Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic Complete Transfers To Manchester City

Stefan Savic Makes Manchester City Switch

Manchester City are continuing their defensive overhaul, signing Montenegrin Stefan Savic on a four year deal just days after completing a move for Arsenal left back Gael Clichy. Savic, who previously played for Partizan Belgrade, can operate on the right side of the defence or at centre half, which should free up Roberto Mancini's side for the anticipated sale of Jerome Boateng, who's been strongly linked to Bayern Munich.

Not many have seen Savic (who's just 20 years old) play, but he did appear for Montenegro in their 0-0 draw against England at Wembley, and played pretty well - although, worryingly, he did describe now-teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips as 'tricky':

I was up against Shaun [Wright-Phillips] when he came on as a substitute and he was very tricky. I never imagined that I'd be team-mates with all those City players within a year and I'm so happy to be at this club.

Maybe he's just being nice? City fans will certainly hope that Savic's level of play far outshines Wright-Phillips', and he'll get the opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage. The fee for the Montenegran is undisclosed but believed to be less than £10M.

For more on Manchester City, check out Bitter and Blue.

Gael Clichy Doesn't Take Long To Prod Man United Fans

Manchester City Complete Purchase Of Gael Clichy From Arsenal

After a lot of heavy speculation about a move, French international left back Gael Clichy has officially completed his transfer from Arsenal to Manchester City. Clichy, previously a very highly touted prospect, had a bit of an off year last season for Arsenal after previously looking like one of the better left backs in England, while Manchester City needed some more depth at that position. With the extremely talented Kieran Gibbs sitting behind Clichy on the bench, Arsenal were willing to sell.

The transfer fee was not released, but the fee is believed to be in the range of £7 million. Through the club's website, Clichy made a statement about his move to City.

"I am really happy to be joining such a great club...I hope I can add to the quality we already have here because we have a fantastic squad who I believe will continue to get better. I can't wait to get started and I think anything is possible with this team."    

City have slowed down their spending slightly since their initial spending sprees, but they're rumored to be chasing another Arsenal player: Winger/attacking midfielder Samir Nasri. Nasri has just one year remaining on his current deal and has been linked to a move away from the Emirates Stadium.

For more on Arsenal and Manchester City, visit the Short Fuse and Bitter & Blue.

Gael Clichy Close To Manchester City Move: Reports

Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy is close to wrapping up a move to Manchester City, according to the Guardian.

The Frenchman has only a year left to run on his contract, and a move to Liverpool had been rumoured, but it appears Roberto Mancini has chosen to seal the deal to give more competition to a position where Aleksandr Kolarov and Wayne Bridge have failed to shine. 

The deal for the 25-year-old is expected to be around £7m, and will allegedly be completed when personal terms and a medical are finalised. The move will be another setback for Wenger, as Clichy may be one of several Arsenal players to leave the club this summer as their contracts wind down, with the Fabregas and Nasri sagas continuing to rumble on. For Wenger, he will now have another difficult replacement to find in what will be a hugely important transfer window for The Gunners.

For more on Arsenal and Manchester City, visit the Short Fuse and Bitter & Blue.