Roque Santa Cruz looking to leave Manchester City
Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has said he wants to leave Roberto Mancini's team after being consistently left out of the team since the start of the current season.
Santa Cruz, who joined City from Blackburn Rovers in last summer, was rumoured to be leaving the club during the summer transfer window following the arrival of Mario Balotelli in City's attack.
But the Paraguayan, who has only made 19 league appearances for the team to date, stayed with City after failing to land a deal elsewhere.
Santa Cruz has not featured during City's current league campaign, but started in the team's league cup defeat to West Bromwich Albion, a game in which Brazilian striker Jo scored City's only goal.
"The club has invested heavily, competition for places is great and I’m working to try and convince the coach, but I’m still not getting picked," the 29-year-old told
The Times. "I wanted to think well of it, but I’m not getting the playing time to convince anybody."
Could go to La Liga
Santa Cruz, who played for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga between 1999 and 2007, added that he could seek to leave the Premier League midway through the season.
"I’m not getting playing time here and my intention is to leave City in the January transfer window and it could be for the Spanish league."
Mancini appointed Carlos Tevez as captain ahead of the current season, and playing the toiling Argentine as a lone striker has been the manager's preferred option in attack ever since.
Emmanuel Adebayor, who joined City from Arsenal last summer, is another striker who has been forced to warm the substitutes' bench at the club.
"The coach has opted for certain players and on top of that, his system plays with just one striker, so I have even fewer options."
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