Edin Dzeko Transfer to Manchester City May Not Happen if Bayern Munich Become Involved

According to a number of sources, Manchester City seems to be in the driving seat as far as signing Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko is concerned.

The striker is one of the few top class strikers in the world today not residing in what would be regarded as a top club. However, the deal may not be as simple as a mere £25 million bid and buy.

It is no secret that Wolfsburg is having a poor season. Currently, Die Wölfe are languishing in 13th, a massive 24 points off Borussia Dortmund in first place and are facing a real struggle to stay in the league, never mind qualify for Europe or challenge for the title as many expected.

The signing of ex-England boss Steve McLaren from FC Twente was meant to be the catalyst that propelled the Volkswagen backed team towards becoming perennial title challengers, but the move has not worked as hoped.

Under McLaren, Wolfsburg got off to their worst start to a league campaign in recent memory with three defeats in their opening three games.

The situation improved somewhat after that though as Die Wölfe went unbeaten for four games with three straight wins.

However, things then took a slight turn for the worse and as we head into the winter break, Wolfsburg have gone eight games without recording a win and have suffered an embarrassing defeat to Energie Cottbus in the German Cup.

That shock defeat caused the Club President, Dieter Hoeness, to release a statement backing McLaren but also sending a shot across the bows of players with perceived bad attitudes.

Hoeness told the club's official website: "We have got some cleaning up to do.

"We told the team eight weeks ago after the defeat in Nurnberg that their basic attitude must change.

"We did not get a reaction so now we have got to react. The fans do not deserve to see what they are seeing on the pitch, particularly given the exemplary way in which they supported us against Cottbus.

"We expect the coaches to act consequentially and to punish bad behaviour both on and off the field."

Hoeness intimated that McLaren had much work to do and that January would be an important month for getting the Wolfsburg project back on track.

"Above all, we will push on with our rebuilding of a successful team next summer," explained Hoeness.

"It is difficult to do that in the winter, but we will see what we can do.

"It is going to be a painful time for one or two people around here. With this current team in this current situation, enduring success is no longer possible."

Wolfsburg's sliding down the table has had a huge effect on the team, chiefly its talismanic goal scoring machine Edin Dzeko.

The striker has made no secret of his love for Die Wolfe, but he has also made it clear that he will move if he does not receive regular Champions League action.

At the start of December, Dzeko and McLaren had a heated exchange after the Bosnian striker was substituted with two minutes remaining in the 0-0 draw against Werder Bremen.

It was the first public sign that all was not rosy in the Wolfsburg garden and almost immediately, Europe's top clubs came circling.

Manchester City is believed to have placed a bid of around £25 million (€40m) with the club for Dzeko's services, but thus far the club have remained tight lipped.

The main problem Manchester City face in signing Dzeko is that Wolfsburg are probably the only other club in the world where money is not a major factor in sales.

The club grew out of Volkswagen wanting an outlet for their workers in the newly created city of Wolfsburg and the club have become something of a play thing rather than a business enterprise for the world famous car group.

In short, VFL Wolfsburg does not need to sell players to balance the books and are not run for profit.

It is also worth noting that Volkswagen owns Audi and that Audi own a 10 percent stake in Bayern Munich.
Over the last couple of seasons, there have been persistent rumours that Bayern Munich have first preference on Dzeko and it seems very surprising not to hear their name being mentioned as the bidding war for the Bosnian's services begin.

On top of the Bayern Munich links, you also have to look at Manchester City's bench. Brian Marwood was brought into the club with a view to reducing the club's wage bill with "Financial Fair Play" in mind and it was partially his doing that the club have dramatically reduced their reliance on using players’ agents.

Agents being moved to the periphery of importance at Manchester City were one of the direct causes for the recent Carlos Tevez spat. His agent, Kia Joorabchian, was once one of the most powerful individuals at City, through his recommendations and contacts, and it is no secret that he despises not being a shoulder for the club to cry on anymore.

City also has an abundance of strikers at the club at the moment in Tevez, Balotelli, Jo, Santa Cruz and Adebayor. Obviously, the latter trio are not rated by Mancini, but it seems an antagonistic approach to bring in their replacement now when the summer would make more sense.

Wolfsburg's situation must also be looked at.

Their main problem this term is scoring goals and selling their best player and main onion sack assassin would be nothing short of domestic suicide.

At the moment, they are nine points off the bottom of the table; on the other hand, they are only 12 points off the Champions League and if Steve McLaren can bring in one or two influential signings, there is no reason why Die Wolfe cannot climb the table.

Daniel Agger and Bayern Munich's Mark van Bommel are the latest pair to be linked with the club.

There is little doubt that Edin Dzeko will move on from Wolfsburg one day. Moving in the summer looks a far better bet than January though and Manchester City will not be the only team bidding for his undoubted talents.

Alex Ferguson Contributes To Manchester United's Downfall in Munich

Bayern Munich took partial revenge on Manchester United tonight by beating them 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League after Ivica Olic scored a dramatic 93rd-minute winner.

However, although Bayern deserved their win, Alex Ferguson must hold his hand up and accept that he contributed greatly to his team's demise.

Just as Ferguson's substitutions turned that now famous game in 1999, his changes tonight were equally as poor, handing the impetus and control on midfield directly to Louis van Gaal's team.

Manchester United were given a dream start when Nani was brought down at the corner flag by the clumsy Demichelis, who had a nightmare first half.

The little Portuguese winger picked himself up off the ground to fire in a free kick that a completely unmarked Wayne Rooney met to volley home in the Bayern six-yard box after Demichelis had slipped and lost his footing.

Sixty-six seconds in and the procession that many believed would happen was well under way.

Something changed in United's setup though. The team began to defend very deeply, rendering much of its own penetrative forces useless, as the likes of Patrice Evra could not get out of his own half.

On the other side of the pitch, a terrified Gary Neville was brought face-to-face with one of the most frightening sights in football: Franck Ribery tearing down the wing at full pace.

The fact that Nani was operating in front of him on the right didn't help Neville's cause, after Ferguson decided to leave the much better and far more effective Antonio Valencia on the bench. Perhaps he was resting him for Sunday's crucial clash with Chelsea.

It was just one of the Scot's many questionable decisions that went wrong on the night.

As Bayern began to gain a stranglehold in midfield, Rooney became an isolated figure up front. Nani, Scholes, and Carrick became peripheral figures as Marc van Bommell orchestrated midfield beautifully.

The Dutch star may be coming to the end of his career, but he has a phenomenal football brain and always manages to be in the right place or pick the right pass. He possesses the strength and stamina to back it up.

With him providing the foundation, the likes of Ribery and Altintop were free to bomb forward and troubled a brilliant Edwin van der Sar on more than one occasion.

Sensing that this United team was not of '99 vintage, Bayern stepped up a couple of gears.

The game was in real danger of slipping away. Ferguson was forced to act—he brought off Park and Carrick for Berbatov and Valencia.

They were curious moves for a couple of reasons.

Playing with five in the middle, United's midfield were already being overrun, so the decision to bring on Berbatov and go 4-4-2 was strange to say the least.

While Park was having a quiet game, he was far better than Nani. By bringing Valencia on, he moved Nani out left and made three changes for the price of two, never a good move when you are under pressure.

By going 4-4-2, a legless Paul Scholes was left with a demoralised Fletcher in United's engine room. Bayern just steamrolled past them.

United's static midfield has caused them problems in every game, which has raised questions. Van Gaal deserves huge credit for exploiting them, when other managers are often afraid to take the initiative.

A far more sensible approach would have been to remove Neville for Rafael and replace Nani with Valencia.

United would have kept the same formation. But they would have replaced the wheelbarrow-slow Neville with a much younger model and replaced Nani for a much better player, who wouldn't be afraid to work either end of the field.

But with Ferguson's substitutions made, Bayern duly took over.

Seven minutes later, they scored the equalizer they deserved after Ribery's free kick was deflected past van der Sar and off Rooney.

In a cowardly move, the England striker turned his back on the ball as it left Ribery's boot.

It is a cardinal sin in football to turn your back on the ball, especially in a free kick. You just don't know where the ball is going to go. Nine times out of 10, the deflection gives the ball a dipped trajectory that 'keepers find impossible to judge.

Besides, when you're on as much as Rooney, taking a ball in the face is all part of the game.

The free kick was initially awarded after a punch-drunk Neville fisted the ball away from Ribery with the referee less than five yards away—incredibly poor defending by the player many feel is the best right full ever to play in England.

It was a night to forget for Neville and one that will linger long in both his and Ferguson's minds.

And one thing is for sure: Ronaldinho of AC Milan is no Ribery.

The goal spurred Bayern on even more as Die Roten went chasing a winner.

Staring defeat straight in the eye, Ferguson played the only card he had left and took Nani off for Ryan Giggs.

It was too little too late though. Ivica Olic stepped up in the 93rd minute to coolly slip the ball past van der Sar for a winner that will go a little way to eradicating the memory of 1999.

Olic pounced onto the ball after a schoolboy error by Patrice Evra, who could not control the ball. He took far too many touches with the striker in close attendance, the end result being Bayern's winner.

Insult was added to that injury-time winner when Rooney appeared to twist his ankle awkwardly. It would now appear that the United striker will miss Sunday's crucial Premier League clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Ferguson had spoken before the match of how he valued an away goal more than a clean sheet, and perhaps this mindset had seeped into the team.

The tie is delicately poised, but Bayern will be a far different animal in the return leg when Arjen Robben returns to the fold.

Rooney's season is now in the balance, and so is United's.

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