The stupid season has begun in earnest with the news that Manchester City are set to bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

And as ridiculous as the idea that one of the world’s best finishers could end up at Eastlands sounds, football is a strange game sometimes and it wouldn’t be a total surprise if City pulled it off.

So far though the established world class stars City have been trying to lure have mainly steered well clear despite their obvious riches.

 

One exception to this was the signing of Carlos Tevez, who is one of the best strikers in world football. But he wasn’t hyped up – in fact many observers and reliable experts claimed he didn’t score enough goals and wasn’t worth the £25m City paid for him.

Perhaps the Argentine, or his advisors, listened to the skeptics and that’s why he settled on a move to City in the first place. There isn’t a club in Europe who wouldn’t want a player like him in their side – and that includes the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, AC Milan and even Manchester United.

However, because few mentioned him in the same breadth as Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and Torres, he appeared to be a more realistic transfer target for City. They could at least be linked with a move without being ridiculed.

Tevez may only have went to City to irk United and Alex Ferguson, but few can question the striker’s quality and commitment he has given the Eastlands club and his contribution could prove pivotal in their hunt for Champions League football.

If he can fire them to fourth place and qualification for Europe’s most lucrative competition then it will make the club a more attractive proposition.

But the club can only get world class players who genuinely give it their all, like Tevez, as showboaters and headline grabbers who get fed up after 6 months will be detrimental to City’s long-term ambitions. The £32m spent on Robinho didn’t exactly represent value for money.

A useful point at Arsenal after bottling it against Manchester United could prove vital come the end of the season, but Tottenham remain in the driving seat and Aston Villa are back in contention. So before City start fantasising about who they’re going to sign in the summer, first things first. Prove they’re a club worthy of a top four place.