MAN CITY BAGS DE JONG & BRIDGE IN JANUARY TRANSFERS ***DK***
***DK*** said
01:55 01/24 2009
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of left-back Wayne Bridge from Chelsea for an undiscolosed fee, reported to be around £10 million.
Speaking to the club's official website, Citizens manager Mark Hughes stated: "Waynes a player I know, I played alongside him at Southampton and I saw him come through the ranks.
"He was an outstanding young player and hes progressed year on year in his career.
"Hes a successful player. Hes an England international and has just played for one of the top four sides in the country.
"Hes of the right quality and hes the type of player we need to attract. We need good players that understand this league and well look to carry on in that way and add more if we can."
The 28-year-old was one of the first arrivals at Stamford Bridge following the injection of cash from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003.
Although the England international was a first-team regular in his first season as a Blues player, he fell down the pecking order with the arrivals of Spaniard Asier Del Horno in 2005, and then Ashley Cole in 2006.
Bridge, who will wear the number 25 shirt, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with City and becomes the club's first signing during the January transfer window.
Official: De Jong Joins Manchester City
The Dutchman has moved to Eastlands, City have confirmed today.
Nigel De Jong has left SV Hamburger and joined Manchester City today for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of 20million Euros.
The Dutch international, one of De Oranje's stars during Euro 2008, has been on the Mancunians' radar for a while, and his capture is further evidence that City are still active in the transfer market, as their executive chairman Garry Cook confirmed earlier.
De Jong now joins former Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge and ex-West Ham United striker Craig Bellamy as being one of the Citizens' successful captures this January, after their high-profile failure to land Kaka from AC Milan.
De Jong has won over thirty caps for Holland, and has in the past enjoyed a productive on-field working relationship with City's Belgian defender/midfielder Vincent Kompany, and his presence at Eastlands may have been a key inducement in the deal.
What the signing does seem to indicate is that the Mancunians, whose wealth and spending power is simply incomprehensible to most people, do have a plan and are looking for the kind of players who can bring some stability to a side that needs to battle its way away from the relegation zone before it switiches focus to dreams of European glory.
Shay Given, Newcastle United's Irish goalkeeper, is reportedly City's next target. They have returned to the Magpies with an improved bid for the player, believed to be in the region of £8million.
Speaking to the club's official website, Citizens manager Mark Hughes stated: "Waynes a player I know, I played alongside him at Southampton and I saw him come through the ranks.
"He was an outstanding young player and hes progressed year on year in his career.
"Hes a successful player. Hes an England international and has just played for one of the top four sides in the country.
"Hes of the right quality and hes the type of player we need to attract. We need good players that understand this league and well look to carry on in that way and add more if we can."
The 28-year-old was one of the first arrivals at Stamford Bridge following the injection of cash from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003.
Although the England international was a first-team regular in his first season as a Blues player, he fell down the pecking order with the arrivals of Spaniard Asier Del Horno in 2005, and then Ashley Cole in 2006.
Bridge, who will wear the number 25 shirt, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with City and becomes the club's first signing during the January transfer window.
Official: De Jong Joins Manchester City
The Dutchman has moved to Eastlands, City have confirmed today.
Nigel De Jong has left SV Hamburger and joined Manchester City today for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of 20million Euros.
The Dutch international, one of De Oranje's stars during Euro 2008, has been on the Mancunians' radar for a while, and his capture is further evidence that City are still active in the transfer market, as their executive chairman Garry Cook confirmed earlier.
De Jong now joins former Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge and ex-West Ham United striker Craig Bellamy as being one of the Citizens' successful captures this January, after their high-profile failure to land Kaka from AC Milan.
De Jong has won over thirty caps for Holland, and has in the past enjoyed a productive on-field working relationship with City's Belgian defender/midfielder Vincent Kompany, and his presence at Eastlands may have been a key inducement in the deal.
What the signing does seem to indicate is that the Mancunians, whose wealth and spending power is simply incomprehensible to most people, do have a plan and are looking for the kind of players who can bring some stability to a side that needs to battle its way away from the relegation zone before it switiches focus to dreams of European glory.
Shay Given, Newcastle United's Irish goalkeeper, is reportedly City's next target. They have returned to the Magpies with an improved bid for the player, believed to be in the region of £8million.