Yeah i think that aswell.

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January window: Olivier top of the list

THERE are not many clubs who hope Santa drops down their chimney more than Manchester City.

And boss Stuart Pearce could do with the bearded one leaving several sacks full of cash behind.

The Blues boss badly needs reinforcements in the January window if the club are to prosper in the New Year.

Of primary concern is the forward line where the vacancy left by Andy Cole remains unfilled.

City have simply not scored enough goals to take pressure off their defender and at least one striker and possibly a goal-scoring midfielder are top of the wish list.

Pearce has been linked with a string of possible targets, though none of them has a Premiership pedigree and fans have already seen how hard it is for players to adjust when they arrive from continental leagues.

Bordeaux's 22-year-old Moroccan Marouane Chamkh, Heerenveen's Brazilian Afonso Alves, Werder Bremen's Ivan Klasnic (Croatia), Lillestrom's Robert Koren (Slovenia) and Olivier Thomert (Lens) have all been watched and linked.

Closer to home, the Blues have been keeping tabs on Scunthorpe's Billy Sharp, Izale McLeod at MK Dons, Nicky Maynard at Crewe, Caleb Solan at Chesterfield and Southend's Freddy Eastwood.

None of them will come for nothing and, with clubs often over-inflating the value of their players when Premiership clubs come calling, Pearce is going to need some money.

The City chief could also do with an experienced recruit who can play left midfield and must also keep one eye on the Sylvain Distin situation.

A bid of around £3m for their former captain might be tempting to the Blues if it looks as though the Frenchman wants to leave in the summer.

Otherwise, most likely to go during the January window is one-time England full-back Danny Mills, who has recently been on loan at Hull.

Most likely capture

Olivier Thomert- the attacking midfielder was close to joining City in the summer and is determined to leave France.

Who's City's top goal scorer this season Mr Unlucky?

Villa, Borough and Newcastle all in for the lad in Jan which is not suprising really.

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        I'm a new poster here .It's good to finally find a man city forum with some reasoned and well thought out posts . Reading some of the drivel posted on the M.E.N site had left me feeling almost suicidal . You also don't seem to be suffering too much from the united fans in disguise trying to play forum wars , but I've got to say the French poster is a bit surreal.

      As for city targets Alfonso Alves looks quality on this link :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XdaMGct7m4&mode=related&search= its ten minutes highlights from a recent match he plays and scores in , soft free kick , but a nice second goal , also look out for Samaras in a dodgy denim outfit waving a bunch of flowers ( I kid you not ).

    The way I see it though we lack creativity in midfield , be it from the wings or the centre of the park , we need a fast left back .Thatcher often lets pacey wingers get crosses in because he stands too far of the man afraid of being turned , Jordan seems to have learnt not grab hold of the players he's marking but is still  prone to giving away soft free kick's , and finally we need an out and out goal scorer , ideally fast and clinical and able to hold the ball up too , maybe then Samaras will come into his own with a little time and space to play into to , because right now he looks short on confidence and off the pace of the game .

  The rumors seem to be that Pearce only has 5 mill to play with , and to fill that shopping list would take a miracle .

You sure about that?