Selling a priority for Mancini

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says offloading three or four surplus squad members is his priority in the January transfer window.

Carlos Tevez, Wayne Bridge and Nedum Onuoha are all believed to be available to potential buyers, with the controversial Argentine in particular close to sealing a transfer away from the Etihad Stadium.

Mancini is open to bringing in reinforcements for his squad, but not until new homes have been found for the trio.

“We need to sell three or four players and with Carlos we could close (a deal) with a club in the next three or four days, and also possibly Wayne. Then maybe we can do something,” Mancini said.

“We hope for us and for Carlos we can do a deal. There are two or three teams in Italy, a team in France, and another team involved – I hope for him he can start to play football.”

“We could maybe bring someone in, but we need to sell.”

AC Milan are known to be among Tevez’ suitors but the clubs have differed on the nature of a potential deal.

Despite the imminent prospect of losing a striker from his dressing room, Mancini is more concerned with acquiring a midfielder to help cover the loss of Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure during the African Cup of Nations.

“We have three strikers, plus Samir (Nasri), David (Silva) and Adam Johnson. Maybe we need one midfielder if we can do it,” he said.

Roma’s Daniele De Rossi has been strongly linked with a move to City, but despite admitting his interest in the Italy international, Mancini is unsure as to whether the player would be willing to leave his beloved hometown club.

“De Rossi is a top player, like Yaya, but he plays for Roma, a top team, and he was born there. I don’t know if he will leave,” Mancini said.

Mancini is also expecting to have Nasri and Mario Balotelli back in contention when his side take on fierce rivals Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup clash.

The two had missed the 3-0 win over Liverpool in midweek due to illness, and the City manager is hopeful that they will be ready at the weekend.

“Samir was ill, Mario the same. I hope that they will be okay for the game against United,” he said.

“They trained with us in the morning but then were ill.”