City keen to crack America

Cook in talks with MLS chief regarding possible investment

Last updated: 5th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

City keen to crack America

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Manchester City's ambitious plans to raise their profile in America could involve buying an MLS franchise.

The Blues are desperate to take advantage of the lucrative US market and plan on expanding their interests there in the near future.

The Premier League outfit are also mulling over the prospect of a tour across the Atlantic in June.

The club also hope to incorporate America within their grand scheme to roll out the successful City academy across the globe, with the first phase of that plan already under way in Abu Dhabi.

Chief executive Garry Cook has held preliminary talks with MLS commissioner Don Garber at the Soccerex convention in Manchester and discussions have progressed positively.

The prospect of purchasing a franchise in the MLS was one issue raised, with new teams set to be set up in Philadelphia, Vancouver and Portland over the next two years.

Garber, who has also spoken to Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid about possible investment, is keen to establish links within Europe to help improve the quality of players heading to America.

He is pleased with how the proposals are developing and admits to being intrigued by what City have had to say.

"Part of the re-launch of that team (City) is for them to think strategically about their business and where international expansion fits into that, and where the US might fit into that," Garber said in the Manchester Evening News.

"We've had very preliminary discussions about that."

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