If Manchester City want to win the league they might have to sign.... everybody

By David Anderson

Published 18:22 30/08/10

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As well as love, it seems money can't buy the Premier League.

Despite the £122million Manchester City have shelled out this summer, their defeat to Sunderland shows they are not quite title material.

Roberto Mancini has spent the summer trying to buy the right players to make them stronger when perhaps what he should be doing is buying the right players to make their opponents weaker.

I know this sounds daft, but with the biggest transfer kitty in the world at his disposal, Mancini is in a unique position where he can take as many rival players out of Premier League circulation as possible.

Take Darren Bent and he wouldn't score too many penalties against City if he were one of their players.

City wouldn't be buying him to be part of Roberto Mancini's 25-man squad for the Premier League.

Rather he could be loaned out to a Championship club or abroad, safely away from the Premier League.

City already have the template with Craig Bellamy's loan move to Cardiff earlier this summer.

Fulham, Tottenham and Everton all wanted to sign Bellamy permanently, but he is out of harm's way from City's point of view with the Bluebirds.

It may cost City a couple of million as they pick up most of his £80,000-a-week wages, but it will prove to be money well spent.

City have effectively done this already with Roque Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge and Shay Given and they have been mothballed.

Take Robinho and they stopped him joining Chelsea when they splashed out £32.5million two years ago to make him the most expensive player in British football.

City could even set up links with foreign clubs to farm their unwanted buys out to them.

These players could then play in La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga and City would not have to worry about them hurting their title chances.

The Blues could gradually drain their Premier League rivals of their best talent until eventually even they are able to win the title.

Of course, I'm only joking and such an idea would be complete bonkers.

But then again it is not that different to City's current transfer policy.

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