Mariga deal reported

Not one that has garned much attention amongst the bigger players in the media, but hat tip to Blue Days for bringing this one to attention.

It is being reported both on calcionews24.com and allafrica.com that we have agreed to a 10 million Euro deal to sign Parma's Kenyan international midfielder McDonald Mariga:

Parma have accepted a E10 million offer (about Sh722 million) from Manchester City for Kenyan international McDonald Mariga, according to reports from Italy and England.

Mariga had been linked with Italian champions Inter but Parma sporting director, Pietro Leonardi, apparently met with City on Thursday.

He was able to convince the English club over 22-year-old Mariga's E10m fee during a series of talks which untangled the move.

"Once the transfer is compelete, Mariga will become Kenya's richest sportsman and the first ever to play in the English Premier League.

City turned to Mariga after seeing negotiations stall with Real Madrid in their attempts to sign Fernando Gago. City were ready to bid £6million for Mariga, according to reports in Italy, and could offer Valeri Bojinov as part of the deal.

Interesting stuff and a move (if true) that has flown completely under the radar. From his bio on wikipedia it seems he is a tall, rangy midfielder who spent time in Sweden before his move to Parma.

One potential hitch with a deal could be his Kenyan nationality, which given their lowly standing in the world game may impact on the possibility of a work permit being granted.

If anyone knows anything further about him though please leave a comment below.

UPDATE: The Bluemoon twitter feed is also suggesting that the deal will go through.