Man City Sign Vieira

Manchester City have completed the signing of France midfielder Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan.

The 33-year-old passed a medical on Thursday and has signed a six-month contract at Eastlands with the option of a further year.

Vieira becomes Roberto Mancini's first signing as City boss.

Mancini told City's website: "Patrick is a world class midfielder with a winner's mentality and will fit into this group very well."

Vieira is a doubt for City's game against Blackburn on Monday after picking up a minor calf injury on his farewell appearance for Inter this week.

But he says his overall fitness is good and is confident he can help City challenge at the top of the Premier League despite his advancing years.

"I never had any doubt about it," Vieira explained. I am not 20 but I am not 40 or 45 either. I am still really motivated.

"When I look at the players City have got, I think we can achieve a lot. I strongly believe we are not out of the race to win the title but we need to believe the club can do it, because we can."

"I have always been lucky enough to choose the right team to achieve things in the past. I really believe City can do the same and I want to be a part of it.

"The manager knows me really well. I know I can give something to the club and I hope they can give me the opportunity to get back into the France national team."

Mancini has already signed Vieira once, for Inter in 2006, and is confident he can still make an impact in the Premier League.

"He knows me and my staff well, and importantly he also knows what the Premier League is all about," Mancini explained. "He will not need much time to settle in.

"Patrick is one of the great players of his era with every almost every honour in the game against his name. I am sure City fans will welcome him warmly and appreciate the contribution he will make."

Vieira, who is still captain of his country, brought his first spell in English football to an end when he left Arsenal for Juventus in the summer of 2005 after nine years at the London club.

He joined Juventus for £13.7m but spent only one season in Turin before Mancini signed him for Inter, where he won two Serie A titles under the Italian in 2007 and 2008.

Vieira won a third successive Scudetto last term but has made only 16 appearances in all competitions this time round - with most of those coming as a substitute.

Speaking to French television, he confirmed he ended his four-and-a-half-year stay in Italy to help his bid to win a place in the France squad for the 2010 World Cup proved the decisive factor.

The 6ft 3in central-midfielder earned the last of his 107 international caps in a friendly against Nigeria in August but his last competitive appearance came in September 2007 during a European Championship qualifier against Scotland.
"It's over, after a year in Turin and three-and-a-half years in Milan," said Vieira, who helped France win the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. "I wanted to go to the World Cup and I need playing time.

"I have objectives and I can't achieve them by staying at Inter where I am not part of the coach's choice.

Vieira is best remembered for his career in north London, where he made more than 400 appearances for Arsenal, winning three league titles and four FA Cups.

His last game in English football was the 2005 FA Cup final, in which he scored the winning penalty for Arsenal to beat Manchester United.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who was linked with re-signing Vieira at the start of the season, feels he will still be a force in the Premier League and understands his motives for a move.
Wenger said: "For me he has made the right choice and City has made the right choice so it should be a good marriage.

"I thought about it [re-signing Vieira] but I felt that we had players like Alex Song coming through and to keep on giving them a chance it was important that nobody steps in front of them."
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has revealed he almost signed Vieira last summer but chose not to follow up his interest this month.

"I was interested in the summer, very interested and he was keen to come to Tottenham at the time," Redknapp said.

"He showed a lot of bottle to want to play at Tottenham after being such a legend at Arsenal. That shows his character to want to take that challenge on."
"But it didn't happen because he got back into the squad at Inter Milan and it drifted.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wonder what kind Of wage he will be on

The one player we never really replaced

love to see him against us may get boo'd but shouldnt a legend at arsenal alot of money 10m just for the time he's there wonder why he signed lol

I wouldn't say you have replaced Henry very well, you don't have a 30 goal a season striker anymore, I know he was special, but Adebayor, Van Persie, Bendtner and Eduardo aren't exactly brilliant replacements.

And in Viera's position, Gilberto did alright there after Viera left.

I think if you asked most Arsenal fans they'd prefer Viera over Gilberto. Will be interesting to see if he can still hack it in the Premiership every week

Obviously, but he didn't do a bad job in that position, I don't think they missed Viera as much as they missed Henry when both of them had gone.

Bosch is spot on, Vieira is the only player Wenger didn't replace, Henry for about 18 months before he left wasn't the same player!

Henry was still doing the job though. I think he shouldn't have moved, don't think he's been the same player since

I think it revitalised him, he has won a couple of LaLiga's and won the European Cup, in his first season he finished Barca's top scorer and the second season he scored 25 goals as well as the 'Treble'

I think it worked out quite well for him

Fair point well made. Maybe it's because I've not seen so much of him since he left

I reckon Vieira can still cut it at the Premier League this season. Granted he won't play every game for the full 90 minutes, but even if he only plays haf the games I think his experience will help some of the younger guys around him.

jckbluenose12 wrote:

Wonder what kind Of wage he will be on

i read somewhere hes on 100k a week

and i think the closest arsenal got to replacing vieira was with flamini

Are Man City not in for Gattuso aswell and offering him 200-odd grand a week to make him the worlds highest paid footballer

Yeah did hear something about that Fergie

podegarudo wrote:

jckbluenose12 wrote:

Wonder what kind Of wage he will be on

i read somewhere hes on 100k a week

and i think the closest arsenal got to replacing vieira was with flamini

when he started getting good we sold him which i wasn't happy about i really liked him

Don't think you sold him, did he not walk? I'm sure his contract was up, worst mistake he has made, waited ages to prove himself, soon as he got a chance he chased a bigger wage at Milan and hardly plays

what ever happened we didn't try very hard to keep him

i read today that viera is on 130,000 a week.only man city would pay that much for a legend who has been past it for the last 3 year

Kay Fabe™ wrote:

Don't think you sold him, did he not walk? I'm sure his contract was up, worst mistake he has made, waited ages to prove himself, soon as he got a chance he chased a bigger wage at Milan and hardly plays

i think he said his reasoning behind it was that because they didnt offer him a new contract until he was in the last year of his previous deal, they didnt place enough trust in him

Was it not Juventus who he left for?
Then they got caught up in the match fixing shit so had to sell.

They were talking about Flamini. lol

Aw well

THE GODFATHER wrote:

i read today that viera is on 130,000 a week.only man city would pay that much for a legend who has been past it for the last 3 year

Dixie Carter says "Do you think so?"

Kay Fabe™ wrote:

THE GODFATHER wrote:

i read today that viera is on 130,000 a week.only man city would pay that much for a legend who has been past it for the last 3 year

Dixie Carter says "Do you think so?"

well you are right there.but tna take it to the extreme.