da betano casino: Manchester City may be in a dog fight with Tottenham Hotspur for the much coveted fourth spot in the Premier League. Yet already the rumours have begun as to the massive outlay the Eastlands outfit will undertake this summer. All the big names have been linked and numerous sums of money printed on the back pages of every paper in the country. Two that seem to stick and appear to have more weight than the otherwise fantasy stories is a couple of South Americans who ply their trade in Portugal for Benfica.
da apostebet: Oscar Cardozo and Angel Di Maria have been setting alight not only the Portuguese League, but also the Europa League too. Oscar Cardozo is a Paraguayan international striker with a rather unbelievable goal record. At 26 years of age he has 76 goals in 79 appearances for the Portuguese Champions elect. Cardozo has long been linked to a move with to England with Newcastle United showing a mooted interest in his services a couple of years ago. Since Benfica’s turn around as a force in Portugal after Porto’s significant dominance and Cardozo’s continued goals scoring feats, his stock has risen. Talk of a £20 million deal is very much on the cards. Yet would he help Manchester City significantly? In a word yes, but with consequences.
There is no doubting the striker’s talent. This is not in question. He clearly has an eye for goal. Oscar Cardozo has fantastic aerial ability and at nearly 6ft 5in is a serious danger from crosses and set pieces. This beginning to remind you of another striker at Manchester City? His movement is not too bad either. Furthermore I would not allow him space to shoot from range. He has one hell of a ping on him. If Cardozo’s arrival is certified this summer it would be pretty ominous looking for fellow Paraguayan international Roque Santa Cruz. A season blighted by injury has not really allowed Roque Santa Cruz to show his class. If fit and playing regularly Cruz is more than a handful and offers pretty much the same skills Oscar Cardozo does. If Santa Cruz stays he could see himself slipping further down the selection order. Is that what Manchester City fans would want?
Angel Di Maria on the other hand is a no brainer for me. Sign him and sign him now. He will cost in excess of £25 million as he is Benfica’s most saleable asset. At 22 years old Di Maria is young and has pace in abundance. The predominately left winger can switch to a central role if required. Silky skills and the rare combination of world class distribution have made Angel Di Maria become hot property around the world. Both Manchester United and Chelsea have genuine interest in the Argentine international. With Martin Petrov looking likely to leave Manchester City in the summer, Angel Di Maria would offer a direct replacement. Adam Johnson’s signature during the January transfer window may not prove a stumbling block as he has been employed on the right side of midfield. The prospect of these two young stars operating out wide for Manchester City is mouth-watering.
Weight to the move for Oscar Cardozo and Angel Di Maria joining City has come from technical director Mike Rigg. He told the Record ‘Di Maria and Cardozo are two excellent players, very strong in their respective positions, and hence highly-rated in the international market. It is logical, there is no need to hide, that a club like Manchester City have to be attentive to players with such potential, who catch the interest of several clubs worldwide. I observe many players and I am well documented on these and also other athletes who play in Portugal, but I acknowledge that Di Maria and Cardozo are two fantastic players.’
Whilst all the sounds coming of Eastland’s appear these two players are most certainly on Manchester City’s radar, caution must be heeded. With Angel Di Maria, City are onto a winner. The prospect of Oscar Cardozo, despite his amazing goal record may not be as fantastic as it seems on the surface. Is he worth replacing Roque Santa Cruz? Furthermore has Santa Cruz had a real chance to prove his worth?
Check out this video of Angel Di Maria. He’s a bit good:
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