet firmly on the ground and concentrate on his own club as he prepares to return to the Emirates Stadium this Saturday against his former employers Arsenal. It will be the first time former Togo international has returned to the red side of North London since his £25million move last summer. The striker is bound to endure ninety minutes of hostility from the Arsenal faithful after his infamous goal celebration against the Gunners earlier in the season which saw him land a three match ban. Mancini was unemployed at the time, but remembers the incident.
“I remember that game because I watched it on TV,” he said. “I don’t know why it happened but it is important Emmanuel only concentrates on Manchester City on Saturday, it is important there is no repeat of those situations.”
Manchester City know a win on Saturday will be pivotal in their quest for the final Champions League spot, but with Arsenal’s desire not to concede defeat in their hunt for the Premier League title, the game is poised for a fantastic duel between the two.
