Mancini annoyed at Sturridge exit

Roberto Mancini has questioned Manchester City’s decision to allow Daniel Sturridge to join Chelsea when his contract expired in 2009.

Sturridge failed to agree a new deal with City, and subsequently signed for the Blues for 3.5 million pounds plus add-ons, a few months before Mancini arrived in Manchester.

He has since gone on to establish himself as a key member of the first-team squad at Stamford Bridge, and trails only Frank Lampard in the Chelsea scoring charts this season.

“I asked him last year when he played for Bolton why he left Manchester City and he said he didn’t know,” Mancini revealed to the Manchester Evening News.

“I know Sturridge well, I have watched him many times. Given the chance I think I would have liked to have kept him, but now he is at Chelsea we can do nothing.”

“I know for sure he was one of the best young players that was here.”

The decision to allow a homegrown player like Sturridge to leave, given the high prices commanded by the most talented young English players, further confused Mancini.

Young winger Adam Johnson reportedly cost City around 7m pounds, while more established England internationals such as Joleon Lescott, James Milner and Gareth Barry have all arrived for hefty fees.

“It was not difficult to see that Sturridge was going to be a good player,” Mancini said.

“It was strange because he started out in Manchester and someone let him out of the club for nothing.”