There can be no big surprises at the fact that Real Madrid captain, Fabio Cannavaro, reportedly turned down the chance to go and earn some big money at Manchester City.

Cannavaro is just the latest rumoured target for the City merry go round in a football reality where money quite clearly doesn’t talk. Cannavaro’s decision comes without massive shock because once again City are trying to punch above their weight before they have solidified the foundations of the club.

After losing a regular starting place at Real Madrid under their manager, Juande Ramos, Cannavaro’s future has become uncertain. It seems a lot more likely that he will return to Juventus this summer to rejoin the club where he formed his reputation as one of the best defenders in the world.

He made just fewer than 100 appearances at Juventus and should he decide to return then it may turn out that it feels to the club like he had never been away. This personal satisfaction could be just the thing that sways the eventual decision.

You have to admire City’s ambition. Kaka, Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and now Cannavaro have all been approached with unrealistic financial figures being offered to sway a decision they would otherwise not even think about.

Cannavaro said in the Italian media: “I didn’t want to have start from scratch again, not in a World Cup year. That’s why I rejected offers from Bayern Munich and Manchester City.”

The move once again defies the comments made by Manchester City defender, Nedum Onuoha, last month that players will join City this summer for football reasons. Well this instance proves that no amount of money or solid football foundations can prevent a player from going to where he wants to go.

City could have offered Cannavaro the same figures they were reported to have offered Kaka to leave AC Milan and he still would not have thought seriously about joining.

It all points to the fact that City will have to sign less high profile and more experienced players to build the success that will get the attention of better quality players.

This news comes just days after City were reported to be trying to draw Eto’o away from Barcelona in what was quite literally a nonsense attempt. Fair enough City have massive financial backing at the moment but the club’s owners have to realise that the football transfer market is not a candy shop where they can go and buy who they want.

Despite the financial influence in the modern game, money is not what makes day to day club routine tick. Comfort and job satisfaction are clearly valued by players such as Cannavaro a lot more than hundreds of thousands of pounds per week. Far from it, Cannavaro probably has a good couple of million in the bank to fall back on once he retires from the game in Italy.

There will be many more stories like this one but if City sign any big names this summer it will be because those players display more mercenary tendencies than a large amount of sporting ambition.