New Manchester City boss Mark Hughes plans to
hijack Aston Villa's bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell
and make him his first capture.
Hughes is keen to put his own stamp on the Eastlands squad
having taken over the reins from Sven-Goran Eriksson.
And while owner Thaksin Shinawatra works on an ambitious bid to
sign Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho from Barcelona, the Daily
Mirror says Hughes has targeted Sidwell as the perfect partner for
Stephen Ireland.
The former Rovers boss is not alone in his admiration of the
£6million-rated battler, though, and Martin O'Neill plans to make
Chelsea an offer if he loses skipper Gareth Barry to Liverpool.
The Villa boss is also reportedly monitoring Tom Huddlestone's
situation at Spurs, but the race for 25-year-old Sidwell is much
fiercer, with Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Newcastle, West Ham,
Fulham, Everton and Blackburn all looking to recruit him this
summer.