From the Telegraph:
By Jeremy Wilson 6:20AM BST 10 May 2011
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According to Redknapp, City already have one or two summer signings agreed that “will blow your brains out” and, with money no object, he expects a top-four finish to act as a springboard for them to fundamentally alter the balance of power in European football.
“I know people in the right positions there have said, ‘Well, the one thing we couldn’t offer was Champions League football’,” said Redknapp. “But they tell me they’ve got one or two players signed already who’ll blow your brains out. They aren’t going to stop until they win the championship and even then the Champions League, are they?
“The man from Abu Dhabi has got so much money. They’re going to spend another £200 million probably this summer.”
City are fourth in the Premier League with a six-point advantage over Tottenham going into Tuesday night’s match at Eastlands, meaning they would effectively clinch their participation in next season’s Champions League with only a draw.
Even if they lost, a win in either of their remaining games against Stoke City or Bolton Wanderers would almost certainly guarantee fourth. There is also the possibility of catching Arsenal in third place, so avoiding the extra qualifying round before the main group phase of the Champions League.
Redknapp admitted that it would take a “miracle” to catch City and believes that they will regard playing in the Champions League as more important than winning the FA Cup final against Stoke on Saturday. He also expects City to challenge strongly against the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona next season.
“They’ve got a strong squad which is only going to get better because they’ve got unlimited funds to buy anybody they want, and they can pay the wages,” he said. “They’ve got players there now earning £200,000 a week. I mean, it’s crazy, isn’t it? It’s another world really.
“I don’t see what will stop them. They will keep improving their squad until eventually they will win the title.
“Players will go where they get the best deals. If they can get more wages elsewhere, they will go elsewhere, that is the top and bottom of it. I haven’t met too many players who say, ‘I’ll come to you for 40 grand-a-week less than I can get somewhere else because I like you’.”
Redknapp is conscious that it is becoming even more difficult for clubs such as Tottenham, whose ground has a capacity of 36,230, to finish in the top four. City have already spent in excess of £300 million since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008.
“People get carried away but it’s so hard to break into that top four,” said Redknapp. “Who is going to drop out? I don’t think United are going to drop out of the top four. Chelsea? I don’t think they’re going to drop out. Arsenal? They have been there every year. Liverpool are going to improve. So it’s very, very difficult to get into that top four.”
Yet the example of Manchester United, who have won four out of the last five league titles while spending far less than both City and Chelsea does provide Redknapp with hope. “We’ve got good players here,” he said. “Next year, we’ll give it another go and if we can manoeuvre one or two, let one or two go out of the squad and bring one or two who can make the difference, we’ll be right there again.