Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has said his team will carry on scoring goals after their 5-0 thrashing of Blackburn in the FA Cup last night, Sky Sports reports.

The ‘Citizens’ have now scored an amazing 99 goals this year and are not expected to release their feet off the gas anytime soon.

In last night’s fixture Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko grabbed two each, and only 50 seconds on his return from injury Sergio Aguero scored another.

The Blue half of Manchester have struck 63 goals at the Etihad and are already on the course of breaking several goal-scoring records this season.

Pellegrini insists he will continue playing in the same manner in the pursuit of trophies.

“It’s an important amount of goals,” he said.

“I repeat when I arrived here it was important to try and win a trophy but in the way this team must play and it’s important for the fans to come here and know that we are going to try and score the most amount of goals we can.

The former Malaga boss could have taken it easy when three goals up, but decided to field free-scoring striker Sergio Aguero instead.

“We continue playing a style of football that is very important. Not to score just one goal and try to keep the ball and not give possession to the other team.

“It’s more easy to go backwards with 10 players and try to counter-attack with two or three players but it’s not my philosophy, it’s not the philosophy that this club wants to play.

“We continue to try and play during 90-95 minutes every game, independent of the score we try to be a balanced team, an attractive team.”

Manchester City will hope to continue their scoring streak against Cardiff in Saturday’s Premier League clash.

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Arsenal are top of the Premier League – does it really matter how they got there?

There are 20 teams in the Premier League. If the basis of an argument against a title challenger is that their wins against the lesser teams in the league are worthless, then why not put into motion the concept of a European Super League and rid ourselves of such banal discussion?

It seems Arsenal can do no right. Yet they’ve fared better than the other “heavyweights” in the title race who have tripped up multiple times by teams well below their class.

Arsenal were said to be just about where they deserved to be over the past three or four seasons: the club’s spend and quality of player placed them round about fourth in the Premier League, third at best. Now that they’ve invested heavily in a star name and have the base for a consistent title threat – albeit with one or two short – isn’t top of the league, or at least serious title contender, about right?

Manchester City and Chelsea, conversely, have fallen against the smaller teams in the league. Had it not been for a mistake by the officials – another one – Chelsea would have lost at home this season to West Brom. Manchester City, imperious at home with a record branded as something for the entire league to show off against the powers of Europe, were incapable of holding their lead against Cardiff City – a team, recently promoted side from the Championship, whose future is arguably uncertain with Vincent Tan as owner.

Instead of questioning Arsenal’s credentials, or lack thereof apparently, shouldn’t we be hammering Chelsea and Manchester City for falling behind a team who, without logic, are incapable of winning the Premier League?

Liverpool’s situation in comparison to Arsenal is strange. Both teams share similarities, both taking a huge leap from where they were last season, but also a case could be made that they are indeed quite dissimilar.

It’s not entirely correct to say it’s a criticism of Liverpool; rather they’ve benefited from a lack of midweek fixtures, enabling them, for much of the first half of the season, to keep key players fresh for weekend Premier League games. Brendan Rodgers’ handling of certain spiky situations has been first class, and his faith in Daniel Sturridge has been greatly rewarded.

But Liverpool are still in a building phase. The squad is short of quality in certain areas, notably with a need for more goals beyond just the two primary forwards. Arsenal, arguably, are not the complete package yet either, but they’re further along the road than Liverpool. Arsenal are short by one or two; in Liverpool’s case, it wasn’t too long ago that Brendan Rodgers bemoaned the lack of depth following a loss at Hull. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be in the mix as contenders and at the very least one of the favourites to finish in the top four.

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But the larger point is that teams shouldn’t be questioned how they got to where they are now. Why boast of the strongest or most competitive league in Europe – of which there is great irony because many seem to loathe the idea of a different title winner in Arsenal – when the next minute small teams count for very little when beaten by a title contender? If we’re going to put so much emphasis on the worthlessness of points picked up from, say, Cardiff, who Arsenal beat with late goals on New Year’s Day, then why not make it two points from a win from those teams and three for just the top four or five in the league? A ridiculous idea, right?

Arsenal are top of the Premier League at present. It’s January. Questions about their legitimacy could have been asked in October, as they were, but surely it’s now time to throw them out the window. Yes, Arsenal may not finish first because of the unpredictability of this season, but they are currently leading the race. There should be absolutely no doubt that they are firm title challengers.

Eleven months and three days ago, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez threw away his chances of claiming the Premier League’s Player of the Year award with one moment of absolute madness. He decided to take a bite of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic’s shoulder, in front of a 45,000-strong Anfield crowd, countless television cameras and a live world-wide audience reaching well into the multi-millions.

Already a controversial figure in England, the Uruguayan’s nibble on Ivanovic’s upper arm confirmed the opinion that such a provocative and self-admitted amoral player should not be allowed near the most coveted individual accolade in English football, regardless of his 23-goal haul and talismanic attacking displays for the Reds that without, would probably have left Brendan Rodgers fearing for his job last summer.

The award went to Gareth Bale instead, just a matter of months before his world-record-breaking £86million move to Real Madrid.

But when the Premier League’s peers gather together at the end of the season to decide who should claim the prize this term, few would be surprised at a near-unanimous verdict in Suarez’s favour.

The fact the 27 year-old has lasted an entire year without mortifying the English public is an achievement in  itself that deserves some form of trophy-based reward, but Suarez’s expected overwhelming majority vote is sourced in the manner in which he’s used performances on the pitch and nothing else to answer his critics this season.

The Liverpool striker, despite missing the first five games of the campaign through his biting ban, is currently leading the Premier League’s scoring charts with an astonishing 28 goals in 25 appearances, including hat-tricks against West Brom, Norwich City and most recently Cardiff. But more than simply a lethal striker of your Andy Cole variety, the Uruguay star has claimed eleven assists – working in close attacking tandem with strike-partner Daniel Sturridge – and by Whoscored.com’s reckoning, has notched up 13 Man of the Match awards. That’s an average of more than 0.5 MoM’s per appearance.

But enough of signing Luis Suarez’s praises – no matter how much statistical evidence I can find in a finite amount of time to prove so, no matter how fruitfully eloquent I could explain how the Kop icon synergizes the roles of an attacking playmaker and natural poacher so perfectly and still works consistently harder than any forward on the continent,  by now it goes without saying that Luis Suarez is a world-class talent, and if we are being truthful, a world-class talent that deserves a greater stage than Anfield.

So, like current Player of the Year award-holder Gareth Bale, who understandably ditched White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu just months after claiming the Premier League’s highest individual honour, does Suarez owe it to himself to answer his higher calling at the end of the season?

Don’t get me wrong – Liverpool is a fantastic club with an enormous history, and after their four-year absence from the Champions League has once again become an incredibly exciting institution to be a part of. This season, Brendan Rodgers has created a sense of fearlessness in his players that has not only revived the Reds back to the European status a club of their size and prestige truly deserve (providing Liverpool’s season doesn’t enter into an unforeseeable capitulation in its last eight Premier League fixtures) but furthermore completely rewritten the balance of power at the Premier League’s summit.

Fuelled by the combined 47 goals of Sturridge and Suarez, the Reds are currently second in the league, just three points behind table-toppers Chelsea with a game in hand – anything could happen between now and May-time. And although I remain pessimistic that the Anfield side will be able to mimic their role in the title race next season, their continuous momentum under Brendan Rodgers suggests that the days of eighth-place finishes and Europa League football are now well behind Liverpool. There are certainly worse places to be than the red half of Merseyside right now – the red half of Manchester for example – and considering Liverpool’s enormous improvement this season, silverware in an auxiliary form could not be far off.

But this is not a case of the Fernando Torres ilk, a case of a talented player leaving Liverpool for another club with a  greater chance of silverware success after some unprecedented money being put on the table. This is a case of arguably the best player in the world right now – certainly the best player outside of Ballon D’or monopolisers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – joining a club, be it Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich, that despite Liverpool’s incredible history domestically and in Europe, are no longer directly comparable to in terms of prestige and historical significance.

These are clubs that reach the semi-finals of the Champions League without fail almost every season – the kind of matches of immense magnitude and honour that a player of Suarez’s quality should be involved in. These are clubs whose fortunes, unlike Liverpool’s, do not depend upon a core of quality players and a talented manager alone. These are clubs that define players in the context of historical hindsight. These are clubs where trophies and silverware are a way of life, not a rare, almost miraculous occurrence.

And it’s not as if Suarez still owes something to Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers or the fans. Agreed, the Anfield side provided the Uruguayan the platform to impress that others wouldn’t when they invested £20million in the former Ajax star back in 2011. Subsequently, you can certainly argue that the club deserves the 27 year-old’s loyalty after unwaveringly standing by him amid every controversial episode – who can forget Kenny Dalglish’s ill-fated ‘Support Suarez’ t-shirt campaign.

But Suarez had  the opportunity to depart from Merseyside last summer; he could have taken his, albeit, rather classless, demands to leave during the Confederations Cup a step further; he could have insisted upon an exit when Arsenal made their £40million plus a quid bid, which it turns out, did activate the South American’s release clause; like Gareth Bale, he could have declared he’d never play for Tottenham again; like Gareth Bale, he could have refused to turn up to training.

Yet the star striker stayed put for another year, and in return has provided Liverpool fans with their most memorable Premier League campaign since 2009. In terms of individual contribution, Suarez’s efforts this term parallel that of Steven Gerrard’s in the Reds’ famous 2005 Champions League final, even if, unlike that unforgettable night in Istanbul,  the Reds’ current season doesn’t end with silverware.

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But of greater significance than the allure of trophies is the fact Suarez is now 27 years of age. By my reckoning, in the modern transfer climate, that gives the Uruguayan a shelf-life of two more transfer windows before his value to the European powerhouses begins to quickly corrode.

Liverpool fans will view that critique as a blessing – should Suarez’ many suitors be put off by his lack of longevity, that only cements the Uruguayan’s opportunity to immortalise himself as a Kop legend, on par with the likes of Ian Rush, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Kevin Keegan and Dalglish. Certainly an enormous honour and achievement even if it can’t be represented in material reward.

But in the process, that would hold back a few-in-a-generation, world-class talent from realising the historical acclaim he truly deserves. Suarez will already go down in Merseyside folk law as one of the greatest strikers Anfield has ever seen. Now he owes it to himself to become one of the greatest strikers the world has ever seen – before it’s too late.

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Fifa have hit Liverpool and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez with a four-month ban from all ‘football-related activity’ as a result of his heinous bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in their World Cup tie.With it being the third time the striker has committed such an offence, he has been slapped with the biggest ban in Fifa’s history, as well as an additional ban of nine international games and a fine of 100,000 Swiss Francs.Following a record-breaking season from Suarez, he was believed to have become a ‘reformed character’, but his regression towards childish stupidity has landed him with a hefty suspension, of which he will doubtless appeal.Surprisingly enough, with the issue being the largest debate in sport over the past 48 hours, Twitter has been out in force giving their reaction.Here is the general gist of public reaction to Suarez’s ban.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who sympathises with Suarez, with most opinions ranging from congratulatory praise for Fifa, to those who believe the ban was too lenient. Either way, he has few supporters outside of Uruguay.

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Earlier this week, Celtic fans said goodbye to goalkeeper Fraser Forster, as the England international moved to Southampton following a plethora of interest from the Premier League and yonder in his services.The England international will undoubtedly leave a gap behind in the Bhoys starting line up but his departure has seen the Scottish champions collect a cool £10million.That’s big money for the Parkhead club, and the best way to spend it would be on a talismanic entity who could bring Celtic’s performances to a whole new level – especially in the Champions League.Thus, here’s FIVE signings, all relatively expensive but all high quality, that Celtic should consider spending the Forster fund on.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON THE FORMER CELTIC NO.1 TO REVEAL

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DAVID MARSHALL

In regards to a direct replacement for Fraser Forster who can match the now-Southampton goalkeeper’s immense quality, I suggest Celtic turn their attentions to Cardiff City’s David Marshall.

The 29 year-old former Bhoy, who rose through the Parkhead youth ranks and made 35 league appearances before leaving for Norwich in 2007, made more saves than any Premier League keeper last season, as detailed below:

Talismanic performances from the Scotland international, such as the one below, became common practice last term as the Bluebirds failed to stave off relegation:

//www.youtube.com/embed/KV-ncC7Czwo?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist= KV-ncC7Czwo

Resultantly, Marshall was expected be snapped up by one of his many top flight suitors this summer, namely Arsenal, Tottenham and Southampton.

But all have sought alternatives to the Scot, making him potentially available to the SPL champions, and Champions League football is certainly a challenge that would appeal to the eleven-cap international.

Price-tag could still be an issue however despite the robust Forster fund. Rumour has it that Cardiff have struck their No.1 with an outrageous valuation to warn off suitors:

CALLUM MCMANAMAN

Celtic have already been eying Callum McManaman this summer and the Wigan winger would certainly be a strong addition to Ronny Deila’s starting XI.

The 23 year-old burst onto the scene at the end of the 2012/13 campaign, netting three times in the FA Cup as the Latics went on to beat Manchester City in the Wembley final.

Last season saw the former Everton youngster struggle for fitness and form, but he’s bounced back this year with a goal and a strong performance against Reading at the weekend:

McManaman is best known for his mixture of industrious and eye for goal, which should put him in good stead in the Scottish top flight. Here’s a look at the Englishman’s career highlights:

//www.youtube.com/embed/PePGi9nGxr8?rel=0

But it appears the Parkhead outfit will have to make a huge offer, with Wigan boss Uwe Rosler claiming “There’s no chance that Callum will go anywhere”.

TOM CAIRNEY

Another Championship star Celtic should be looking at, especially whilst Kris Commons’ contract situation remains unresolved, is Blackburn Rovers midfielder Tom Cairney.

The 23 year-old’s stock is rising all the time, in no small part due to an impressive return of five goals and six assists in 37 appearances last season, earning him the Player of the Year award at Ewood Park. Here’s a look at some of his highlights from last term:

//www.youtube.com/embed/fAgcMqnLufY?rel=0

He also recorded the second-best pass success rate in the Championship:

And the midfielder will have done his profile no harm with a Man of the Match performance against Cardiff City last friday, typified by this sensational strike:

Rovers only signed the former Hull City star permanently last January after an impressive loan spell and will be understandably reluctant to sell – Cairney plays a big part in their promotion hopes.

But he’s a former Scotland U21 who has desires to play for the senior team – Celtic could certainly help him achieve that aim whilst offering the added incentive of Champions League football.

DARREN FLETCHER

Now 30 years of age and having missed the peak of his career after being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, Darren Fletcher’s Manchester United tenure is undoubtedly coming to a close.

The Scotland international hasn’t been included in Louis van Gaal’s expected cull, but he looked disturbingly out of his depth at times last season and is hardly integral to the club’s immediate future.

A well known Celtic fan and a 62-cap Scot, Parkhead would be an ideal location for the industrious midfielder to see out his twilight years whilst still enjoying competitive football.

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Fletcher may not be the player he once was but there’s no doubting his pedigree. Just take a look at the five-time Premier League winner’s career highlights:

//www.youtube.com/embed/geBA0Pg1XUU?rel=0

How much United would want for the midfielder remains to be seen, but £5million would be a sensible estimate.

NICK POWELL

Another Manchester United star known to have caught Celtic’s transfer attention before is youngster Nick Powell.

The highly-rated Crewe product impressed in the Championship last year during a term-long stay with Wigan, as viewable below:

He also netted three times in six Europa League outings. Here’s a collection of the 20 year-old’s career highlights thus far:

//www.youtube.com/embed/ZfclynD35gY?rel=0

And the 20 year-old, who can feature in attacking and central midfield or as a striker, doesn’t appear to be in Louis van Gaal’s plans, having been left out of the Red Devils’ pre-season tour squad.

No doubt, the England U21 would be a major coup for the Bhoys, but Wigan are keen on his services permanently and Premier League side Leicester City have also been linked:

Footballers earning bags of money seem to attract pretty women… we can’t quite work out the link, can you? Even though Leeds have been away from the top tier for a while, but their players are still bagging themselves some beauties off of the pitch.Here are FIVE of the Whites’ more glamorous followers for your viewing pleasure…[ffc-gallery]

CLICK ON JADE & BILLY SHARP TO REVEAL THE FIVE

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Charlotte Pearce (James Pearce)

Leeds’ captain may not have had much silverware through his career, but he certainly has a trophy wife off of the pitch.

Eleonora Cellino (Massimo Cellino’s daughter)

Not strictly a WAG, the lovely Eleonora arrived alongside her father Massimo when he took over at Leeds. A racy pic at Elland Road caught some attention!

Jade Sharp (Billy Sharp)

Hot shot on the pitch, pretty decent at scoring off of it, too. Billy Sharp’s wife Jade is certainly the envy of many men.

Alana Hunt (Noel Hunt)

Noel Hunt has, arguably, the most attractive other half at Leeds. Well, that’s what we think.

Courtney St John (Ross McCormack)

Okay, Ross McCormack may not be at Leeds any more, but we can enjoy Courtney St John, right? After all, she was spotted at Elland Road a few times…

Two routine wins, two clean sheets, and top of their qualifying group, yet England have still managed to find something to stir up some controversy in what was expected to be an unremarkable international break.

Raheem Sterling made headlines following the Three Lions’ 1-0 victory over Estonia on Sunday when it was revealed that the Liverpool youngster had asked Roy Hodgson to be placed on the bench instead of starting the game due to tiredness. Uproar predictably ensued as the footballing world and his wife felt compelled to shed their opinion on the matter, with some expressing utter disgust at the young whippersnapper’s temerity to make such a claim, only for others to leap to Sterling’s defence.

Alan Shearer’s criticism was particularly comical, with the former Newcastle man engaging in some populist demagogy in his column for The Sun newspaper by self-righteously asserting that “the working man who is up at 6am and home at 8pm does not want to hear how tired a 19-year-old professional footballer is”, while Gary Lineker took up the role of the over-protective mother hen, sheltering the vulnerable chick with his proverbial feathers from the media storm by taking to Twitter to say that “Raheem Sterling is a teenager”, that “teenagers do get tired and even moody”, that “he’s young, still developing”, and therefore “we should cut him some slack”. Sterling himself also proceeded to meekly poke his adorable head into the fray, heart-meltingly tweeting: “Excuse me for being human”.

Of course, the row has expanded to become a case of club versus country, as England boss Roy Hodgson questioned the medical benefits of the ‘two-day recovery system’ implemented by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, which Hodgson believes to be the reason behind Sterling’s fatigue. According to the England manager, adhering to such a system means that Sterling is not used to preparing for a rapid turnaround in between two games as England had to do last week, and with the relationship between the two men already fraught following Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge’s injury during the previous international break – not to mention the fact that the Reds have a strong core of England internationals – there is a danger of things escalating between the pair.

In truth, the whole fallout is slightly pathetic. Raheem Sterling is a phenomenally gifted footballer who is enjoying the best 12 months of his still fledgling career. The teenager’s confidence and his youthful exuberance means that he probably approaches every match – be it in the red of Liverpool or the white of England – with a desire to play as many minutes as he possibly can. Given that he is playing wonderful football on a consistent basis, is receiving numerous plaudits for his performances and is rightfully regarded as an integral part of the national team, it is highly unlikely that he would feign fatigue just to spend 45 minutes on the bench. Such behaviour would be expected more from a player who is out of form, whose morale is low or who lacks the motivation and desire to play, none of which apply to Sterling.

The only thing Sterling is guilty of is honesty, which certainly does not warrant the ridiculously overblown reaction of the past few days. The youngster probably was expressing genuine concern at being fatigued – is it not better for fans of both England and Liverpool that he does not increase any further risk to his fitness by taking such a cautious approach?

Lineker’s claim that Sterling is a young man who is still developing rings true. There have been ample cases in football of promising young players – Michael Owen, for instance – whose early potential has sadly led to drastic decline due to burn out caused by an over-dependence on their talents during youth. It would be a great pity if the hugely gifted teenager’s career followed the same trajectory as Owen’s due to recklessness during his formative playing years.

Ultimately, nobody is in the wrong in the whole affair. Sterling was right to be so honest about his concerns, Rodgers is right to be protective over his players given previous injury problems his team has suffered during international breaks, and Hodgson is right in championing the importance of the national side and having the best players at his disposal in order for him to carry out his job. All that needs to be done to avoid a repeat of such an embarrassing episode is for Hodgson and Rodgers to have a transparent and productive discussion on what is to be expected of the players during the break, and for a compromise to be reached.

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When it comes to England, such a straightforward proposal is easier said than done. However, for the sake of the national team, of sensible football fans and most importantly of Raheem Sterling himself, it is time to put this tiresome matter to bed.

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Luis Suarez believes that his old side Liverpool will find it impossible to replace departing captain Steven Gerrard both on and off the pitch.

The Reds’ iconic skipper’s move to MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of the season was confirmed earlier this week after the 34-year-old revealed that he would not be extending his contract at Anfield.

Gerrard has since disclosed that he would have committed the rest of his career to his boyhood club should he have been handed fresh terms over the summer, but the Merseysiders’ owners, Fenway Sports Group, were reluctant to present the ageing ace with a deal.

WANT MORE? >> Liverpool transfer news | Latest transfer news

Suarez starred alongside the former England captain last season as Liverpool narrowly missed out on a first ever Premier League title, and it was the midfielder who played a key role in ensuring the Uruguayan didn’t force a move to Arsenal in 2013.

The 27-year-old now plays for Barcelona following his £75m switch after the World Cup, and he believes that his former team will find it tough to cope without Gerrard:

“There are a small number of players in the world that are irreplaceable, and Steven is one of them. Not just irreplaceable as a player, but also as a captain, and what he represents for Liverpool.” He told The Mirror.

“Liverpool are a great team though, big players will want to play for them. They have great midfield players already there who can make a step up – and I am sure the boss is already thinking about replacements.

“Steven will always be somebody I respect as a player and a person. He has had a big impact on my career.

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“He told me to give Liverpool another season and leave if Barcelona wanted me. That is probably the most important advice I have ever taken.”

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Manchester City’s need for a centre-back to partner captain Vincent Kompany hasn’t been solved for over two years. Recent defensive performances in the Premier League reinforce the need for another top quality central defender in the side.

Martin Demichelis was signed after Joleon Lescott’s decline in 2013, and although he has impressed at times, he still looks short of being a top defender for City. Just under £32 million was spent on 23-year-old French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala from Porto in the summer but he too has had a tough time in adjusting to life in the Premier League.

With Matija Nastasic being loaned out to Schalke and Dedryck Boyata someway off being good enough for Man City, the need for a new central defender is clear. Here are FOUR centre backs that City should look to bring in:

Mehdi Benatia

The 27-year-old Moroccan central defender was linked with a move to Man City in the summer and they nearly signed him before Bayern Munich snapped him up for around £20 million from Roma. The Moroccan international has 34 caps for his Country and is someone that has been on City’s radar for a while.

Limited to just eight league appearances so far for Munich, a move away wouldn’t be a bad choice, especially as he would be guaranteed first team football at the Etihad. Benatia is an extremely efficient defender who is very strong and reliable in the heart of defence. A born leader and winner, he is a similar defender to Vincent Kompany which would allow both players to form a partnership that can elevate City to the next level.

Mats Hummels

The Express have reported that City retain an interest in signing Hummels despite the 26-year-old defender being linked heavily with a move to the other side of Manchester. With Borussia Dortmund struggling in the Bundesliga, a move away from the club is seemingly most probably in the summer.

Dortmund’s captain was extremely impressive in Germany’s World Cup triumph, which led him to being shortlisted for the player of the tournament award. Hummels is another with great leadership qualities and excellent positioning attributes that make him a world-class central defender. City will have to battle bitter rivals Man United to secure his signature, but he would be worth every penny of City’s limitless pot of gold.

Thiago Silva

Brazilian international Thiago Silva might now be 30 but has proven himself to be one of the best centre-backs in World football. Silva was an excellent servant to AC Milan and has performed well since his move to PSG in 2012. At the World Cup in Brazil, Silva showed what an influential and world-class defender he was when captaining the host nation.

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Inspired performances helped Brazil make it to the semi-finals where Silva missed the demolition to Germany through suspension. The Germany match demonstrated what a key player Thiago Silva is and how much they missed his leadership qualities. Silva would be a very expensive signing which makes Man City one of the few teams that can lure him away from Paris.

Gerard Pique

Former Man United defender Gerard Pique has been a fantastic addition to Barcelona since joining the Spanish giants in 2008. He was never given a fair chance at United and was sold for a bargain price of £4 million. The 27-year-old made nearly 300 appearences at Barcelona and has won two Champions League titles with the side.

He also played a key part in Spain’s World Cup success in 2010 and their Euro 2012 triumph. A solid defender with tremendous ball playing qualities, it has been suggested in the Daily Start that Pique could be available for as little as £24million, which is a great price for a defender of his quality. Pique would be the perfect complement for Kompany in defence and elevate Manchester City to another level.

Liverpool hero John Aldridge is not at all shocked that his old team are looking to retain the services of veteran defender Kolo Toure, who is still a vital member of the Reds’ squad.

The 33-year-old centre-back arrived from Manchester City on a free transfer at the start of last season, in a move that surprised many fans of the Merseyside giants.

But despite his advancing years, Toure has been an important first-team player for Brendan Rodgers, slotting into the club’s backline on a number of occasions to provide a commanding presence.

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Even though he was absent for much of the start of 2015 – he was helping the Ivory Coast to AFCON glory – Toure has made 10 Premier League outings, but with his contract due to expire at the end of the current campaign, his time at Anfield has been in doubt.

The player himself recently revealed that negotiations with Liverpool are underway, and ‘Aldo’ says that keeping the former league champion – he won the tile with both Arsenal and Man City – would be wise:

“I’m not surprised that Liverpool want Kolo Toure to sign a 12-month contract extension.” He wrote in the Liverpool Echo.

“All I ever hear about Toure is positive. He’s a humble man who loves Liverpool and is great in the dressing room.

“Wherever he’s been at, the fans have loved him. Man City fans were singing his name at Anfield the other week – that tells you everything you need to know about the fella.

“I’ve got the utmost respect for him. Whenever he’s come on this season he hasn’t let us down and he’s a tremendous ambassador for the club.

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“The question for Toure is does he want to sit on the bench or go elsewhere and play regularly?”

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