Premier League

MANCHESTER CITY are reportedly set to spend £300million on boosting the Etihad’s capacity to 61,000.The home of the current Premier League champs currently holds 53,400 seats.
Man City are ready for a major redevelopment of the Etihad, adding over 7000 more seatsCredit: Getty
City are also planning on building a new hotel and museumCredit: Rex
But Pep Guardiola’s side are ready to overhaul the second tier of their north stand to add an extra 7,700 places.
That would take the Etihad up to a grand total of 61,000.
And it would see City close the gap on Man United’s 74,000 capacity at Old Trafford.
The Mail says City are now looking to gain planning permission after holding consultation talks with fans and local residents.
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If successful, work will start as soon as November.
And City hope to have their stadium expansion completed for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
It would see the Etihad reach the same size as Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham’s stadiums.
And it will also match the 61,000 mark set to be hit by Liverpool’s redevelopment of Anfield.
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City have hired architectural firm Populous for the job following their work at Tottenham’s new arena.
But City are also plotting to boost the land around their stadium with a new hotel, megastore, museum and fan park.
It’s all expected to be finished around a year after the stadium redevelopment.
And it will take City’s spending on their infrastructure to £1billion.
The club say “the construction period would be carefully planned around the football season to minimise the potential for disruption.”
City reckon that 2,600 jobs will be created, with locals getting priority.
Fans are also hoping for the addition of new bars and restaurants, as well as improved Metrolink transport. More

FORMER Manchester United striker Daniel Nardiello revealed Sir Alex Ferguson threatened to boot him out of Old Trafford after he necked a “Wes Brown Special” in a nightclub.Nardiello, 40, came through United’s academy before going on to play four games for the first team.
Former Manchester United man Daniel Nardiello has recalled the time he was given a “Wes Brown Special” in a nightclubCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Brown played 362 times for the Red DevilsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Sir Alex Ferguson threatened to sack Nardiello after hearing of his exploitsCredit: Action Images – Reuters
He also played for the likes of Barnsley, QPR and Rotherham and won three international caps for Wales.
But Nardiello recalled the time he was given a “Wes Brown Special” on a night out during his academy days.
After scoring in a game for United’s reserves, Nardiello’s team-mates urged him to go out and celebrate.
Speaking on the Under The Cosh podcast, he said: “I remember one time, I’ve played for the reserves at [aged] 16, 17 because they were short on players. A friendly game, come on, [played] 20 minutes and scored a goal.
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“Got back to my digs and they [my fellow academy teammates] said, ‘Go out and celebrate. You’ve done really well, go out.'”
Having gone out in the city centre, Nardiello revealed he bumped into ex-United defender Wes Brown and one time Old Trafford striker David Healy.
Recalling the pair pulling him over to them, Nardiello said: “[I was] given us what he’s called a Wes Brown special.
“It was a triple gin, a triple whiskey and a triple vodka. He made us down all three.”
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But word of Nardiello’s exploits quickly got back to United manager Ferguson.
And the Old Trafford icon hauled Nardiello into his office for a stern telling off.
Nardiello continued: “Anyway, Monday morning comes along and we’re in the office with Fergie and Neil Bailey and stuff.
“He [Fergie] said, ‘If you ever go out again in Manchester, you’ll be sacked from the club, you’ll leave the club.”
The ex-striker claimed Fergie “had spies out in Manchester” so if any of the academy players or first-team stars went out, word would get back to him.
Nardiello said: “Genuinely, he had his spies out in Manchester. It was known if we ever went out in Manchester.
“That was my first ever experience of it.
“In digs, I never went out like that again because you knew it was getting back and you didn’t want to get in s*** with the gaffer and Neil Bailey and the youth team guys as well.”
Nardiello went on to play for a number of EFL clubs after leaving Manchester UnitedCredit: PA:Empics Sport More

EX-NEWCASTLE ace Craig Bellamy once stopped the team from training so he could blast an academy star for doing too many stepovers. The revelation was made by former Toon defender David Edgar.
Craig Bellamy, centre, had ‘high standards’ in trainingCredit: PA:Press Association
And these standards were especially prudent for academy starsCredit: PA:Press Association
The Canadian revealed how he and fellow academy product Matty Pattison had been called up to join the first team for training.
However, things did not go to plan with Pattison irking Bellamy to the point where he physically stopped the team from playing until they left.
Speaking to the Under The Cosh podcast, Edgar explained how he tried to behave during the session
He said: “Speak when spoken to and don’t give the ball away when Craig Bellamy’s around.
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“I liked him. I just thought he had very very high standards and he could be ruthless, don’t get me wrong, but just again, high standards and he loved football, just loved football.
“I was quite a simple player – you get it and move when you play with the first team. Matty was 15 stepovers and a couple of Cruyffs – one too many for Bellers’ liking.”
And Pattison’s continuous skills eventually incited the rage of the Welshman.
Edgar explained: “One time, he kept giving it away and he (Bellamy) just flicked the ball up, picked the ball up and he went, ‘No. Nobody’s training until you send that ginger f*** back’.
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“He held on to the ball and I remember Shearer going, ‘Come on, Bellers,’ and I’m going, ‘F***ing hell, I’m doing all right here,’ but he was going, send them back.
“We got sent back. Sent us back to the academy because Matty was giving the ball away.
“‘He’ll never make it’, he (Bellamy) said.”
Despite Bellamy’s claim, Pattison would go on to make his debut a few months later, though Edgar actually made his Premier League debut before his team-mate.
However, a tragic series of events followed for the South African midfielder.
Edgar added: “Matty made his debut a couple months later. Look at Patter, man.
“Like I say, he made his debut, does his knee, his old man passes away, all in the space of a couple months.
Comes back [and] does his knee again, so you build that resilience to things like that [Bellamy’s insults]… that’s not going to bother you.
“Plus he was… he was ginger.”
Pattison made appearances for the Magpies before leaving for Norwich in 2007.
Meanwhile, Edgar played 23 times before departing for Burnley in 2009.
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In Bellamy’s case, he enjoyed his most prolific period at Newcastle, scoring 43 goals in 128 games.
He would later go on to play for West Ham, Cardiff, Manchester City and Liverpool, where he landed the League Cup, before retiring at Cardiff in 2014. More

KEVIN DE BRUYNE has topped the list of the Premier League’s highest-paid players.The Manchester City star, 31, rakes in £425,000 per week after agreeing a new deal with the English champions two years ago to keep him at the club until 2025.
Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are the two top earners in the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
But who else is challenging him for the boast of biggest salary in the division?
Well, according to L’Equipe, De Bruyne’s team-mate Erling Haaland comes next.
The Norwegian, 22, may be in his debut season in the Premier League but he is already being paid more than £400,000 per week for his services.
And he is repaying Man City with a remarkable goalscoring record, bagging a sensational 42 in 37 games in all competitions.
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The Premier League’s top five earners
The third and final player to be earning above the £400,000-a-week mark is Manchester United keeper David de Gea.
However, the Red Devils shot-stopper is re-negotiating a new contract as his deal expires in the summer.

And he is set to take a wage cut in order to remain at Old Trafford.
The only non-Manchester-based player to feature in the top five is Liverpool’s Mo Salah.
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The Reds forward, 30, penned a new deal last year to keep him at Anfield until 2025.
The improved wages included within the contract mean he now earns £373,750 every seven days.
But the fifth and final name on the list will come as a surprise to many.
While De Bruyne, Haaland, De Gea and Salah have all proven themselves to be integral to their respective clubs, it is hard to say the same about Man Utd man Jadon Sancho.
The English forward, 23, has started just two Premier League games since October.
Yet he is still raking in the same wage as Salah – making him one of the biggest earners in the league.
Jadon Sancho is the fifth and final Premier League star on the biggest earners listCredit: Getty More