themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Begiristain explains why Man City broke transfer record for Ruben Dias

Manchester City believe their hunt for a player to replace Vincent Kompany is over after completing the transfer of Ruben Dias .
The Blues have lacked leadership since the Belgian star left last summer to become player-coach of Anderlecht .
Aymeric Laporte has emerged to become a key defender , but his relatively quiet personality means he has not filled Kompany 's boots in terms of carrying the team with him .
Dias completed his £65.2million move on Monday , with Nicolas Otamendi going the other way for £13.7million .
And football director Txiki Begiristain said the 23-year-old fits the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tabs on him for the last two or three seasons .
“ Ruben is a player we have admired for some time and we have been impressed with how he has progressed at Benfica , '' said Begiristain .
“ He has developed into a real leader and as a defender , he has all the attributes we are looking for .
He is strong in the air , good in one v one situations and technically , he is very good , so we are confident he can thrive in our system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gained valuable experience at a big European club in Benfica and we ’ re really pleased we ’ ve been able to sign him .
He is another talented addition to the squad and someone who is only going to get better working under Pep.
” Dias has signed a six-year deal , the longest initial contract handed to a City player - although Ederson was handed seven years , Aymeric Laporte six and a half and Bernardo Silva six , all as extensions to their first deals .

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Manchester City believe their hunt for a player to replace Vincent Kompany is over after completing the transfer of Ruben Dias.
The Blues have lacked leadership since the Belgian star left last summer to become player-coach of Anderlecht.
Aymeric Laporte has emerged to become a key defender, but his relatively quiet personality means he has not filled Kompany's boots in terms of carrying the team with him.
Dias completed his £65.2million move on Monday, with Nicolas Otamendi going the other way for £13.7million.
And football director Txiki Begiristain said the 23-year-old fits the bill perfectly, with City having kept tabs on him for the last two or three seasons.
“Ruben is a player we have admired for some time and we have been impressed with how he has progressed at Benfica," said Begiristain.
“He has developed into a real leader and as a defender, he has all the attributes we are looking for. He is strong in the air, good in one v one situations and technically, he is very good, so we are confident he can thrive in our system.
“He is young but has gained valuable experience at a big European club in Benfica and we’re really pleased we’ve been able to sign him. He is another talented addition to the squad and someone who is only going to get better working under Pep.”
Dias has signed a six-year deal, the longest initial contract handed to a City player - although Ederson was handed seven years, Aymeric Laporte six and a half and Bernardo Silva six, all as extensions to their first deals.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Man City 'move for Tagliafico depends on Zinchenko exit' and more rumours

Manchester City are reportedly interested in Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico but any move depends on the future of Aleks Zinchenko .
With less than a week remaining of the transfer window , City are set to officially confirm Benfica defender Ruben Dias as their third signing of the summer , with Nicolas Otamendi heading in the opposite direction .
The arrival of another top quality centre-back ca n't come soon enough for Pep Guardiola 's side as their defensive frailties were once again laid bare on Sunday when they were humiliated 5-2 by Leicester City .
After also bringing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the club have n't ruled out making more signings , with reports suggesting a new left-back could be on the agenda , before the October 5 deadline .
According to The Telegraph , City have turned their attentions to more potential incomings this week and Argentine left-back Tagliafico is one of the options under consideration .
Left-back has been a troubling position for City for a number of seasons due to Benjamin Mendy 's torrid luck with injuries , with Guardiola being forced to use a number of stopgaps to fill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form since returning to action and gave away one of the three penalties in the defeat to Leicester .
Tagliafico has established himself as one of the best in the position during his time at Ajax but , it 's reported a move for the 28-year-old would depend on City being able to sell Zinchenko .
The midfielder has been primarily used as a left-back for City and is reportedly considered a more saleable asset than Mendy in the short-term , though the Frenchman 's long-term future is also in doubt .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move a left-back on before bringing another in .
Elsewhere , Barcelona could offer Rafinha Alcantara in a swap deal for Eric Garcia , according to reports .
Mundo Deportivo report Barcelona could offer the Spaniard in a part-exchange deal to lower City 's asking price for Garcia and get him through the door this summer , rather than waiting until his contract expires next year .
Rafinha , a midfielder who is the brother of new Liverpool signing Thiago Alcantara , worked with Guardiola during his time in charge of the @ @ @

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Manchester City are reportedly interested in Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico but any move depends on the future of Aleks Zinchenko.
With less than a week remaining of the transfer window, City are set to officially confirm Benfica defender Ruben Dias as their third signing of the summer, with Nicolas Otamendi heading in the opposite direction.
The arrival of another top quality centre-back can't come soon enough for Pep Guardiola's side as their defensive frailties were once again laid bare on Sunday when they were humiliated 5-2 by Leicester City.
After also bringing in Ferran Torres and Nathan Ake this summer, the club haven't ruled out making more signings, with reports suggesting a new left-back could be on the agenda, before the October 5 deadline.
According to The Telegraph, City have turned their attentions to more potential incomings this week and Argentine left-back Tagliafico is one of the options under consideration.
Left-back has been a troubling position for City for a number of seasons due to Benjamin Mendy's torrid luck with injuries, with Guardiola being forced to use a number of stopgaps to fill the position. Mendy has also struggled for form since returning to action and gave away one of the three penalties in the defeat to Leicester.
Tagliafico has established himself as one of the best in the position during his time at Ajax but, it's reported a move for the 28-year-old would depend on City being able to sell Zinchenko.
The midfielder has been primarily used as a left-back for City and is reportedly considered a more saleable asset than Mendy in the short-term, though the Frenchman's long-term future is also in doubt. The report states that City feel they need to move a left-back on before bringing another in.
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Elsewhere, Barcelona could offer Rafinha Alcantara in a swap deal for Eric Garcia, according to reports.
Mundo Deportivo report Barcelona could offer the Spaniard in a part-exchange deal to lower City's asking price for Garcia and get him through the door this summer, rather than waiting until his contract expires next year.
Rafinha, a midfielder who is the brother of new Liverpool signing Thiago Alcantara, worked with Guardiola during his time in charge of the Catalan side.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Scunthorpe vs Man City U21s highlights

Scunthorpe vs Man City U21s highlights

Manchester City fielded a youthful side in tonight 's EFL Trophy clash with Scunthorpe as a number of their star @ @ @ @ @ game are with the first team .
In the first game , a 3-0 win @ @ @ @ @ of Liam Delap , Adrian Bernabe and Felix Nmecha played - with Delap and Bernabe @ @ @ @ @ City top of the group .
Against Scunthorpe , new EDS boss Enzo Maresca is @ @ @ @ @ trio as they have been with the City first team to cover for the injury @ @ @ @ @ .
With Burnley up next for Pep Guardiola 's men on Wednesday in the Carabao @ @ @ @ @ to be involved again and therefore unavailable for the trip to Lincolnshire .
City were @ @ @ @ @ Knight and Sam Edozie scoring twice in a brilliant performance from the Blues , particularly @ @ @ @ @ Claudio Gomes and Matthew Smith played after spending last season out on loan .
Follow @ @ @ @ @ tonight 's game from Glanford Park .

Manchester City fielded a youthful side in tonight's EFL Trophy clash with Scunthorpe as a number of their star players from the opening group game are with the first team.
In the first game, a 3-0 win at Mansfield, the likes of Liam Delap, Adrian Bernabe and Felix Nmecha played - with Delap and Bernabe scoring the goals to send City top of the group.
Against Scunthorpe, new EDS boss Enzo Maresca is likely to be without that trio as they have been with the City first team to cover for the injury problems in the senior squad. With Burnley up next for Pep Guardiola's men on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, they are likely to be involved again and therefore unavailable for the trip to Lincolnshire.
City were 4-0 winners, with Ben Knight and Sam Edozie scoring twice in a brilliant performance from the Blues, particularly in the second half. Claudio Gomes and Matthew Smith played after spending last season out on loan.
Follow below for LIVE updates from tonight's game from Glanford Park.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Man City youngsters show first team how to make problem formation work

Two familiar faces returned to replace the Manchester City 's youngsters involved in the first team as the U21s produced a brilliant display against Scunthorpe in the EFL Trophy - playing a formation the first team have traditionally struggled with .
City were without three of the players who masterminded the 3-0 win over Mansfield in the first group game as Liam Delap , Adrian Bernabe and Felix Nmecha are with the first team , but that allowed City 's other talented youngsters to make their mark , with Ben Knight and James McAtee given starts to impress in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delap and Bernabe who scored in that first game to put City top of their group , so new EDS boss Enzo Maresca could have been wondering where the goals would come from in this second match against their League Two opponents who had knocked the Blues out of this competition in the third round last season .
He need n't have worried .
Also on the teamsheet were two forgotten names - Claudio Gomes and Matthew Smith .
Both players had spent last season out on loan but have returned to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squad in midfield .
Gomes , who played in the 2018 Community Shield win as a late substitute , sat infront of the defence at Glanford Park in only his second appearance for City at any level since January 2019 .
However , the highly-rated Frenchman was powerless to prevent a strong Scunthorpe start , as the home side forced goalkeeper James Trafford into a great save and could have gone ahead but for some last-ditch defending from City .
Faced with such a physical threat , and without some of their more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absent again - City might have been forgiven for crumbling .
Not this side , as City kept calm and played their way back into the game with their feet .
It was testament to City 's mentality that when they did get the ball , they looked to break quickly and on the floor .
It proved a wise approach that was rewarded on 17 minutes with the opening goal , as Ben Knight ran through the centre to slot confidently under the goalkeeper and take the lead .
It was against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't have minded , and if anything , the goal gave them a wake-up call , with confidence building through the side with each pass - aside from the odd moment of worry in defence .
Samuel Edozie was having plenty of joy on the right while James McAtee went close three times , and Gomes ' influence in midfield was growing .
Scunthorpe , who had only won three times in 17 games since beating City last season , made two changes at the break , but City continued the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidently playing the ball around their senior opponents .
Interestingly , Maresca employed a back three at Glanford Park , with Alpha Dionkou effectively a wing-back and Nathanael Ogbeta on the left of a back three .
With captain CJ Egan-Riley sitting infront to help out , and Gomes carrying the ball from defence to attack , this was a City side finally showing why three at the back can work .
To make the system successful , you need quality on the flanks .
So it will have been a rewarding sight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burst into the area , with Sam Edozie coming inside from the opposite wing to convert the cross and double the lead just before the hour mark .
Scunthorpe were beaten , and City were firing , adding two more goals in quick succession .
First Ben Knight got his second , looping over the keeper after beating the offside trap .
Then Edozie finished well into the bottom corner after being set free on the right .
In eight minutes , City had scored three , taking their goal difference in two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , qualification to the knockout stages for this competition is firmly in their hands , and could be confirmed before the final game at Lincoln in November without them kicking another ball .
For now , though , City can be confident that if they suffer any more injuries in the first team they have a number of talented players ready to take their chance .
And they can even play with three at the back .

Two familiar faces returned to replace the Manchester City's youngsters involved in the first team as the U21s produced a brilliant display against Scunthorpe in the EFL Trophy - playing a formation the first team have traditionally struggled with.
City were without three of the players who masterminded the 3-0 win over Mansfield in the first group game as Liam Delap, Adrian Bernabe and Felix Nmecha are with the first team, but that allowed City's other talented youngsters to make their mark, with Ben Knight and James McAtee given starts to impress in the absence of their colleagues.
It was Delap and Bernabe who scored in that first game to put City top of their group, so new EDS boss Enzo Maresca could have been wondering where the goals would come from in this second match against their League Two opponents who had knocked the Blues out of this competition in the third round last season. He needn't have worried.
Also on the teamsheet were two forgotten names - Claudio Gomes and Matthew Smith. Both players had spent last season out on loan but have returned to the CFA to take their place in the squad in midfield. Gomes, who played in the 2018 Community Shield win as a late substitute, sat infront of the defence at Glanford Park in only his second appearance for City at any level since January 2019.
However, the highly-rated Frenchman was powerless to prevent a strong Scunthorpe start, as the home side forced goalkeeper James Trafford into a great save and could have gone ahead but for some last-ditch defending from City.
Faced with such a physical threat, and without some of their more influential players - Jayden Braaf was also absent again - City might have been forgiven for crumbling. Not this side, as City kept calm and played their way back into the game with their feet.
It was testament to City's mentality that when they did get the ball, they looked to break quickly and on the floor. It proved a wise approach that was rewarded on 17 minutes with the opening goal, as Ben Knight ran through the centre to slot confidently under the goalkeeper and take the lead.
It was against the run of play, but City won't have minded, and if anything, the goal gave them a wake-up call, with confidence building through the side with each pass - aside from the odd moment of worry in defence. Samuel Edozie was having plenty of joy on the right while James McAtee went close three times, and Gomes' influence in midfield was growing.
Scunthorpe, who had only won three times in 17 games since beating City last season, made two changes at the break, but City continued the second half as they ended the first - confidently playing the ball around their senior opponents.
Interestingly, Maresca employed a back three at Glanford Park, with Alpha Dionkou effectively a wing-back and Nathanael Ogbeta on the left of a back three. With captain CJ Egan-Riley sitting infront to help out, and Gomes carrying the ball from defence to attack, this was a City side finally showing why three at the back can work.
To make the system successful, you need quality on the flanks. So it will have been a rewarding sight for City's coaches to see Dionkou burst into the area, with Sam Edozie coming inside from the opposite wing to convert the cross and double the lead just before the hour mark.
Scunthorpe were beaten, and City were firing, adding two more goals in quick succession. First Ben Knight got his second, looping over the keeper after beating the offside trap. Then Edozie finished well into the bottom corner after being set free on the right.
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In eight minutes, City had scored three, taking their goal difference in two games to seven scored and none conceded.
Now, City have secured qualification to the knockout stages for this competition with a game to spare, and they can win the group with a win against Lincoln in the final game.
For now, though, City can be confident that if they suffer any more injuries in the first team they have a number of talented players ready to take their chance.
And they can even play with three at the back.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--These are the latest coronavirus infection rates in Greater Manchester

Manchester has overtaken Bolton as the worst-hit coronavirus hotspot in Greater Manchester .
The city recorded 1,200 positive tests in the week ending September 26 – an increase of 333 from the week before and a new seven-day high for the city .
The rise in cases in Manchester comes after a number of outbreaks at Universities in the city .
The latest Public Health England figures show there were 705 coronavirus cases recorded across Greater Manchester today , up from 486 yesterday .
But while cases are rising across some areas of the region , in others they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by seven percent .
There were 595 cases recorded in the borough during the week ending September 26 , a decrease of 43 from the previous week .
In Bury , there has been an increase in cases by 16 per cent , with 367 positive tests recorded in one week .
Oldham has recorded an 18 per cent increase in positive tests during the week ending September 26 , recording 432 cases .
In Rochdale , cases have risen by 32 per cent , with 382 positive tests recorded during the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 92 from the previous week .
Salford has seen a 16 per cent rise in cases , recording 410 in the week ending September 26 , an increase of 56 compared with the previous week .
In Tameside , cases have risen by 17 per cent and the borough now has 335 positive cases , rising 48 from the week before .
Wigan recorded 448 positive coronavirus cases in the week ending September 26 , an increase of 85 compared to the previous week .
In Trafford , cases have risen by 123 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now having 270 cases .
Stockport has seen a 15 per cent increase in positive tests , now having 252 cases in the borough , an increase of 33 compared to the week before .
The infection rates in Greater Manchester for September 29 are : Across the UK , there have been more than 7,000 new positive coronavirus tests recorded in the last 24 hours - the highest ever amount recorded since the pandemic began .
It is also 3,000 more than Monday 's figure and topples the previous highest figure recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of deaths has also increased by 71 - the highest daily total of deaths since July 1 .
The government said that , as of 9am on Tuesday , there had been a further 7,143 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK , taking the overall number of cases confirmed to 446,156 .
The figures showed further 71 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday .
This brings the UK total to 42,072 .

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Manchester has overtaken Bolton as the worst-hit coronavirus hotspot in Greater Manchester.
The city recorded 1,200 positive tests in the week ending September 26 – an increase of 333 from the week before and a new seven-day high for the city.
The rise in cases in Manchester comes after a number of outbreaks at Universities in the city.
The latest Public Health England figures show there were 705 coronavirus cases recorded across Greater Manchester today, up from 486 yesterday.
But while cases are rising across some areas of the region, in others they are falling – with Bolton's cases dropping by seven percent.
There were 595 cases recorded in the borough during the week ending September 26, a decrease of 43 from the previous week.
Sign up to the free MEN email newsletter Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletter You can sign up very simply by following the instructions here
In Bury, there has been an increase in cases by 16 per cent, with 367 positive tests recorded in one week.
Oldham has recorded an 18 per cent increase in positive tests during the week ending September 26, recording 432 cases.
In Rochdale, cases have risen by 32 per cent, with 382 positive tests recorded during the week ending September 26, a rise of 92 from the previous week.
Salford has seen a 16 per cent rise in cases, recording 410 in the week ending September 26, an increase of 56 compared with the previous week.
In Tameside, cases have risen by 17 per cent and the borough now has 335 positive cases, rising 48 from the week before.
Wigan recorded 448 positive coronavirus cases in the week ending September 26, an increase of 85 compared to the previous week.
In Trafford, cases have risen by 123 in one week, with the borough now having 270 cases.
Stockport has seen a 15 per cent increase in positive tests, now having 252 cases in the borough, an increase of 33 compared to the week before.
The infection rates in Greater Manchester for September 29 are:
- Manchester 217
- Bolton 206
- Bury 192
- Oldham 182
- Rochdale 171
- Salford 158
- Tameside 147
- Wigan 136
- Trafford 113
- Stockport 85
Across the UK, there have been more than 7,000 new positive coronavirus tests recorded in the last 24 hours - the highest ever amount recorded since the pandemic began.
It is also 3,000 more than Monday's figure and topples the previous highest figure recorded on June 25 of 6,634.
The number of deaths has also increased by 71 - the highest daily total of deaths since July 1.
The government said that, as of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 7,143 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, taking the overall number of cases confirmed to 446,156.
The figures showed further 71 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday.
This brings the UK total to 42,072.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Salford to pursue further appeal against Luke Yates suspension

Salford will take the unusual step of appealing an appeal in an effort to have Luke Yates available for the Challenge Cup semi-final clash with Warrington on Saturday .
The powerhouse forward was initially issued with a Grade B dangerous contact charge for an incident in a tackle with Hull FC hooker Danny Houghton on Thursday evening .
That typically carries a one-match suspension , but the Match Review Panel 's findings were not issued until Monday morning and it was deemed that the ban would only come into effect after the Super League fixture between the Red Devils and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially appealed both Yates ' charge and the two-match ban levied at Dan Sarginson for a high tackle on Jamie Shaul as it was the only way both could be available at the weekend And while Sarginson 's suspension was lifted , the Red Devils will continue the fight to overturn the ban on Yates .
`` We challenged the sentencing on it and the charge , but they think it was enough to uphold it , '' said Ian Watson following his side 's 20-18 victory over Warrington .
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident was completely accidental and there 's people who have got off with a hell of a lot worse than Luke Yates .
`` Luke Yates is a player that I brought to this club because he gives minimal penalties away and makes minimal errors .
He 's not a dirty player .
He plays the game tough , but he plays it fairly as well . ''
Watson revealed how the club explained the intricacies of their preparation as part of their case in defence of Sarginson and will do the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could n't fathom the Sarginson decision .
The amount of detail we went into with the panel , to make them understand what goes into a week and what goes into a player 's mindset going into a game .
`` We look at people 's traits - how they catch , if they lose legs or not lose legs , what kind of player they are - it all goes into a player 's decision in the game .
Dan 's timing on it was impeccable .
`` Luke Yates has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the inside and grabbed around the waist .
`` Because Danny Houghton is moving forward at speed , his momentum has pulled Luke Yates forward , but Oliver Roberts has stopped his momentum , pushed him back over and he 's unfortunately twisted his ankle .
`` It was a pure accident .
For him to miss a semi-final on the back of that would be criminal for the amount of work he does for this team . ''

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Salford will take the unusual step of appealing an appeal in an effort to have Luke Yates available for the Challenge Cup semi-final clash with Warrington on Saturday.
The powerhouse forward was initially issued with a Grade B dangerous contact charge for an incident in a tackle with Hull FC hooker Danny Houghton on Thursday evening.
That typically carries a one-match suspension, but the Match Review Panel's findings were not issued until Monday morning and it was deemed that the ban would only come into effect after the Super League fixture between the Red Devils and Wolves.
As a result, Salford initially appealed both Yates' charge and the two-match ban levied at Dan Sarginson for a high tackle on Jamie Shaul as it was the only way both could be available at the weekend
.
(Image: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com)
And while Sarginson's suspension was lifted, the Red Devils will continue the fight to overturn the ban on Yates.
"We challenged the sentencing on it and the charge, but they think it was enough to uphold it," said Ian Watson following his side's 20-18 victory over Warrington.
"We're still not happy with that. The incident was completely accidental and there's people who have got off with a hell of a lot worse than Luke Yates.
"Luke Yates is a player that I brought to this club because he gives minimal penalties away and makes minimal errors. He's not a dirty player. He plays the game tough, but he plays it fairly as well."
Watson revealed how the club explained the intricacies of their preparation as part of their case in defence of Sarginson and will do the same for Yates.
He said: "I couldn't fathom the Sarginson decision. The amount of detail we went into with the panel, to make them understand what goes into a week and what goes into a player's mindset going into a game.
"We look at people's traits - how they catch, if they lose legs or not lose legs, what kind of player they are - it all goes into a player's decision in the game. Dan's timing on it was impeccable.
"Luke Yates has made a tackle, worked really hard from the inside and grabbed around the waist.
"Because Danny Houghton is moving forward at speed, his momentum has pulled Luke Yates forward, but Oliver Roberts has stopped his momentum, pushed him back over and he's unfortunately twisted his ankle.
"It was a pure accident. For him to miss a semi-final on the back of that would be criminal for the amount of work he does for this team."


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--An exhausted NHS workforce braces for a grim Covid winter

In any normal year , at least in recent times , the NHS would now be gearing up for ‘ winter pressures ’ - that euphemism for ambulance diverts and packed A & Es , a period that seems to take up more and more of the calendar each time it comes round .
But 2020 ’ s starting point is both stark and unique .
This time the system faces not only the usual pressures , but a vast and growing waiting list following the first phase of the pandemic , as well as reduced capacity due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits caused by staff sickness and self-isolation .
That ’ s before flu season and the gradual increase in Covid cases themselves .
Figures leaked to the M.E.N , presented in private to council leaders at their emergency Covid committee this morning , reveal the scale of the impact coronavirus has already had on other areas of NHS treatment .
In January 2020 , just 55 patients across the whole of Greater Manchester had been waiting more than a year for treatment - usually a key NHS England standard .
By July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list is now estimated to be at 10,600 and is expected to almost double again , to 20,400 , by next March .
Backlogs are highest in general surgery , followed by gynaecology , then trauma and orthopaedics .
“ There is therefore urgency that this situation is addressed , ” says the report , noting that people waiting for planned surgery can see a deterioration in their condition , chronic pain and mental health damage .
Even so , some trusts - although it doesn ’ t specify which - are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of outpatient appointments for a year .
As patients seek answers , one Manchester GP surgery texted patients this week telling them not to ask for their hospital appointment to be expedited .
“ Up to one in four people in Greater Manchester are currently on hospital waiting lists , ” it advised .
“ Unfortunately we have no control over this.
” NHS leaders are also worried about the unseen iceberg of people not yet on the cancer waiting list , because they haven ’ t yet been tested , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnostics , particularly endoscopies , which are used to diagnose and monitor many types of cancer .
Veronica Devlin , chief transformation officer at Manchester Foundation Trust , told city councillors earlier this month that the concern is less those cancer patients already known to services , but the ‘ invisible workload ’ of those who are not .
“ It ’ s the patients we don ’ t know about yet is more of a concern , ” she said .
So that ’ s the starting point , heading into winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” admits one senior health insider , “ and shows the impact of Covid on non-Covid mortality and morbidity.
” Sir Richard Leese , political lead on health for the region , has been highlighting for some time the impact Covid has had on other areas of the NHS , warning in August that thousands of operations were no longer taking place .
“ We ’ re still nowhere near returning to business as usual in health services , '' he said at the time .
As a result of these backlogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under strict instructions to get back to ‘ business as usual ’ for planned operations by the end of October , providing 100pc of their normal surgery under what ’ s known as ‘ phase three ’ of NHS England ’ s pandemic planning .
However , Covid makes that difficult , even before coronavirus admissions began to rise again earlier this month .
The size of our hospital buildings were already limited , as visitors to most A & Es in normal winters will know .
But now they have an added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken up with the measures needed to protect patients from Covid .
“ Infection prevention and control limits the capacity we have available , ” explained Ms Devlin at the start of September , adding that this then eats into the theatre space available for elective operations .
“ A procedure that might have taken 45 minutes might take an hour and 45 minutes , once you factor in ‘ fallow ’ time - the additional time to don and doff protective equipment .
So we have to reset the limits of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The latest report to leaders this morning also notes that where expanding the NHS estate is concerned , they expect there to be ‘ no further capital available for development within this financial year ’ .
Have you got a story to tell about NHS pressures during Covid .
Let us know in the comments below .
So it outlines a number of other ways the NHS here intends to deal with the situation .
One is to use private hospitals more than has been the case to date .
In some parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this has already been happening to a considerable extent to ease pressures .
Another is to direct certain specialist elective surgery elsewhere in the North West .
Meanwhile the ‘ hot ’ and ‘ cold ’ system that became familiar to patients attending some GP practices earlier in the pandemic will also be applied .
Specialist hospitals such as the Christie , the Royal Manchester Children 's Hospital , the Royal Eye Hospital , St Mary ’ s and the University Dental Hospital will all be designated Covid-free in terms of admissions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Similarly hospitals without an A & E - Rochdale , Wrightington and Leigh , Trafford General - would also be kept Covid-free as far as possible .
At A & E itself , there is also an emerging plan for people who might otherwise go straight there under their own steam .
Instead , they will now be expected to ring 111 .
An internal briefing to council leaders in July stated that emergency admissions across the country had fallen by 60pc during lockdown , a drop that was ‘ largely down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up ’ .
So in future the system will ‘ ask people to be assessed before leaving home , by contacting NHS 111 ’ it says .
“ This will mean that patients can have their needs assessed quickly and easily without having to leave their home .
This assessment can rapidly identify people who need to attend an ED.
” It is arguably a further sign that as the NHS looks to filter non-emergency away from A & E , it has begun calling it ‘ ED ’ in documents instead - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department .
Anyone not felt to need emergency treatment would be transferred by 111 to a local doctor or nurse , who might then refer them to a GP , pharmacy or elsewhere in the community .
“ In some cases , an appointment might be booked to attend ED , ” it adds .
It will be ‘ much easier ’ for people to do this , it says , rather than turn up to A & E and potentially find themselves pointed elsewhere , or asked to come back later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will increasingly be by appointment this winter .
The approach will begin in Bolton and Wigan mid-October , followed by Salford , Oldham and Bury , before finally Manchester , Stockport and Tameside by the end of the month .
Nationally , it is due to launch in December .
At the same time , leaders here hope that the hospital system can capitalise on an approach that is arguably unusual for the ethos of the NHS , a system that tends to work within its own small empires .
During the peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaboratively here , sharing PPE through mutual aid .
“ A cooperative network of hospitals is really really important , ” says one senior health figure , at the same time sounding a note of optimism .
ICU admissions remain fairly low , they say , even if numbers are nevertheless up , while new treatments mean there is less need for more ventilation , as doctors begin to understand the virus better .
It is a point echoed by senior doctors elsewhere in the system , too .
Nevertheless , Covid admissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even if a lack of published trust-level data makes it strikingly difficult to demonstrate where this is happening most .
Tameside became an issue early on , driven by a hospital-based outbreak of the virus , which is currently subject to an investigation .
But Bolton , too , saw an early translation from milder cases among young people to an older age bracket needing hospital treatment and critical care .
When testing collapsed a couple of weeks ago , people flocked to A & E , forcing ambulances to divert and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust issued a warning , saying it ‘ couldn ’ t afford ’ for things to get worse .
Last week there were around 30 people with Covid in the Royal Bolton , a handful of whom were in critical care .
Even so , the NHS makes it hard to report the full story .
Neither trusts , Greater Manchester or NHS England publish weekly trust-level data .
What we do know is that across Greater Manchester overall , admissions rose in the first week of September and , at least up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at around 35 a day .
One very senior hospital clinician points to a whole other concern as winter approaches , however , one that is again exacerbated by Covid .
“ The thing that ’ s pretty much at the forefront of my mind is what ’ s going on with the workforce , ” they say .
“ I think there ’ s been quite a bit of intensity from the end of March , April , May and even into June and I think we ’ ve got a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s different now , compared to that March bit when everyone was bracing themselves , is I think there ’ s a lot going on in people ’ s lives .
You ’ ve got nurses who were ‘ all hands to the pump ’ , but they are now worrying about partners who have lost their jobs or been on furlough , so there ’ s an added layer now.
” The impact of schools going back - which currently sees thousands of children from more than 300 schools self isolating across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be felt ’ , they say .
“ If you have a child who ’ s been sent home from school and in that household there ’ s a healthcare professional , there ’ s then a childcare issue , ” they point out .
“ It ’ s a bit of a dangerous brew building up.
” Meanwhile the system is also going into respiratory virus season , meaning it will become harder to distinguish between a Covid and a non-Covid case .
Winter flu has been a major worry for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result , they add , there will now be a ‘ constant process of dialling up or dialling down ’ hospital activity , according to what is possible .
Although at least this winter , if A & E becomes overwhelmed and Covid-infectious patients can not be discharged home , or to a care home , the Nightingale will be on standby .
Either way , the NHS here faces a precarious balancing act in the weeks ahead : wrestling with ever-increasing and potentially fatal waits for operations , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce , without knowing for sure what the current wave of Covid infections will translate into in itself .
“ It has been a bit like fixing a plane engine when the plane is already in flight , ” admitted Veronica Devlin to the council ’ s health scrutiny committee of trying to achieve that balance .
Or , a senior figure in another part of the Manchester hospital system says : “ Every winter has been sold to our staff as unprecedented .
`` Now what we ’ re going into is @ @ @ @

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In any normal year, at least in recent times, the NHS would now be gearing up for ‘winter pressures’ - that euphemism for ambulance diverts and packed A&Es, a period that seems to take up more and more of the calendar each time it comes round.
But 2020’s starting point is both stark and unique. This time the system faces not only the usual pressures, but a vast and growing waiting list following the first phase of the pandemic, as well as reduced capacity due to the need for extra infection control and the limits caused by staff sickness and self-isolation. That’s before flu season and the gradual increase in Covid cases themselves.
Figures leaked to the M.E.N, presented in private to council leaders at their emergency Covid committee this morning, reveal the scale of the impact coronavirus has already had on other areas of NHS treatment.
In January 2020, just 55 patients across the whole of Greater Manchester had been waiting more than a year for treatment - usually a key NHS England standard.
By July, that had risen to 5,549.
(Image: Getty Images)
That list is now estimated to be at 10,600 and is expected to almost double again, to 20,400, by next March. Backlogs are highest in general surgery, followed by gynaecology, then trauma and orthopaedics.
“There is therefore urgency that this situation is addressed,” says the report, noting that people waiting for planned surgery can see a deterioration in their condition, chronic pain and mental health damage.
Even so, some trusts - although it doesn’t specify which - are not expecting to get back to pre-Covid levels of outpatient appointments for a year.
As patients seek answers, one Manchester GP surgery texted patients this week telling them not to ask for their hospital appointment to be expedited.
“Up to one in four people in Greater Manchester are currently on hospital waiting lists,” it advised.
“Unfortunately we have no control over this.”
(Image: PA)
NHS leaders are also worried about the unseen iceberg of people not yet on the cancer waiting list, because they haven’t yet been tested, as well as a backlog in certain types of diagnostics, particularly endoscopies, which are used to diagnose and monitor many types of cancer.
Veronica Devlin, chief transformation officer at Manchester Foundation Trust, told city councillors earlier this month that the concern is less those cancer patients already known to services, but the ‘invisible workload’ of those who are not.
“It’s the patients we don’t know about yet is more of a concern,” she said.
So that’s the starting point, heading into winter 2020.
“It’s grim,” admits one senior health insider, “and shows the impact of Covid on non-Covid mortality and morbidity.”
Sir Richard Leese, political lead on health for the region, has been highlighting for some time the impact Covid has had on other areas of the NHS, warning in August that thousands of operations were no longer taking place.
(Image: MEN)
“We’re still nowhere near returning to business as usual in health services," he said at the time.
As a result of these backlogs hospitals here - as elsewhere - are under strict instructions to get back to ‘business as usual’ for planned operations by the end of October, providing 100pc of their normal surgery under what’s known as ‘phase three’ of NHS England’s pandemic planning.
However, Covid makes that difficult, even before coronavirus admissions began to rise again earlier this month.
Sign up to the free MEN email newsletter Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletter You can sign up very simply by following the instructions here
The size of our hospital buildings were already limited, as visitors to most A&Es in normal winters will know.
But now they have an added problem: both time and space are taken up with the measures needed to protect patients from Covid.
“Infection prevention and control limits the capacity we have available,” explained Ms Devlin at the start of September, adding that this then eats into the theatre space available for elective operations.
(Image: PA)
“A procedure that might have taken 45 minutes might take an hour and 45 minutes, once you factor in ‘fallow’ time - the additional time to don and doff protective equipment. So we have to reset the limits of what’s available on theatre lists.”
The latest report to leaders this morning also notes that where expanding the NHS estate is concerned, they expect there to be ‘no further capital available for development within this financial year’.
Have you got a story to tell about NHS pressures during Covid. Let us know in the comments below.
So it outlines a number of other ways the NHS here intends to deal with the situation.
One is to use private hospitals more than has been the case to date. In some parts of Greater Manchester - including Bolton - this has already been happening to a considerable extent to ease pressures.
Another is to direct certain specialist elective surgery elsewhere in the North West.
Meanwhile the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ system that became familiar to patients attending some GP practices earlier in the pandemic will also be applied.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Specialist hospitals such as the Christie, the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, the Royal Eye Hospital, St Mary’s and the University Dental Hospital will all be designated Covid-free in terms of admissions, along with specialist areas of other hospitals.
Similarly hospitals without an A&E - Rochdale, Wrightington and Leigh, Trafford General - would also be kept Covid-free as far as possible.
At A&E itself, there is also an emerging plan for people who might otherwise go straight there under their own steam.
Instead, they will now be expected to ring 111.
An internal briefing to council leaders in July stated that emergency admissions across the country had fallen by 60pc during lockdown, a drop that was ‘largely down to people with minor issues not turning up’.
So in future the system will ‘ask people to be assessed before leaving home, by contacting NHS 111’ it says.
(Image: Joel Goodman)
“This will mean that patients can have their needs assessed quickly and easily without having to leave their home. This assessment can rapidly identify people who need to attend an ED.”
It is arguably a further sign that as the NHS looks to filter non-emergency away from A&E, it has begun calling it ‘ED’ in documents instead - the American version, standing for Emergency Department.
Anyone not felt to need emergency treatment would be transferred by 111 to a local doctor or nurse, who might then refer them to a GP, pharmacy or elsewhere in the community.
“In some cases, an appointment might be booked to attend ED,” it adds.
It will be ‘much easier’ for people to do this, it says, rather than turn up to A&E and potentially find themselves pointed elsewhere, or asked to come back later.
In other words, A&E will increasingly be by appointment this winter.
(Image: Joel Goodman)
The approach will begin in Bolton and Wigan mid-October, followed by Salford, Oldham and Bury, before finally Manchester, Stockport and Tameside by the end of the month.
Nationally, it is due to launch in December.
At the same time, leaders here hope that the hospital system can capitalise on an approach that is arguably unusual for the ethos of the NHS, a system that tends to work within its own small empires. During the peak of the Covid pandemic, hospitals worked collaboratively here, sharing PPE through mutual aid.
“A cooperative network of hospitals is really really important,” says one senior health figure, at the same time sounding a note of optimism.
ICU admissions remain fairly low, they say, even if numbers are nevertheless up, while new treatments mean there is less need for more ventilation, as doctors begin to understand the virus better. It is a point echoed by senior doctors elsewhere in the system, too.
Nevertheless, Covid admissions here are already beginning to creep up, even if a lack of published trust-level data makes it strikingly difficult to demonstrate where this is happening most.
Tameside became an issue early on, driven by a hospital-based outbreak of the virus, which is currently subject to an investigation. But Bolton, too, saw an early translation from milder cases among young people to an older age bracket needing hospital treatment and critical care.
When testing collapsed a couple of weeks ago, people flocked to A&E, forcing ambulances to divert and raising fears around infection control. The trust issued a warning, saying it ‘couldn’t afford’ for things to get worse.
Last week there were around 30 people with Covid in the Royal Bolton, a handful of whom were in critical care.
Even so, the NHS makes it hard to report the full story. Neither trusts, Greater Manchester or NHS England publish weekly trust-level data. What we do know is that across Greater Manchester overall, admissions rose in the first week of September and, at least up to last week, then remained steady at around 35 a day.
(Image: PA)
One very senior hospital clinician points to a whole other concern as winter approaches, however, one that is again exacerbated by Covid.
“The thing that’s pretty much at the forefront of my mind is what’s going on with the workforce,” they say.
“I think there’s been quite a bit of intensity from the end of March, April, May and even into June and I think we’ve got a lot of exhausted staff.
“What’s different now, compared to that March bit when everyone was bracing themselves, is I think there’s a lot going on in people’s lives. You’ve got nurses who were ‘all hands to the pump’, but they are now worrying about partners who have lost their jobs or been on furlough, so there’s an added layer now.”
The impact of schools going back - which currently sees thousands of children from more than 300 schools self isolating across Greater Manchester - is also ‘starting to be felt’, they say.
“If you have a child who’s been sent home from school and in that household there’s a healthcare professional, there’s then a childcare issue,” they point out. “It’s a bit of a dangerous brew building up.”
(Image: STEVE ALLEN)
Meanwhile the system is also going into respiratory virus season, meaning it will become harder to distinguish between a Covid and a non-Covid case. Winter flu has been a major worry for the NHS throughout the pandemic.
As a result, they add, there will now be a ‘constant process of dialling up or dialling down’ hospital activity, according to what is possible. Although at least this winter, if A&E becomes overwhelmed and Covid-infectious patients cannot be discharged home, or to a care home, the Nightingale will be on standby.
Either way, the NHS here faces a precarious balancing act in the weeks ahead: wrestling with ever-increasing and potentially fatal waits for operations, as well as a lack of capacity and an already-exhausted workforce, without knowing for sure what the current wave of Covid infections will translate into in itself.
“It has been a bit like fixing a plane engine when the plane is already in flight,” admitted Veronica Devlin to the council’s health scrutiny committee of trying to achieve that balance.
Or, a senior figure in another part of the Manchester hospital system says: “Every winter has been sold to our staff as unprecedented.
"Now what we’re going into is properly unprecedented.”


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Man United 'make second bid for Alex Telles' and more transfer rumours

Manchester United have made a second bid for Porto defender Alex Telles , according to reports .
With just six days left of the transfer window , it 's understood that United are holding various discussions to add to their sole signing of Donny van de Beek before the October 5 deadline .
United remain in talks with Porto over exciting full-back Telles , after conceding that a new left-back was a more pressing concern this summer following the opening day defeat to Crystal Palace .
There is uncertainty in the position as Luke Shaw is the club 's only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not got the most reliable injury record , while Telles would bring an injection of attacking verve from the back as he has an impressive 26 goals and 56 assists in 194 matches in Portugal .
M.E.N .
Sport understands that Porto 's valuation for Telles has proven an obstacle in negotiations , especially as the 27-year-old 's contract expires next summer and he can sign a pre-contract deal with any club in January .
However , according to RMC , United have made a second offer for the player in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's reported that the talks between the two clubs remain active and that Telles has already agreed to move to Old Trafford .
It 's understood that the club are also monitoring Dynamo Kiev 's Vitaliy Mykolenko .
Meanwhile , United are reportedly ready to turn to Watford winger Ismaila Sarr as an alternative to Jadon Sancho if they ’ re unsuccessful with a bid this week .
That is according to the Daily Mail , who claim that Sarr would cost £45millon but that Sancho is very much the first choice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juventus , Inter 's Ivan Perisic and Bournemouth 's Wales international David Brooks have also been considered as alternatives by United .

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Manchester United have made a second bid for Porto defender Alex Telles, according to reports.
With just six days left of the transfer window, it's understood that United are holding various discussions to add to their sole signing of Donny van de Beek before the October 5 deadline.
United remain in talks with Porto over exciting full-back Telles, after conceding that a new left-back was a more pressing concern this summer following the opening day defeat to Crystal Palace.
There is uncertainty in the position as Luke Shaw is the club's only senior, natural left-back and he has not got the most reliable injury record, while Telles would bring an injection of attacking verve from the back as he has an impressive 26 goals and 56 assists in 194 matches in Portugal.
M.E.N. Sport understands that Porto's valuation for Telles has proven an obstacle in negotiations, especially as the 27-year-old's contract expires next summer and he can sign a pre-contract deal with any club in January.
However, according to RMC, United have made a second offer for the player in order to bring him in this summer. It's reported that the talks between the two clubs remain active and that Telles has already agreed to move to Old Trafford.
It's understood that the club are also monitoring Dynamo Kiev's Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Sign up to our free MUFC email newsletter Get the latest breaking Manchester United transfer news and analysis every day direct to your inbox with our free MUFC newsletter Sign up here - it only takes a few seconds.
Meanwhile, United are reportedly ready to turn to Watford winger Ismaila Sarr as an alternative to Jadon Sancho if they’re unsuccessful with a bid this week.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who claim that Sarr would cost £45millon but that Sancho is very much the first choice.
It's understood that Douglas Costa of Juventus, Inter's Ivan Perisic and Bournemouth's Wales international David Brooks have also been considered as alternatives by United.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--'Large gathering' at scene of fatal collision in Salford - updates

A road in Salford has been closed tonight after reports of a 'large gathering ' near the scene of a fatal collision which claimed the lives of two friends .
Images taken of the scene showed a large number of people on Frederick Road in Salford .
Traffic reports said the road has been closed in both directions , between the A6 Broad Street and Lissadel Street , for what was described as a 'police incident ' .
The Manchester Evening News is attempting to contact Greater Manchester Police for comment .
The men - named as pals Tommy Sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police chase ended in a horror crash .
Tributes for them have poured in following the tragedy on September 23 .
Officers in an unmarked police car pursued a vehicle being driven 'at speed ' on Frederick Road .
The vehicle crashed with two other cars , police said .
The two men inside the car being pursued - Tommy , 29 , and Paddy , aged in his 30s - died at the scene .
The Independent Office for Police Conduct ( IOPC ) later confirmed three people unconnected to the chase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in one of the vehicles which was hit .
They were taken to hospital with injuries later deemed not to be life-threatening .
A vigil at the scene was held in the days following the crash .
We 'll bring you live updates here .

A road in Salford has been closed tonight after reports of a 'large gathering' near the scene of a fatal collision which claimed the lives of two friends.
Images taken of the scene showed a large number of people on Frederick Road in Salford.
Traffic reports said the road has been closed in both directions, between the A6 Broad Street and Lissadel Street, for what was described as a 'police incident'.
The Manchester Evening News is attempting to contact Greater Manchester Police for comment.
The men - named as pals Tommy Sharp and Paddy Connors - died after a police chase ended in a horror crash.
(Image: Family handouts)
Tributes for them have poured in following the tragedy on September 23.
Officers in an unmarked police car pursued a vehicle being driven 'at speed' on Frederick Road.
The vehicle crashed with two other cars, police said.
The two men inside the car being pursued - Tommy, 29, and Paddy, aged in his 30s - died at the scene.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) later confirmed three people unconnected to the chase - two women and a man - were in one of the vehicles which was hit.
They were taken to hospital with injuries later deemed not to be life-threatening.
The IOPC's investigations are continuing.
A vigil at the scene was held in the days following the crash.
We'll bring you live updates here.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Man City evening headlines as Maresca outlines plans for U23s

Enzo Maresca did not escape the impact of coronavirus this summer and was forced to delay his start as coach after testing positive for Covid-19 .
Maresca is arguably the most high-profile appointment since Patrick Vieira seven years ago and will replace Paul Harsley in the role .
And speaking to the MEN , he opened up on what he will demand of the club 's young players this season .
`` The first day I met the team I told them that I did n't want any excuse about their age , '' he said .
`` They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players and we can challenge teams with a higher average age .
I think this is n't a problem .
`` We know at this age two years difference is enough but I do n't want any excuses .
We can compete against everyone . ''
You can read the full piece .
Benfica ’ s shock Champions League exit at the hands of Greek side PAOK aided City ’ s pursuit of defender Ruben Dias .
The Portuguese giants announced they had agreed a deal to sell Dias to the Blues for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dias has been on City ’ s radar for more than two years , but they only decided to move for Dias when several factors emerged .
Simon Bajkowski has explained the behind the scenes situation that pushed Dias to the Etihad , and you can read that .
Manchester City ’ s players have been accused of lacking ‘ hunger and desire ’ by Roy Keane after their surprise defeat against Leicester City .
Pep Guardiola 's side suffered a humiliating 5-2 loss to the Foxes on Sunday afternoon , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they find themselves six points behind top spot .
City conceded three penalties in the match and were poor defensively , which has caused Keane to admit he was stunned by the lack of quality at the back .
“ I was shocked watching Man City , I couldn ’ t believe how bad they were defensively , to give up five goals at home , ” Keane told Sky Sports .
Speaking on Sky Sports , the former Manchester United midfielder said that this was worrying , particularly as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season .
Keane said it was a sign of concern that the same defensive problems City had last season are already rearing their head again in this campaign .
“ I was shocked watching Man City , I couldn ’ t believe how bad they were defensively , to give up five goals at home , ” Keane told Sky Sports .

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Maresca: I don't want any excuses
Enzo Maresca did not escape the impact of coronavirus this summer and was forced to delay his start as Manchester City’s new EDS head coach after testing positive for Covid-19.
Maresca is arguably the most high-profile appointment since Patrick Vieira seven years ago and will replace Paul Harsley in the role.
And speaking to the MEN, he opened up on what he will demand of the club's young players this season.
"The first day I met the team I told them that I didn't want any excuse about their age," he said.
"They are 17, 18 but they are good players and we can challenge teams with a higher average age. I think this isn't a problem.
"We know at this age two years difference is enough but I don't want any excuses. We can compete against everyone."
You can read the full piece here .
Dias pursuit helped by shock Champions League result
Benfica’s shock Champions League exit at the hands of Greek side PAOK aided City’s pursuit of defender Ruben Dias.
The Portuguese giants announced they had agreed a deal to sell Dias to the Blues for a club-record fee.
A Portuguese international, Dias has been on City’s radar for more than two years , but they only decided to move for Dias when several factors emerged.
Simon Bajkowski has explained the behind the scenes situation that pushed Dias to the Etihad, and you can read that here .
Keane says City stars lack 'hunger and desire'
Manchester City’s players have been accused of lacking ‘hunger and desire’ by Roy Keane after their surprise defeat against Leicester City.
Pep Guardiola's side suffered a humiliating 5-2 loss to the Foxes on Sunday afternoon, and although they have a game in hand, they find themselves six points behind top spot.
City conceded three penalties in the match and were poor defensively, which has caused Keane to admit he was stunned by the lack of quality at the back.
“I was shocked watching Man City, I couldn’t believe how bad they were defensively, to give up five goals at home,” Keane told Sky Sports.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Manchester United midfielder said that this was worrying, particularly as it was only their second Premier League game of the season.
Keane said it was a sign of concern that the same defensive problems City had last season are already rearing their head again in this campaign.
“I was shocked watching Man City, I couldn’t believe how bad they were defensively, to give up five goals at home,” Keane told Sky Sports.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Manchester United stance on Ousmane Dembele before transfer deadline day

Manchester United have no intention of buying Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona and only consider him as an emergency loan option .
United are expected to make a last-ditch attempt to sign their priority target Jadon Sancho before next Monday 's 11pm deadline but are actively considering alternatives .
Dembele , 23 , has two years left on his Barcelona contract but has struggled in Catalonia since his £135million move from Dortmund in 2017 .
Barcelona have denied they are in talks with United but would be willing to offload the winger due to their financial situation .
United executive vice-chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were set for a testing period and the Spanish club has the largest wage bill in world football .
Luis Suarez has already left Camp Nou but Barca are still saddled with their three nine-figure signings - Dembele , Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann .
As part of the recruitment reboot overseen by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer , United have decided to eschew opportunistic moves for 'superstar ' signings and did not move for one-time target Gareth Bale when Real Madrid offered to sell him last year .
Dembele only started three La Liga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hamstring injury and lined up in 32 out of 76 league games in his first two seasons in Spain .
United sources have dismissed reports of a new bid for Sancho , 20 , and believe it is a method to exert pressure on Dortmund to yield before next week 's deadline .
The MEN reported on Tuesday morning United are holding various discussions in an attempt to secure more signings before the transfer window closes .
United are continuing talks with Porto over a possible deal for Brazilian left-back Alex Telles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a British record deal for Sancho .
Telles , 27 , has entered the last year of his Porto contract and his valuation is understood to be a sticking point in negotiations , as Telles can sign a pre-contract deal with any club in January .
Dortmund have been adamant for close to two months that Sancho is staying and Bournemouth forward David Brooks , Juventus winger Douglas Costa and Ivan Perisic of Inter Milan have all been considered as alternatives by United .
The club has also explored the possibility of signing @ @ @ @ @ @

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Manchester United have no intention of buying Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona and only consider him as an emergency loan option.
United are expected to make a last-ditch attempt to sign their priority target Jadon Sancho before next Monday's 11pm deadline but are actively considering alternatives.
Dembele, 23, has two years left on his Barcelona contract but has struggled in Catalonia since his £135million move from Dortmund in 2017.
Barcelona have denied they are in talks with United but would be willing to offload the winger due to their financial situation. United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward privately predicted last year Barcelona were set for a testing period and the Spanish club has the largest wage bill in world football.
Luis Suarez has already left Camp Nou but Barca are still saddled with their three nine-figure signings - Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann.
As part of the recruitment reboot overseen by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United have decided to eschew opportunistic moves for 'superstar' signings and did not move for one-time target Gareth Bale when Real Madrid offered to sell him last year.
Dembele only started three La Liga games last season due to a troublesome hamstring injury and lined up in 32 out of 76 league games in his first two seasons in Spain.
United sources have dismissed reports of a new bid for Sancho, 20, and believe it is a method to exert pressure on Dortmund to yield before next week's deadline.
The MEN reported on Tuesday morning United are holding various discussions in an attempt to secure more signings before the transfer window closes. United are continuing talks with Porto over a possible deal for Brazilian left-back Alex Telles and have just six days to pull off a British record deal for Sancho.
Telles, 27, has entered the last year of his Porto contract and his valuation is understood to be a sticking point in negotiations, as Telles can sign a pre-contract deal with any club in January.
Dortmund have been adamant for close to two months that Sancho is staying and Bournemouth forward David Brooks, Juventus winger Douglas Costa and Ivan Perisic of Inter Milan have all been considered as alternatives by United. The club has also explored the possibility of signing 18-year-old Atalanta winger Amad Traore.


themanchestereveningnews--2020-09-29--Manchester United evening headlines as club working on multiple signings

Manchester United are holding talks with various clubs ahead of the European transfer window closing on October 5 .
United are currently in talks with Porto regarding a move for Brazilian left-back , while there is still potential the club can strike a record deal for priority target Telles is in the final year of his contract at Porto and the Portuguese club ’ s valuation of the 27-year-old is seen as the only thing holding the deal back .
In terms of outgoings , Chris Smalling is available for transfer and if the defender completes a permanent move to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their pursuit of Telles .
MEN Sport revealed recently United were working on three new signings ahead of the deadline , but they will not be targeting a centre-back until next year despite the poor form of Victor Lindelof .
You can read the full story .
Manchester United have changed their stance on Bournemouth pair David Brooks and Josh King and are now unlikely to sign either player before the transfer deadline .
MEN Sport understands the club ’ s recruitment team has evaluated both players .
Brooks has been of particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not considered an alternative to Sancho .
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been an admirer of King for some time and knows him well from their time together with United ’ s reserve side .
The Norwegian international was considered an option before the club extended Odion Ighalo ’ s loan from Shanghai Shenhua , and it is believed the club will restart their hunt for a striker when Ighalo departs the club in January .
Sources at Bournemouth have indicated King could still leave the club before the deadline shuts , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cherries in an attempt to build up his fitness and form in the Championship .
Leeds United are considering a move for Manchester United winger Daniel James ahead of deadline day .
MEN Sport can reveal Whites managing director Angus Kinnear attended United ’ s Carabao Cup win against Luton during which James was an unused substitute .
Kinnear is a boyhood Luton fan and obtained a scout ’ s pass to attend the game .
He has previously met the 22-year-old when a move to Leeds fell through on deadline day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Amazon documentary series 'Leeds United : Take Us Home ' during which Kinnear gave an interview praising the Welshman .
United agreed to sign James five months later for £15 million rising to £18m , but he has struggled to earn regular starts for Solskjaer ’ s side .

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United still working on multiple signings
Manchester United are holding talks with various clubs ahead of the European transfer window closing on October 5.
United are currently in talks with Porto regarding a move for Brazilian left-back Alex Telles , while there is still potential the club can strike a record deal for priority target Jadon Sancho.
Telles is in the final year of his contract at Porto and the Portuguese club’s valuation of the 27-year-old is seen as the only thing holding the deal back.
In terms of outgoings, Chris Smalling is available for transfer and if the defender completes a permanent move to Roma itcould give United a boost in their pursuit of Telles.
MEN Sport revealed recently United were working on three new signings ahead of the deadline, but they will not be targeting a centre-back until next year despite the poor form of Victor Lindelof.
You can read the full story here .
Brooks and King transfer latest
Manchester United have changed their stance on Bournemouth pair David Brooks and Josh King and are now unlikely to sign either player before the transfer deadline.
MEN Sport understands the club’s recruitment team has evaluated both players. Brooks has been of particular interest to the club, but he was not considered an alternative to Sancho.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been an admirer of King for some time and knows him well from their time together with United’s reserve side.
The Norwegian international was considered an option before the club extended Odion Ighalo’s loan from Shanghai Shenhua, and it is believed the club will restart their hunt for a striker when Ighalo departs the club in January.
Sources at Bournemouth have indicated King could still leave the club before the deadline shuts, although Brooks is likely to remain with the Cherries in an attempt to build up his fitness and form in the Championship.
Leeds weighing up James transfer
Leeds United are considering a move for Manchester United winger Daniel James ahead of deadline day.
MEN Sport can reveal Whites managing director Angus Kinnear attended United’s Carabao Cup win against Luton during which James was an unused substitute.
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Kinnear is a boyhood Luton fan and obtained a scout’s pass to attend the game. He has previously met the 22-year-old when a move to Leeds fell through on deadline day in January 2019.
The situation was chronicled in the Amazon documentary series 'Leeds United: Take Us Home' during which Kinnear gave an interview praising the Welshman.
United agreed to sign James five months later for £15 million rising to £18m, but he has struggled to earn regular starts for Solskjaer’s side.