Craig Bellamy has resigned himself to the fact that he will be jettisoned by Manchester City before the transfer window shuts next month. The Wales captain will be surplus to requirements at Eastlands once City complete a deal to sign Mario Balotteli, the speedy striker, from Inter Milan. Bellamy fell out of favour with Roberto Mancini last season and the club are keen to start recouping some money by trimming their inflated squad.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, and Mark Hughes, the new Fulham manager who took Bellamy to City, are both admirers of the quicksilver striker, but his wages may be a stumbling block for the London clubs. They will also be reluctant to pay a sizeable transfer fee for a player who turned 31 last month. Bellamy is understood to be holding out for a move to Cardiff City, the club in the second tier of English football, but unless City subsidise his wages, his salary looks well beyond the debt-ridden Welsh club.
Bellamy, who is set to line up for Wales in tonight's friendly against Luxembourg in Llanelli, revealed he had rejected an offer from Wolfsburg, the German club who are managed by Steve McLaren, the former England manager. He also stated he is prepared to fight tooth and nail to be part of Mancini's squad, even though the signs do not look good. "I feel strongly that I can offer something at the club," said Bellamy. "But if I don't get in the 25-man squad, I don't know what I will do. I might finish, full stop, or look at every option I get.
"This game is as ruthless as any. I sort of feel I am not going to be part of it [at City]. I can see it from a distance. I find that very difficult to take because I really enjoy playing for Manchester City. I think I have shown that with my commitment this year. "I've had a few options. I've turned down Wolfsburg. I don't fancy Germany, it's not somewhere I see myself playing football. I have to see what options I have. I am here to play football.
"With this 25-man ruling, it doesn't matter how well I train or how good my attitude is, I might not be registered to play. So do I go without playing football until January, or do I find myself a club where I can play football? "I am committed to stay where I am. I feel I deserve to be part of it, but I don't pick the 25 or the team. I have to wait on their decision." Meanwhile, Nedum Onuoha, City's former England Under 21 defender, is set to spend the coming season on loan at Sunderland after the two sides reportedly agreed a deal last night.
Onuoha, who can operate at centre-back and full-back, has fallen down the pecking order at Eastlands under Mancini and will link up with Steve Bruce's side initially on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move, according to reports. * Agencies