[Dirtycheat]

United, Liverpool and City all plan swoops for Rennes midfielder Mbia

Originally Posted by Daily Mail

Bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool are on collision course for the signature of Cameroon midfielder Stephane Mbia.

United's neighbours Manchester City are also believed to have made an approach for the £5million-rated Rennes star.

Mbia inspired his country to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations last month, scoring two goals at the tournament in Ghana, and has had an outstanding season with the French club.

Blue suede shoes: Stephane Mbia skips past Hosny Abdrabou Abdel of Egypt during last months Africa Cup of Nations Final
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The 21-year-old revealed: "I've received offers from some big clubs, and will think hard about them once the season is over.

"I have had contacts from Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. Barcelona and Lyon are also interested, as are clubs in Italy.

"But I won't get carried away. It will be down to me to make a choice, and I will take the advice of my parents and Rennes manager, Pierre Dreossi," he added on website Mercato 365.

Mbia can operate as a defensive midfielder as well as at right-back.

The 6ft 1in powerhouse, who joined Rennes in 2004 from the Kadji Sports Academy based in his home city Yaounde, Cameroon, was involved in a "racial" incident with Milan Baros last year.

The Portsmouth striker, then of Lyon, maintained his innocence after being accused of racially abusing Mbia in a Ligue 1 match.

The incident occurred in April 2007 when French television showed the former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker pinching his nose and waving his hand at Mbia as if he was repelling an offensive odour.

I watched this guy in ACN and although he really didnt strike me as being an excellent player, I was really surprised by the amount of work he put in. It got to a stage when nearly every tackle made by Cameroon were through the songs or mbia. He is strong and athletic too. With some good coaching and advice i think he could make a good RB.

[ZEUS]

That's exactly what we need in defense: a hardworking player, not one that asks a lot of money and plays shite games.

[Iron_Maiden]

This signing could look pointless.But notice this:Price 5 millions,look at the clubs that want to get him...there must be some competition.

Usually this means that the player has some quality and ads depth to the squad,in defense!

This could prove to be signing of the summer and, why not, of the season.

I tip him to be the required player,knowing the fact that african players are hard-working and don t chase only the money they would get eventually!

[Dirtycheat]

Originally Posted by Iron_Maiden

I tip him to be the required player,knowing the fact that african players are hard-working and don t chase only the money they would get eventually!

to be quite honest there are quite a few exceptions to that. Mikel and djemba djemba are the obvious ones.

I do however understand what you mean. Poverty can make some people much more modest when they become rich but it can also do the opposite.

Mbia did look like a really hard worker. He bulldozed through Egypt when I last watched him. He seems to have a good temper and we certainly saw that when baros tried to provoke him. I think he can be a bit clumsy but that can be coached out of him.