Bruce was after Given on loan earlier on this season and it really wouldn't surprise me if he tried to go back in for him. I think he's still a quality keeper and would provide us with the experience we need, it's just Guzan has possibly surprised many city fans by looking like one of Villa's better players along with Vlaar and Benteke and thus ousting him. Whether or not it would be a loan or perm I'm not sure. He's no doubt mates with some of our Irish contingent and with us now being in the top flight as well as having Bruce at the helm, I'm sure he'd fancy the move. Personally i'd love to have Mannone back due to his age and potential, but I think it was clear we had the chance last summer and Bruce didn't fancy it for whatever reason, and I'm not sure he'll have changed his mind. Kirkland would be an ok choice (I know a lot will disagree), he hasn't had injuries this season and he has prem experience and did look half decent at Wigan in the past when he strung a run of games together.
If Given was our keeper I'd be delighted; if it was Mannone I'd be happy enough; if it was Kirkland I'd be satisfied. And I'm normally pretty picky!
Thomas Sørensen wants out of Stoke and next season's the final year of his deal, I'd go for him. Brad Friedel might be worth a cheeky bid too.
From what I've seen of Shay Given in the Euro's last year and the few appearances he has made this season, I would say his best years are behind him now. Very difficult position to fill. Stockdale is OK, Mannone would be good but I suspect we will buy one and loan another keeper for a season. Where that leaves Jakupovic is anyones guess.
I'm wondering if Bruce might make a bid for Keiren Westwood at Slumberland. Apparently he was desperate to go out on loan to the Championship in January and MON refused. He's entering the last year of his contract this Summer, so a bid of £1.5m might get it done. There's the Eire connection too and Bruce obviously knows him well.
Think Jakupovic already knows it's time to start looking for another club - out of those who saw him play would anyone consider him good enough to be 2nd or 3rd choice keeper in the PL
Westwood is a good keeper. Another good one warming a bench is Ross Turnbull, although he's probably on a lofty wage at Chelski. Poss loan, though?
I think Friedel has been the best keeper in the Premier League over the past 6-7 years, bar none. I would LUV it if he came to City, but I think it's unlikely.
Why? he almost certainly wont be first choice at Spuds so he'll be after a move somewhere. Why not us?
well if the price for stockdale was £4m then i'd walk away, hes a decent keeper but not that price good. i'd like to think we'd be back in for vito and depending on the play offs kasper, i'd rather spend £4m on either of those before stockdale. friedel would be ideal too, soo much experience and is still an awesome keeper.
Actually one keeper who is going to be free soon is likely to play in the FA Cup final today - Costel Pantilimon. 6ft 8in Romanian, don't know if he's any good though.
Harry has said he'll be number 1 next season as he cant keep Julio Cesar in the Championship. There'll be much bigger clubs in for him. He's been better than the preposterously overrated Hart this season.
Mainly the wages he's likely to be on in his final year at Spurs. And at the risk of sounding a bit negative about City, if he did want to move I think he'd have one or two better offers from elsewhere - possibly the odd one that wouldn't require him to move home.
Whatever we do we need a permanent keeper. Three seasons without a permanent number one is silly! I'd not even thought of Friedel, he'd be an unbelievable signing, especially if we get a young lad to learn off him as number two and take over in a year or two
Absolutely not. I nearly laughed myself into a coma when he was signed from Boro, he was crap then and he's crap now. He'll end up back at Boro. Yeah, he's good enough to be a back up keeper/temporary stand in. People seem to forget that before he made that error against Wednesday, he was in the side that went on that great run in December. One mistake doesn't define you as a goalkeeper and with Oxley doing one, I suspect he'll be kept on as 2nd or 3rd choice. Viktor Noring impressed me when I saw him playing for Trelleborgs, but he's on loan at Celtic and they have first option. One out of left field would be Darren Randolph at Motherwell - it'd keep the Irish Connection (Fcek) and he's looked solid this season.
There is not a cat in hell's chance we would spend that on a keeper, striker maybe, but not a keeper.
