Manchester City: Manchester City

Manchester City are close to signing Leicester defender Ben Thatcher, according to the club's official website.

The two clubs have agreed a deal for the 28-year-old and he is due to complete a medical and discuss personal terms on a three-year contract next week.

Ben Thatcher has completed his move to Manchester City from Leicester having passed a medical.

The 28-year-old Welsh international left-back has signed a three year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Thatcher admitted he was excited by the set up at City and was looking forward to bedding into the team next season.

City have signed Geert de Vlieger from Willem II where he was out of contract.

The 32-year-old keeper has been with Willem II for five seasons after joining from Anderlecht in 1999.

Defender Stephen Jordan has signed a 12-month contract to stay at the City of Manchester Stadium.

The 22-year-old, a product of City's academy, recently had talks about a move to Peterborough.

But he may get his chance with City this season following the departure of Danny Tiatto and Michael Tarnat.

Jordan made his debut at Bolton two years ago, and made two appearances as a substitute last season, including against Everton in the final game.

Manchester City could be ready to make a move for Bulgarian midfielder Marian Hristov after following him closely over the course of Euro 2004.

City are understood to have posted scouts throughout Bulgaria's campaign in Portugal, and the reports on the giant midfielder have been very favourable.

Bulgaria news agency Focus are now suggesting that Kevin Keegan is set to make a move for Hristov.

I notice they have signed a couple of defenders. They need them. They struggled badly last season and if it wasn't for a bit of earlier form they would have gone down. Thing is they have some decent players and i can't see why they struggled so badly. I guess it's because they had David James in goal. England no1 yeah right....

Football manager Joe Royle has been awarded 422,000 in damages after he launched a compensation claim against his former club, Manchester City.

Royle sued the club when he received only a fraction of the pay-off he was due after being sacked in May 2001.

A hearing, earlier this year, was told Mr Royle, 55, was sacked by the club days after losing the final league match against Chelsea in May.

The Premiership team were due to be relegated to Division One.

A part of the Mr Royle's contract dictated he would receive, in addition to his 300,000 annual salary, an extra 400,000 bonus if City were in the Premiership when he left.

Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan expects to make two new signings before the end of next week.

With the Blues purse-strings being tightened over the summer, Keegan has so far managed to bring in only Welsh defender Ben Thatcher and Belgian keeper Geert de Vlieger to bolster a squad that disappointingly finished 16th last term.

Having also let Gerard Wiekens, Danny Tiatto, Michael Tarnat and Stephen Elliott leave, Keegan knows he is down on numbers from 12 months' ago and is also facing the prospect of being without full-back Sun Jihai for the opening weeks of the season as he will be required for Asian Cup duty.

Moves for Dutch duo Michael Reiziger and Mario Melchiot both ended in failure, while another potential target, Danish international Thomas Helveg, is also attracting interest from Tottenham.

Manchester City have appointed Stuart Pearce as joint first-team coach alongside Derek Fazackerley following the retirement of Arthur Cox.

Pearce, who previously worked in a general coaching capacity at the club, will now take on a role working with the first team.

Cox's former position as assistant manager will not be filled.

Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan expects to tie up the transfer of England defender Danny Mills early next week.

Mills met City officials on Friday and reached an agreement in principle to join the Blues on a free transfer.

Providing he can tie up some minor details in his Leeds contract, he should report for pre-season training with his new team-mates next week.

Mills, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough and also attracted interest from Newcastle, should bolster a City squad lacking in numbers following the departures of Michael Tarnat, Gerard Wiekens and Danny Tiatto since the end of the season.

Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan believes he could be out of a job if the club does not improve on last season's dismal 16th place in the Premiership.

Keegan is hoping to tie up the transfer of England defender Danny Mills early next week after the Leeds player met City officials on Friday and reached an agreement in principle to join the Blues on a free transfer.

However the former England boss knows the pressure will be on next season and said: "I believe we are capable of improving on last season. I will be very disappointed if we don't - and I will probably be out of a job if we don't."

England full-back Danny Mills has completed his move from Leeds to Manchester City.

The 27-year-old becomes manager Kevin Keegan's third signing of the summer, following Ben Thatcher and Belgian keeper Geert de Vlieger.

The move ends a period of uncertainty in Mills' career after he failed to agree a permanent move to Middlesbrough, where he spent last season on loan.

Keegan will hope the move sparks an improvement in Mills' form, which has dipped since he starred for England in the 2002 World Cup.

Manchester City keeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard wants to be allowed to leave the club on loan.

The Danish youngster is currently third in the City pecking order behind England number one David James and new signing Geert de Vlieger.

He accepts he is unlikely to forge past either of that pair in the coming season and is keen for manager Kevin Keegan to ship him out on loan for experience.

Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan has been tipped to land former Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord before the start of the campaign.

The City boss wants the World Cup winner to partner Nicolas Anelka and fire City into Europe.

Keegan plans to sacrifice one of Robbie Fowler, Paulo Wanchope and Jon Macken in order to finance the arrival of Wiltord, who helped Arsenal clinch the double in 2002.

Well if he were to sacrifice anyone it should be Fowler I'm sorry to say, he just hasn't got it anymore and hasn't had it for a long time.

That's the problem with having Keegan as a manager as he's just far too loyal and I can't see him making that sacrifice to someone like Fowler, he probably feels like 'one of the boys'.

Either way Keegan will quit or be sacked by the end of this season, then hopefully he'll just become a pundit or something so that we can try and remember what a great player he was rather than this rather embarrassing manager.

Manchester City have opened talks with young star Shaun Wright-Phillips over a new extended deal.

The exciting wideman has two years to run on his current contract, but City boss Kevin Keegan is keen to tie him down to a long-term deal.

Keegan believes the England Under-21 international deserves a new lucrative contract as reward for his performances over the last two seasons.

Cash-strapped Manchester City are on the hunt for a new goalkeeper after Belgian international Geert de Vlieger was ruled out for the entire season.

De Vlieger ruptured his Achilles tendon in Friday night's 3-1 win over Wolves at Molineux, just 20 minutes into only his third game for the club since his summer arrival from Willem II.

Frustrated Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan is targeting another three new faces - and they will not act as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka.

Manchester City have turned to Hungary international Gabor Kiraly in their search for goalkeeping reinforcements.

Following a season-ending injury to summer signing Geert De Vlieger, City boss Kevin Keegan is chasing an experienced back-up to England number one David James.

Kiraly is available on a free transfer after leaving Hertha Berlin and has already seen one move to The Premiership fall through this summer.

The 28-year-old had reached a verbal agreement with Crystal Palace but was then disappointed with the formal offer from the Selhurst Park side.

Fellow Premiership sides Bolton Wanderers, Everton and Portsmouth have also been linked with the Hungarian shot-stopper.