Manchester City building ties with Ligue 1 sleeping giants
Published:
Manchester City could be about to take a page out of Chelsea’s book amid reports claiming the Sky Blues are keen to develop links between themselves and Ligue 1 side St Etienne.
According to a report on Sport Witness, which cites information gleaned from France Football, the reigning Premier League champions are looking to develop the alliance having had an initial bid to buy the club blocked by the Ligue 1 authorities.
Despite this set-back, the story claims that talks between the sides are progressing well and a new
link-up could be the result as City look to consolidate their position as a major player in both the Premier League and Champions League.
Chelsea already have a similar agreement with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven while the London club are also thought to be on good terms with Vitesse Arnhem among others.
The Blues recently recruited highly-rated young defender Kurt Zouma from St Etienne while the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bafetimbi Gomis made their name at the club.
Currently managed by Christophe Galtier, who was in the running to be named the next permanent manager of Newcastle, historically speaking they remain one of the biggest sides in France having won 10 Ligue 1 titles.
However the club is without a league title success since the early 1980s.
Their most notable spell of success came in the decade previous when Michel Platini marshalled Les Verts’ midfield in his young days before sealing a move to Serie A and Juventus.
The UEFA president’s ties to the club make news of City’s potential new venture all the more intriguing with the Frenchman previously hitting the Sky Blues with Champions League squad restrictions after they failed to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.
Whether the link-up is just another inventive way of circumventing UEFA rules remains to be seen but it could prove an intriguing develop for fans either side of the Channel.
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