Roberto Mancini has admitted that if Manchester City want to add any new faces to their squad come January, they must first sell a number of their fringe players.
The Etihad stadium outfit sit two points clear at the top of the Premier League, and many have anticipated that the big-spending side will look to sign new players in the new year to bolster their title ambitions.
Despite Mancini having a number of transfer targets in mind, he has stated that some players will need to leave first to free up space and funds.
“We need to sell two or three players and then we’ll see,” Mancini told The Guardian.
“We want to sell first and after that we may have time to buy someone if it’s possible. But it’s not easy. There are players that could be good for us but every time we want to buy a player their clubs ask for lots of money,” he stated.
Mancini spoke of potential transfer targets, such as ambitious moves for Lionel Messi or Daniele De Rossi, but these are unlikely to come to fruition.
“I asked the owner [Sheikh Mansour] for Lionel Messi but it’s not possible.
“I also don’t think De Rossi will happen, because he was born in Rome and it’s unlikely that he’ll leave the city,” he concluded.
By Gareth McKnight
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