Hamman to be offered new deal?

SVEN-Goran Eriksson has dropped the biggest hint yet that Didi Hamann could remain with the Blues for another season.

The evergreen former German international is one of only five players to have played in every one of City's Premier League games this season, though he misses out at Tottenham this Sunday through a one-match suspension.

There were those that thought the former Liverpool anchorman's City future would be short-lived after he managed just a dozen appearances in his first season after moving from Anfield via the Reebok.

But the 34-year-old has been a key element of the early season success enjoyed under new boss Eriksson, turning in a string of impressive performances and winning player of the month honours for August and September.

Hamann's contract is up at the end of the season and as such he is free to negotiate with other clubs from January 1, but he has told those close to him that he wants to stay for another campaign.

-MEN.

I've posted about this before, but I do believe that the club will offer Hamman a new deal - certainly no more than a year though as despite his excellent performance this season, the way the club hopes to progress over the next few seasons it is by no means certain what the make up of the side will be given the changes we have seen so far since Thaksin/Eriksson took over.

I'm sure that Hamman will be able to be an important member of the squad even next season, but to look a season further than that is looking a little too far to commit to given his age and the progress we are looking to make.

Money will surely not be an issue in any negotiations, but the length of the deal could be a sticking point and whether a new deal is signed will depend on Hamman's willingness to take a shorter deal than he perhaps ideally wants to.