foe fee up

By manx
March 15 2003

MARC-VIVIEN Foe will not be staying at Manchester City beyond this season unless Lyon drop their “unthinkable” asking price, Kevin Keegan has admitted.

city boss confirmed today he has told Foe he will not be making the loan deal that has brought the Cameroon international to Maine Road permanent, after Lyon demanded £7m for the 27-year-old midfielder.

Having already shelled out £550,000 to take him on loan, Keegan said he would not be exercising the option – which expires tomorrow - to make the deal long term unless Lyon dropped their price.



“We won’t take up the option as it stands,” he said. “The fee was agreed in Euros and now it works out as £7mllion. To pay that for anybody in today’s market is almost unthinkable.

“I have told Mark I would like him to still play for us next season but we don’t have that sort of money to spend on him. Also, he only has one year left on his contract so I want to talk with Lyon because the price as it stands is unrealistic.”

Foe has chipped in with seven goals and a virtually ever-present record in the City first team this season, but with the collapse in the transfer market and the strengthening of the Euro, Keegan feels he has been left with no option but to shelve the deal.

The midfielder said he wanted to stay at Maine Road. “I feel at home here – everything is in place at Manchester City for the club to grow into a force in English football,” he said.

“We have a great manager who has high ambitions and players who want to grow with each other and the club – of course I would like to be part of that.”