Chelsea have given permission for Manchester City to talk to Wayne Bridge about a reported £12 million move to Eastlands. Personal terms aren’t likely to be an obstacle considering the wages likely to be on offer, so Bridge looks to be on his way.
He was surely always too good to be playing second fiddle to Ashley Cole for another year; a fantasy prospect in the making with regular starts. So will a move to City unlock Bridge’s potential? It’s doubtful to be honest…
Bridge is currently priced at 5.0 in the Fantasy Premier League game, having fallen from 5.5 since the start of the season. That’s very cheap for a Chelsea defender but just below par for a City one. The likes of Richards, Dunne and Zabaleta (presumably the rest of the City back four going forward), started the game at 5.5. The cheapest of those is currently Zabaleta who will currently set you back 5.2.
Bridge would certainly be a worthy purchase if you looking to consider a City defender. But how likely is that right now? Just a single clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League games, tells you all you need to know about the defensive returns on offer from the City backline. Bridge will help to shore things up and he will look to contribute assists from raids down the left. However, it’s certainly too early to be considering him as a viable option in your fantasy defence, at least until Mark Hughes has solidified his midfield to offer his rearguard some much needed protection.
In the Guardian game, where defensive statistics such as interceptions and clearances come into play, Bridge may well be worth monitoring. He is currently priced at 4.90 and if he can also contribute a healthy supply of attacking points via accurate crosses. He could be worth a look as a differential option going into the final months.
One thing that does look certain from this move is that both Ball and Garrido are about to be frozen out and perhaps on their way from Eastlands as Hughes clears the decks. Time to let go of Garrido then if you haven’t already – his potential as a budget option looks well and truly dead in the water if this move gets completed.