• Premier League

Bellamy closing on Celtic move - Mancini

ESPNsoccernet staff
August 1, 2011
Craig Bellamy has been frozen out at Manchester City, spending last year on loan at Cardiff © Getty Images
Enlarge

Roberto Mancini has intimated Carlos Tevez could stay at Manchester City but fellow strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy are likely to leave the club.

Tevez's future is uncertain after the Argentina international announced he is unsettled in Manchester. A move to Corinthians had been mooted but no deal was struck, and now Inter Milan appear his only suitors.

Mancini, though, claims Tevez could remain at City, despite recently adding the forward's compatriot Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £38 million.

"When Carlos comes back to training on Thursday we will have four strikers fighting for the shirts," Mancini said. "That's good for us. When you are playing in four competitions, we need that competition, we need those players. Players fighting for the shirt is a good thing."

Bellamy, however, appears destined for a departure after Mancini confirmed the rumours that the Welshman could be heading for Celtic, after spending last season on loan at Cardiff. "It is possible that there have been conversations about Craig Bellamy between us and Celtic," Mancini said. "I met Craig two days ago at Carrington. I spoke with him for 10 minutes. It was a friendly conversation - everything was normal.

"He told me something I want to keep to myself. What I said two days ago was that if Celtic want Craig, he is a good player and I think he can go. He is a good striker and needs to be playing. Celtic are a good team. I would let him go on loan, because Craig deserves to play and he deserved to play for a good team. If they want him, sure."

Adebayor is another frontman expected to be moved on, with the Togo international making no secret of his desire to return to Real Madrid for the forthcoming season. And Mancini would welcome an agreement with the Spanish giants: "It is the same with Adebayor. Manu is in Carrington. He wants to go to Real Madrid and if they want to take him, they can. We have four top strikers and it is really difficult.

"Manu is a good striker. We can't carry six strikers. He needs to play and I would be happy for him to go back to Real Madrid. I hope he can go back there. It is like with Craig. We have a lot of strikers, but I can't play six in the same strikers. It's important we find a good solution for them. I understand their situations."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices