SoccerBlogs

Manchester City have officially unveiled their new home kit for the 2013-14 season.

City, who just bought a MLS franchise today to become the majority owner of New York City FC, today launched their new kit to coincide with their tour of the United States where they'll wear the new kit on Thursday in St.

Major League Soccer has announced that Manchester City and New York Yankees have partnered together to launch New York City Football Club, MLS's 20th team that is expected to begin play in 2015.

Manchester City will be the majority owner of the new Club. As an investor, the Yankees will be an active member of the ownership group.

Napoli's president has sent his sporting director to Manchester City to discuss a swap deal that would send Edin Dzeko to Napoli in return for Edinson Cavani heading to Manchester City.

Napoli's president told his sporting director, "'Go to City and take the chance to negotiate over Dzeko and see what they are willing to do for Cavani'.

Liverpool are understood to be lining up a move for Manchester City defender Kolo Toure, who is currently in New York City after arriving for the club's US post-season tour.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is looking for replacements to fill in the gap left by retired centre-back Jamie Carragher. Toure is out of contract at City this summer, and is unlikely to be offered a new deal, so it offers Liverpool a unique opportunity to step in for an experienced 32-year old defender who could provide cover for Liverpool at the back.

Wayne Rooney will not play in today's match against West Bromwich Albion, the final game of Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial career.

While Rooney was benched for last week's game against Swansea, today he has been excused from traveling with United because his wife is in labor. Colleen is due to give birth to their second child.

It's a Saturday night in the United States, which means we get to scour all of the British Sunday tabloids for Premier League news. And boy there are a lot of BS stories tonight!

First up isThe Sunday Peoplewho say that Manchester City have agreed a record £54 million transfer fee for Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao.

England manager Roy Hodgson says that Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have "scotched" England's friendlies by scheduling post-season friendlies in the United States and, in Tottenham's case, The Bahamas.

Here's what Hodgson said:

"My thinking, which is based a lot on having been a club manager, is that they'll probably want a few days after the season ends, they won't want to go straight from the end of the season to us, so let them have a week and then we'll keep them a week and then they're free.

Earlier this week, we ran a contest to give away two pairs of free tickets to next weekend's friendly between Chelsea and Manchester City at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

We received a ton of entries, and last night we went ahead and selected two of the contestants at random who correctly answered the two questions.

Roberto Mancini has said goodbye to Manchester City supporters with a full-page ad he bought in the localManchester Evening Newsnewspaper.

Most City supporters have a soft spot in their heart for Mancini, and feel disappointed that he's left the club. "Manchester City supporters, 3 unforgettable years.

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez will accompany his team immediately after the season ends on Sunday on the club's United States post-season tour where they'll play Manchester City in two friendlies — in St Louis and New York City.

Benitez's contract with Chelsea expires at the end of May, so he'll be managing Chelsea for their matches against Manchester City in St Louis on May 23 and in New York City on May 25.

Is this Manchester City's third shirt for the 2013-14 season?

Or perhaps is it their away shirt, or none of them? It's difficult to say, but the newly leaked photo could either be the real deal or a fake. The uniquely designed shirt certainly incorporates colors that Manchester City have worn before.

When Brian Kidd was named caretaker manager of Manchester City on Monday, it brought me down memory lane. As a young Fort Lauderdale Strikers ball boy, Kidd had been one of the goal scoring heroes of mine. In 1982, when the Strikers signed Kidd, it was such a big deal that my family and I set out on the road for a five hour drive north to Jacksonville to see the legendary attacking player's first game in the bumblebee Strikers kit.

After years of very publicly planning and searching for a suitable ownership group to front a second MLS team in New York, the league has found it in a partnership between Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi and the New York Yankees. The new team will be called New York City FC and will begin play in 2015 as the league's 20th club.

By Chris Wright

"Oi mate, want to start a football club?"

Manchester City are joining forces with the New York Yankees to create a new MLS side, New York City Football Club, which they are hoping to have competing in the MLS by 2015 as the league's 20th franchise.

Manchester City have today announced a deal to acquire New York City FC with a partnership involving the New York Yankees. City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan successfully acquired the new franchise with Manchester City being the majority owner of the club.

What makes the deal so interesting is the partnership with the New York Yankees.

Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud (Google Creative Commons)

Having already wrapped up the Premier League title, Manchester United capped off a wonderful campaign with an extraordinary 5-5 draw against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. United twice led by a three-goal margin, but the home side – inspired by Romelu Lukaku's second-half hat-trick – managed to battle back each time.

Romelu Lukaku (Wikimedia Commons)

And so, even in the dying embers of its latest edition, the Premier League didn't fail in living up to expectations, signing off the 2012-13 season in incredible fashion.

The first 5-5 draw of its era, a nail-biting hunt for fourth spot between Tottenham and Arsenal and a handsome helping of 36 goals across 10 fixtures all made for a very entertaining finale to the Premier League campaign.

Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson embrace (Image via MUFC official website)

Transfer rumors continue to fly hot and fast for Manchester United star striker Wayne Rooney. As of May 18, 2013, the want-away forward has been linked all over Europe and continues to increase the amount of speculation around his future in England.

Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko (Image via MCFC official site)

Reports from TalkSport on May 18, 2013, are suggesting that the first major name set to leave Manchester City following the departure of manager Roberto Mancini could be star forward Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko was brought to the club in January of 2011 for the price tag of £27 million from German club Wolfsburg as he was continuing to top the Bundesliga goal scoring charts at the time.

Isco (Wikimedia Commons)

With Roberto Mancini sacked on Monday, speculation is rife that Málaga coach Manuel Pellegrini is set to take over at Manchester City. The Chilean coach wants to bring Spanish wonderkid Isco along with him with whom he also shares an agent.

Isco, a one-cap Spanish international, has previously been linked to Chelsea, Manchester United, PSG and Monaco and a summer move to Arsenal despite their £70million summer spending money but it now looks as though City have won the race for the attacking midfielder.

Fernando Torres of Chelsea (Flickr Commons)

English Premier League Matchweek 38 Betting Odds and Predictions

So this is it. The last week of the season. Hope everyone had a somewhat profitable, if not, enjoyable time in your English Premier League endeavours even if you just read this column this season for fun.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini (Google Creative Commons)

The sacking of Roberto Mancini, a year to the day after Manchester City won the Premier League, contained ironies not lost on the red half of the city as they paraded the same trophy that evening.

While confirmation was awaited of the inevitable news from the Etihad Stadium, a banner was unfurled from a window overlooking Albert Square, on the opposite side from the town hall where the open-top bus was to be parked.

Future Manchester United manager David Moyes (Flickr Commons)

Over the last few weeks, SWOL has looked at five Premier League players each in defense, midfield and attack, who could be on the move this summer.

For this latest installment—looking at which of the division's managers might be moving on—several potential protagonists got the jump on us.

Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has said that he was not surprised to hear that his former club had sacked manager Roberto Mancini. The Italian had overseen at disappointing season at the Etihad Stadium at both domestic and European levels. During his three years at the club, he managed to win the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini (Google Creative Commons)

Roberto Mancini was fired at Manchester City a year after guiding them to the Premier League title due to the lack of success in the time since. Second spot in the league though without a trophy this year cost the Italian his job.

Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich (Wikimedia Commons)

Bayern Munich midfielder Arjen Robben has denied any truth to the talk that he is a target of Manchester City.

Although the former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder got off to a rough start this season with Bayern, he was able to work his way back in to the starting lineup more consistently.

Whenever we're given the opportunity to disprove Manchester City's silly claim that the city is theirs, we gladly take it. For City's final game of the season today there were empty seats all over the place, despite the club claiming the game was a sell out.

By the time of the final whistle, when City players took part in the customary lap of honour, the ground was half empty, with the fans that did bother to show up passing up the opportunity to applaud their players for finishing 2nd.

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri (Wikimedia Commons)

Manchester City midfielder claims to be feeling 'sad' as a result of the firing of former manager Roberto Mancini earlier this week, but knows things change.

Mancini was let go by the club this past Monday after City failed to claim the FA Cup against relatively underrated Wigan Athletic.