Filed under: Manchester City, Cardiff, Championship, Premier League, Football
Whether it is the start of a protracted stint of bargaining, Craig Bellamy has raised the prospect of returning to Manchester City at the end of his season-long loan at Cardiff.Bellamy, 31, claims he was denied a move to Spurs after his relationship with Roberto Mancini prompted his departure from Eastlands last summer.
City have paid most of his wages as he has enjoyed his stint attempting to drag his home-town team into the Premier League.
But Bellamy is now insisting that a permanent deal will be impossible to sort out in the summer, that he does not want to go on loan and that, at the moment, it looks like he will be returning to work with Mancini.
The pair clashed on a regular basis after Mancini replaced Mark Hughes half-way through last season, with Bellamy's hero status with the City fans adding another edge to the bizarre situation.
Despite his reputation, Bellamy's work ethic is beyond impressive, even in the modern game.
But needing a solitary routine due to years of knee problems, he was critical of Mancini's handling of him in training and was even alleged to have shouted words of support to David Moyes when Mancini clashed with the Everton manager.
Although many City supporters feel Bellamy was a major loss - he has managed eight goals in 27 appearances in the Championship - the terms of his move to Cardiff show how desperate Mancini was to off-load him.
The prospect of having Bellamy back, therefore, would hardly appeal to the Italian, who could also see Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz return from loan spells.
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