Manchester City Facing Possible Transfer Ban

Manchester City are set to come under FIFA investigation after they were reported to the governing body by Argentine side Velez Sarsfield over the transfer of teenager Benjamin Gorre.

The Argentinians have claimed that the Citizens tried to make a move for the midfielder when he was just 15, with clubs not being allowed to sign players until they are 16-years-old under FIFA’s transfer rules.

Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been handed transfer suspensions in recent seasons for their dealings with underage players.

“Never have I experienced such an immoral act. We don’t know what they offered the father and the child in order to convince them,” Raul Gamez, Velez’s president, told the Daily Telegraph.

“In Velez, we defend values and we act in good faith. We are not interested in collecting 50,000 euros or 1,000,000 euros if said action is prohibited and may affect the player.”

“They offered ­money to take a 15-year-old child who is in the middle of his stage of development. We don’t know what they offered the father and the child in order to convince them.

“It is crazy to think that our youngsters can find themselves in a situation of vulnerability or abuse in a foreign country, without their family or somebody to protect them.

“We consider Manchester City is a club that cannot violate the regulations of FIFA and even less act with bad faith. We are interested in protecting the child we have been educating since he was 11 and therefore, if necessary, we will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

Manchester City Facing Possible Transfer Ban

Confirmed: Manchester City Sign England Defender for $61.7m

Manchester City have signed England centre-back, John Stones from Everton as new manager Pep Guardiola continues to reshape his side for the start of the Premier League season.

Everton, John Stones in action against Chelsea

City said in a statement on Tuesday that Stones had agreed a six-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, with British media putting the transfer fee at 47.5 million pounds ($61.7 million).

The 22-year-old, who was part of the England squad at Euro 2016 but did not feature as they crashed out in the last 16, was strongly linked with a move to Chelsea last year.

 

“John is an excellent young English defender and we are all really pleased he is joining us” City director of football, Txiki Begiristain told the club’s website.

“We have worked hard to bring him to City and, we feel we are signing one of the best central defenders in Europe.”

Stones, who joined Everton from Barnsley in 2013 for three million pounds, becomes the world’s second most expensive defender after Brazilian David Luiz, who moved from Chelsea to Paris St Germain for 50 million pounds in 2014.

“Now the deal’s done, I’m looking forward to the next stage in my career,” Stones said.

“I’ve obviously seen what’s going on here at the Etihad, it’s an ambitious club with a great manager so I can’t wait to get stuck in and help achieve the goals.”

Spaniard Guardiola, who joined the Manchester club from Bayern Munich in the off-season, has identified the defender as the perfect fit for his possession-based game.

City begins their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on August 13.

Confirmed: Manchester City Sign England Defender for $61.7m