Manchester City's Next Big Decision: Deal Or No Deal?

Manchester City may have missed out on Brazilian superstar Kaka but the Eastland’s club have managed to open their wallet even if it was just to empty the loose change.

Welshman, Craig Bellamy (£14 million), Dutchman, Nigel de Jong (£17 million, rumoured) and Englishman Wayne Bridge (between £10 and 15 million) have joined the club for fees that you wouldn’t turn your nose up at, but one could get away with saying the fees were all inflated due to that bulging ADUG money clip.

So what next for City, they claim more players will join but will one of those players will be Newcastle United’s Shay Given?

Reports today suggest that City are interested in the 32-year-old Irish goalkeeper as well as Chelsea’s 35-year-old Carlo Cudicini. I’m sure they will only sign one keeper this transfer window but what must Joe Hart be thinking?

The City number one has recently been in England contention and will undoubtedly be worried about his position within the club.

Shay Given will not join for anything other than first team football and who can blame him? Thirty-two is not old for top flight goalkeepers and he has many seasons left at the highest level. Newcastle’s safest pair of hands is approaching 500 top flight appearances and is not the type of player who will give up three or four good years for the sake of a paycheck.

Cudicini on the other hand would be perfect back up for Hart if the Englishman is indeed to get the vote of confidence this January. The Italian has been back up at Chelsea for a few years now and appears happy in such a role. I’m sure he’d be quite grateful for another signing on fee and new contract on similar wages to his bumper Chelsea deal.

So what would you do if you were Manchester City?

Back Hart and sign Cudicini for around £1 million pounds as second choice or replace the Englishman with an Irishman who knows all about dodgy defences?

There could be one stumbling point, Newcastle United have reportedly put a £14 million price tag on one of their best assets and you don’t need me to tell you that the price is rather steep. Even for a man who has put up with Alain Boumsong and Titus Bramble.

He is a world class goalkeeper and one of the best shot stoppers in the game (he is a busy keeper). Without him, Newcastle could well struggle and they aren’t really in a position to be selling their number one. The price tag may just be a way of saying “jog on City, our man is not for sale.”

If I was Newcastle, I’d only sell him for silly money and despite all that has been said, £14 million is not enough. It is not worth getting relegated over.

No deal Mr. Banker.

As for Carlo, Chelsea would probably like him off the wage bill and the prospect of a small fee may well loosen the London clubs grip on their biggest bench warmer.

As Mr. Chelsea, I’d say, "deal Mr. Banker."