Fa Barclaycard Premiership News Update

Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 16 January 2009 )

English Premiership football News

Man City offer '£13m' for De Jong
Manchester City have made an official bid to sign Hamburg midfielder Nigel de Jong, according to the German club.

De Jong's contract contains a clause that would allow him to leave in the summer for £1.8m, but City have reportedly bid £13.3m to buy him now.

"City contacted us, signalled their interest in him and made an offer," said a Hamburg spokesman.

The Dutch international, 24, has played 66 Bundesliga games for Hamburg since joining from Ajax for £1.2m in 2006.

"We now have to sit down and decide if it is worth considering. If we feel it is, then we will get back to them," added the Hamburg spokesman. "We have agreed not to discuss figures."

And De Jong, who is out of contract with Hamburg in 2010, has himself hinted that he would like the opportunity to join the Eastlands outfit, saying: "Everybody knows that I would like to play for a big club eventually.

"I count Manchester City in that category. I will take my time and listen to everything and then I will make the right decision for me.

"But I am a Hamburg player and it could be that I remain so."

However, Hamburg director of sport Dietmar Beiersdofer has said City face competition from a host of other clubs - including Spanish giants Real Madrid.

"I have spoken with him about Real Madrid and other clubs in that category, but not about City," he told German newspaper Die Welt.

"I will now speak with his agent and see what happens."

De Jong is the latest in a long line of players to have been linked with big-money moves to City since the January transfer window opened.

As well as their £107m bid to sign AC Milan midfielder Kaka, the Eastlands club are already known to have made offers for Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz and West Ham duo Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker.

Left-back Wayne Bridge, who signed from Chelsea for around £10m, remains the club's only signing of the January transfer window to date.
by bbcnews.