Roque Santa Cruz, the Blackburn Rovers striker who figures prominently on Manchester City's extensive list of possible new signings, said today that he would like to go through with the move if, as expected, he is the subject of a new bid in the January transfer window.
"Manchester City is a team that has financial support and is getting prepared to win the title," said Santa Cruz. "I am very happy at Blackburn but I like the idea of playing for a team that will be fighting for such important objectives. I will keep on doing what I do at Blackburn but if the coach of Manchester City is interested in me I would like to join Robinho in that team. He is a wonderful player and I would like to play next to him."
Santa Cruz, currently on international duty with Paraguay, made the admission in an interview with the Primero de Marzo radio station, after coming to learn that the man who signed him for Blackburn, Mark Hughes, has already asked City's billionaire new owners to make the former Bayern Munich forward his priority signing. That may surprise many City supporters at a time when their club is being linked with Kaka, Ronaldo and just about every other superstar footballer in the world, but Hughes has more moderate targets, starting with a player who scored 23 times for him last season. A left-back is also considered a priority, along with a goalkeeper to challenge Joe Hart. Kasper Schmeichel will be moved on.
City failed with a £12m bid for Santa Cruz in the August transfer window but now have the immense financial backing of the Abu Dhabi United Group and, as such, are in a far stronger position to offer the kind of financial package that Blackburn would find difficult to turn down. Blackburn could, in essence, make almost four times the £4.5m they paid Bayern for Santa Cruz last year. City would also be willing to pay all the money in one lump sum rather than in instalments.
Nonetheless, Santa Cruz's words have caused considerable consternation with his current employers, particularly coming only two months after the 27-year-old signed a new four-year contract at Ewood Park, complete with a vastly improved salary. Paul Ince, the Blackburn manager, could be forgiven for feeling let down and the club's chairman, John Williams, is known to be trying to seek an explanation through the striker's representatives, with whom the club have been in regular contact.
