Tuesday 20 January 2009

Will Manchester City make their move for the 'best keeper in football history'?

Manchester City may have targeted one Serie A star and could they follow that with the World's Greatest Ever Goalkeeper . . . Gianluigi Buffon. Beating Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel into 2nd place. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics Buffon is the best ‘keeper to have played the beautiful game.'

The IFFHS uses stats data to analyse and classify footballers, although widely respected; it also has a number of critics who feel football is such a fluid game it cannot be classified into figures.

Nonetheless, Buffon has, in my opinion, been the best goalkeeper in world for the last 10 years. Casillas, van der Sar and Cech don't match up to a player I consider, has taken goalkeeping to another level.

Manchester City would be extremely lucky to have such a legend among their ranks and in December Buffon openly said he would join City if Juventus accepted a bid.

'If a club is willing to pay that much for you, it would be fair to say I will tell my agents to make the deal happen,' said Buffon. 'Juve can go and buy a team full of champions of their own.'

A very encouraging statement if you are City and with the money they reportedly offered for Kaka, it could only be a matter of time before a fellow Serie A stalwart is in the firing line of the City owners.

City reportedly offered €50 million in the summer and according to Tuttosport, it is thought they will make a bid of €100 for the Juventus stopper in the current transfer window. Juventus like Milan would welcome the chance to invest in the squad, still somewhat light after the recent relegation to Serie B, whilst paying for the new stadium they are building. Will Juventus have more resolve than AC Milan and reject any bid for the greatest goalkeeper this planet has seen?

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