Source: Daily_Mail
Mancini ready to make old pal Cordoba his first signing at Manchester City
Roberto Mancini is keen to shore up his Manchester City defence by raiding former club Inter Milan for central defender Ivan Cordoba.[LNB]While the new Eastlands boss has almost unlimited funds, 33-year-oldColombia international Cordoba would be available for a knockdown fee.[LNB]Cityare concerned that the huge outlay on defenders such as Joleon Lescottand Kolo Toure has shown little result and while Cordoba is not a bigname, he is a player Mancini trusts to step in a do a short-term job.[LNB] High jump: Cordoba rises to head the ball away at Lazio at the weekend[LNB]Uncompromising: Cordoba (right) gets stuck into Manchester United's Wayne Rooney[LNB]The stocky South American has fallen down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho, starting just six Serie A games this season, but he was a mainstay when Mancini led Inter to three successive league titles.[LNB]And Cordoba is open to a reunion with his former boss. 'If he wants me at Manchester City then I would seriously think about it,' he said.[LNB]The spending is unlikely to stop there, but Mancini wants to first assess the squad he has inherited from Mark Hughes.[LNB]Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini and Palermo's Simon Kjaer have been identified as longer-term solutions to a pourous defence.[LNB]Meanwhile, reports in Italy suggest bad boy striker Antonio Cassano could arrive from Sampdoria for £13.5million, while Mancini could also rival Arsenal in a bid for combative Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo, who is enduring criticism at Fiorentina after a summer switch from Fiorentina.[LNB][LNB]
