Man City want Vidic from United at all costs

We're in for a summer of discontent in Manchester, according to the Times, which reports that City are zeroing in on United's unsettled centre-back Nemanja Vidic. Not content with having poached Carlos Tevez from Old Trafford last summer, the sky blues are now planning another imminent raid as they seek to usurp the Red Devils as Manchester's premier club.

The paper says that the 28-year-old Vidic feels "undervalued" at United and his ego is eager to find pastures new. Real Madrid and AC Milan have expressed an interest in the sulky Serb, perhaps unaware that Vidic's contract at Old Trafford runs until 2012.
 
But the paper says it's City who are determined to snap up Vidic, despite having signed Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure in recent times. Any approach to Vidic, reports the Times, would "be modeled on the attempt to lure John Terry from Chelsea" at the end of last season, when they offered to double the England skipper-turned-love-rat's wages to £250,000 a week.

Although Terry turned down the incredible offer, Vidic might be more amenable, says the Times. Named Premier League Player of the Season last year, Vidic is reportedly unhappy that he's yet to be bumped up into United's £100,000-a-week bracket and would jump at the chance to earn some proper money in these challenging economic times.

If the Mirror is to be believed, Chelsea are lining up a £9 million "summer swoop" for Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor. With the introduction next season of the Premier League's home-grown quota system, the Blues are keen to bring more English players to the Bridge, and they don't come much more English that the former England Under-21 skipper, a man who epitomises the bulldog spirit.
 
According to the Mirror, 24-year-old Taylor has been admired by the Chelsea powers-that-be for the last couple of seasons, with their chief scout Bryan 'Pop' Robson a regular visitor in recent weeks to Newcastle, where Taylor has been outstanding in the Magpies' miserly defence.

Although recovering from a knee injury, the centre-back will soon be back in action and Chelsea are poised to "prise Taylor away from Tyneside" in the near future, even if Newcastle were to win promotion from the Championship back to the top flight. The paper says Taylor has long wanted the chance "to play alongside John Terry", something that might set alarm bells ringing with his missus.
 
The Daily Mail is confident that Spartak Moscow goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa be soon be making a move to Tottenham. The Croatian shot-stopper is said to be keen to leave Spartak Moscow for north London despite his aborted move to Spurs in last month's transfer window. "Unfortunately, it wasn't realistic to complete the transfer to London this winter," Pletikosa is quoted as saying. "We have agreed to renew talks before the summer and I hope that I will finally have better luck when it comes to England."

The 31-year-old, who has played nearly 80 times for his country, was fulsome in his praise of Tottenham. "Spurs have shown me great respect and I can't express my gratitude to Redknapp and his associates for the attention they have given to me."

Finally, I'd be failing in my duty if I didn't file the latest report from the Cesc Fabregas frontline, and today it comes from the Mirror, who claim that Barcelona "have a strategy in place" to ensure the Arsenal skipper moves to the Nou Camp this summer in a £60m deal.

The Spanish giants, as good as tapping up players as they are at winning trophies, have publicly courted Fabregas for the past few months, much to the fury of Arsenal, who have written to Barcelona asking them to abide by the rules and refrain from such ungentlemanly behaviour.

Alas, the honourable appeal from north London has gone unheeded and the Mirror says Barcelona have drawn up a tantalising offer for the 22-year-old Spaniard. This includes a five-year contract worth "a staggering £160,000 a week". Bonuses could bump his weekly earnings to more than £200,000.

The Mirror quotes a Barcelona insider as saying: "It's no longer a question of if but when Fabregas comes home. Arsenal are in no position to compete with the package on offer." The Gunners would indeed be unable to match such a sum - financially at least, although morally Arsenal's riches are far superior to those of Barcelona. ·