Manchester City Football Club News

• Nickname:Sky Blues
• Founded:1887
• Manager:Roberto Mancini

• Ground:City of Manchester Stadium
• Capacity:48,000

Pearce ends SWP chase

15 Jan 2007 - 11:11:00

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Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce has admitted defeat in his attempts to bring England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips back to the club from Chelsea.

Pearce had hoped to tempt the 25-year-old back to the club until the end of the season, but now accepts that those hopes are at an end.

He said: "We have been quoted a price that is a million miles away from our budget. That is the end of it really.

"The message I have received from Chelsea is they do not want to loan the likes of Shaun and I am sure the rest of their players as well.

"If there were any deals to be done then it comes down to straight finance, whether they want to sell the boy."

Meanwhile, Citizens striker Paul Dickov could be out for as long as two months due to a broken toe sustained in the FA Cup third round draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Pearce told the club's official website: "Paul's going in for surgery and will be out for six to eight weeks.

"Credit to him because he's been playing with injuries for most of the season, and he's had this broken bone in his big toe for a couple of weeks.

"He wanted to soldier on, even when I told him that the surgeon had decided he needed the operation, Paul told me he would leave it to the summer if I wanted."