MANCHESTER DERBY TO MEET AGAIN WITH THEIR NEW SIGNING

Manchester United and Manchester City will lock horns in the early hours tomorrow in the NRG Stadium in Houston as part of the ICC 2017, hoping to launch serious title assaults next season after disappointing domestic campaigns last time out.


Overview

For all the column inches and air time dedicated to the renewal of Jose Mourinho’s rivalry with Pep Guardiola in Manchester after a toxic battle for supremacy in Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona, the anticipated fireworks never materialised as the two biggest names in management found themselves unable to keep up with the frenetic pace set by Antonio Conte’s champions Chelsea.

United’s sixth place finish was rendered far less damaging than it might have been after Mourinho followed up League Cup success by winning the Europa League and, with it, secured Champions League qualification, which was the only crumb of comfort for Guardiola during an eye-opening first season in English football.


The margin for error has certainly reduced and Vincent Kompany spelt that out in the bluntest of terms on Wednesday when he claimed that there was an obligation among the Premier League’s free-spending elite to win the championship, nowhere more so than at City and United.

“It’s hard to say who are going to be favourites,” the City captain said. “In my opinion, more teams than ever can – not just can, but have to – claim that they want to be Premier League champions. The distinction is important. They have to. Because everybody is investing heavily at the moment.”

New signings

United have committed up to £121 million to sign Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof but have encountered frustration in their pursuit of Inter Milan winger, Ivan Perisic, as well as their primary midfield targets, including Eric Dier and Nemanja Matic, to the point where Mourinho expressed fears on Wednesday of making only one more addition before the August 31 deadline. Indeed, Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, is now not certain to attend the derby in Houston as he tries to get deals over the line.


City have had their own frustrations but they are firmly on course to be the summer’s biggest spenders with an outlay that could surpass the £300 million mark if they land the remaining four targets they are chasing. Guardiola hopes to beat Chelsea to the signing of Danilo after offering Real Madrid £26.5 million for the Brazil right back, whom City switched their attention to after Dani Alves snubbed them to join Paris St-Germain last week.

It would take City’s expenditure on right backs alone to close to £80 million after the purchase of Kyle Walker from Spurs and Guardiola remains hopeful of also adding Arsenal’s £60 million rated Chile forward, Alexis Sanchez, and France left back Benjamin Mendy, who could arrive from Monaco this week for close to £50 million, to his squad.


A second left back and a centre-half remain options, too, and although Guardiola ruled out bringing in another goalkeeper on Wednesday, City have been in talks with Napoli about former Liverpool No. 1 Pepe Reina. City have already spent in excess of £140 million on Ederson Moraes, Bernardo Silva, Walker and Brazilian teenager Douglas Luiz. Despite the business they still have to do, though, Guardiola has implored Fifa and Uefa to re-structure the transfer window so it closes before the start of domestic seasons.


“Unfortunately the market finishes on August 31,” the City manager said. “I think it’s a huge mistake from Uefa. It should finish when the season starts because it’s too long, too large, and we are playing with guys here who are maybe not continuing and players who are not here so hopefully in the future Uefa can think about that and put a deadline on the last day when we start the competition.”

Analysis

The two teams have played 174 matches in all competitions, United winning 72, City 50, and the remaining 52 having been drawn.

United have claimed a small victory in the wider war with their local rivals after