Source: Team_Talk
Mancini wants De Jong stay
Roberto Mancini is keen for Manchester City to sort out a new contract for Nigel de Jong with his current deal due to expire in June 2013.[LNB] The Dutch midfielder still has 18 months left before his reported £90,000-a-week deal runs out, however talks to extend it began over a year ago.[LNB]It was reported that negotiations broke down last summer because De Jong felt under-valued and wanted to be amongst the club's higher earners such as Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure.[LNB]Mancini is eager for the future of his star defensive midfielder to be resolved sooner rather than later.[LNB]"Nigel is continuing to talk about his contract with the club," Mancini told the Manchester Evening News.[LNB]"I hope that we can close a deal, but I don't know when."[LNB]The Italian is also keen to get De Jong back into his starting line-up with the 26-year-old having been sidelined since August with a bruised foot. [LNB]De Jong did make a return as a substitute for City during their Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich, but has since only been unused from the bench on three occasions for both club and country.[LNB]"Nigel is an important player for us," added Mancini. "He had a big problem because he had a big injury for 40 days. [LNB]"Now he is OK, and I hope we can close this deal with Nigel - in the next week, in the next month, I don't know - but Nigel has two years left on his contract."
