Silva to sign long-term contract with Man City

David Silva looks set to sign a new long-term contract with Manchester City, putting an end to speculation linking the winger with a move to Real Madrid. The Spaniard had been rumored to be mulling over a return to his native Spain for some months, with Real Madrid known to have expressed an interest. Silva was an integral part of both the title-winning City side and the Spanish team that claimed victory at Euro 2012. He still has two years remaining on his current deal, but is expected to sign a five-year deal worth 200,000 pounds ($310,884) a week after his representatives met with City officials in Spain. “My home is at City and I am totally satisfied there,” Silva told The Daily Star (London), adding, “My head is not at Real Madrid but at Manchester City. “I’m grateful for my experience at City and I have improved as a player, in every sense, since I joined them [for 24 million pounds in 2010]. “I’m on holiday right now, but my agents are negotiating a new deal with City and I think it’s likely we [will] close it in a very short time.” The Sun reports that Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott is devastated by Robin van Persie’s decision to quit the north London club. The 23-year-old is in an identical situation to that of van Persie, with both players’ contracts expiring next summer. Walcott had refused to comment on his future until the Dutchman’s decision was made, with the two players having a close relationship on and off the field. Chelsea are monitoring the situation, with Walcott yet to sign a deal that would see his wages rise from 55,000 pounds to 80,000 pounds a week. While Manchester United have moved ahead of Man City in the rush to sign van Persie, The Mirror reports that Juventus remain the likely destination for the 28-year-old. Van Persie is believed to have his heart set on a move away from the Premier League, with the Italian champions looking to make the Arsenal captain their marquee signing this summer. The Turin side have already seen an opening bid for the player knocked back by the Gunners, but are readying an improved offer for the free-scoring Dutch international. The Mirror quotes a source close to van Persie as saying “The Premier League is not the be all and end all, like it might [be] for an English player.” "Van Persie is Dutch, has a different mindset and other big players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic have had good careers in Italy.” Arsenal officials are split on selling the player, with Gunners manager Arsene Wenger keen to hold van Persie until his contract expires, effectively writing off a 20 million pound fee they would have otherwise received. Wenger has not yet given up hope on retaining the services of his captain, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Frenchman will hold a heart-to-heart meeting with the player. The club’s coaching staff will hold a meeting next week to discuss options for replacing the forward, with Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski both scouted by the north London side last season. Chelsea are looking to secure Wigan’s Nigerian forward Victor Moses in a deal worth up to 10 million pounds. Blues boss Roberto di Matteo is eager to seal the deal over the weekend, with the Champions League winners having upped their offer to a level the Latics are likely to find acceptable. The deal stalled after Chelsea’s 3.5 million pound opening bid for the 21-year-old was dismissed by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, who described the offer as derogatory. Wigan are likely to insist on a significant proportion of the transfer fee up front, with Moses’ former club Crystal Palace owed around 20 percent of any amount the Latics receive. Zinedine Zidane is refusing to rule out the possibility of one day making a move into management, but has distanced himself from reports citing him as Laurent Blanc’s possible replacement as France boss. French Football Federation President Noel Le Graet is said to have held talks with the football legend about joining the national team’s coaching staff. The former Real Madrid player is currently serving as one of the club’s directors, and was an ambassador for Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup. “Ten years ago, I did not want to coach,” Zidane told France Football. “Today, I want to succeed as a director. So we'll see. Maybe in ten years, I will be coach of the France team.” Tottenham are ready to listen to offers for Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, after The Netherlands international was linked with a move away from White Hart Lane. New Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has resigned himself to losing the services of the talented player, who is seeking a return to the Bundesliga for personal reasons. Van der Vaart’s wife is a television personality in Germany, and both Schalke and the player’s former club Hamburg have been linked with a 10 million pound offer for the 29-year-old.