MANCHESTER CITY, Mancini: "Big spending is the only way to win the title"

© foto di Federico De Luca

Roberto Mancini has defended Manchester City's spending splurge, claiming buying big is the only way to win the title.

Mancini has already splashed out £59million this summer to take the Blues' outlay under Sheikh Mansour to a staggering £265million in less than two years.

City are set to break the £100million barrier for the second summer running and Mancini wants to add a full-back and a striker to his signings of David Silva, Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng.

Mancini claims City's big spending is nothing new and says every title-winning side in Europe's top leagues have splashed the cash.

"Of course we have spent a lot of money this summer," said the City manager.

"Everyone can see that is the case, but all the teams who have won the Premier League, or La Liga or Serie A in recent years have spent a lot of money.

"This is not a new thing. It is hard to win trophies anywhere if you do not invest in the team in areas where you can improve. That's what we have done this summer."

Despite hammering Sheikh Mansour's chequebook, Mancini claims he will still give the club's Academy players a chance.

He has brought 11 young players on City's three-week long US tour and pointed to his blooding of the likes of Gregory Cunningham, Abdisalam Ibrahim and Dedryck Boyota last season as proof of his commitment to the club's youth system.

"In my first half season at the club Cunningham, Nimeley, Nielsen, Ibrahim and Boyata were all given debuts," he said. "That didn't happen at many clubs.

"That will continue where possible this season too. We are absolutely committed to the Academy and to bringing through and developing our own talent.

"We have young players here training with the first team and it's great experience for them. They have great enthusiasm and they will learn much from the trip. It is important that they know that there is a path to the first team there for them."

As well as Sheikh Mansour's billions, Mancini has called in the A-Team to make City successful and he has given a trial to Roland Benedict, the son of one of the stars of the 1980s' TV show.

Roland's dad, Dirk, played Face in the hit US series, starring alongside Mr T and George Peppard.

Roland, 20, had a spell with Gillingham two years ago and has returned to England from America, determined to make a career as a professional footballer.

Dirk, 63, said: "Roland has played soccer since he was four years old and always wanted to play in England so I said 'let's go for it'. He's quite good."

Roland, who made a name for himself on the college basketball circuit last year, claims his dad has been a great help.

"I got the fundamental side from my dad," he said. "I wouldn't be as good a player without him."