Tuesday Gossip

by Rob Pollard@RobPollardMCFC

Media Watch: Guardian writers tip City for title

With the new Premier League campaign just days away, the press are beginning to make their traditional pre-season predictions.

City have been tipped for the title by one national newspaper, which is where we start today's Media Watch, but there's also some transfer news emerging and some Kevin De Bruyne quotes.
So, without further ado...
Opinion
The Guardian: Premier League 2019 20 preview No 11: Manchester City
Jamie Jackson: “Guardian writers’ predicted position: Champions (NB: this is not necessarily Jamie Jackson’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
“Last season’s position: Champions
“Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 1-2
“Manchester City will enter the season as domestic kings supreme who may decide it prudent to abdicate two of their three crowns.
“Pep Guardiola and his players would never concede the point publicly but a deal in which the FA and Carabao Cups are not retained in exchange for a third consecutive title and a run to the Champions League final would surely be snapped up."
Manchester Evening News: Claudio Bravo Wembley heroics gives Pep Guardiola new Man City options
Stuart Brennan: “Claudio Bravo was the Blues’ man of the match even before he launched himself to his right to beat away Gini Wijnaldum’s penalty in the shoot-out, and so ensure they retained the Community Shield.
And it was the fact that Bravo excelled in situations which had some hasty judges to label him as a dud in his debut season, which is most encouraging for the Blues.
Have you seen...

“Everyone was eulogising about Kyle Walker’s spectacular goalline clearance, but it was only made possible by the fact that moments before Bravo had thrust out a hand to stop Mo Salah’s initial effort.

“It was the second time in the second half that the Chile keeper had spread himself to block shots from Salah, one of the deadliest one-on-one finishers around.
“Throw in three or four other impressive stops, and City may again have a back-up keeper to challenge Ederson rather than just play in the domestic cups and be on standby for the serious stuff.
“And Bravo, whose preparation for games is meticulous, has developed such a reputation as a fearsome opponent in penalty shoot-outs that he could even be a consideration as a late substitute in City’s Champions League games."
Transfer Gossip
The Mirror: Manchester City to complete Joao Cancelo transfer
David McDonnell: "Joao Cancelo will join Manchester City from Juventus - with Danilo going the other way.
"Portugal defender Cancelo was in Manchester on Monday night to undergo a medical ahead of his move."
From the Players
Kevin De Bruyne (via the Mirror): "You don't need to be better, you need to be consistent," he said of the quest to join the real elite of English football.
“At the end of the year, with all the competitions, maybe you don't need 95 or 100 points.
"Maybe teams get more points out of each other and you win it with 85, just because the competition is that high.
"You don't know. Maybe we need 102 points to win. I cannot predict that. We'll see in the end. But you need to be consistent."
That's all for this morning's Media Watch - but stay with us throughout the day here on mancity.com as we bring you all the latest official news.