Daily Star this morning:
£20M CITY BID LANDS LESCOTT
Joleon Lescott 1st August 2009 By David Woods
MANCHESTER CITY are close to completing a move for Joleon Lescott after Everton made a shock bid for Arsenal flop Philippe Senderos.
Moneybags City’s persistence over Lescott looks set to pay off with a fee of £20m enough for the Toffees to part with the England defender.
The Merseysiders had previously rejected offers of £18m and £19m.
Everton boss David Moyes was adamant centre-back Lescott would not leave, but it seems the availability of Senderos has paved the way for a deal.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will let the Switzerland international, who spent last season on loan at AC Milan, leave north London.
Arsenal inserted a buy-out clause of £6m for Senderos when they loaned him to the Italian giants but it could be the Emirates side push for more with Everton.
If Senderos does go for £6m, it would mean Wenger, after selling Emmanuel Adebayor (£25m) and Kolo Toure (£14m), will have raised close to £45m.
Wenger has spent just £10m on Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen, who arrived from Ajax.
In contrast, City boss Mark Hughes will take the club’s total spending this summer to over £112m with the purchase of Lescott.
But Wenger is likely to step up his pursuit of Bordeaux’s Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh.
It is understood the Gunners have offered £5m for the 25-year-old - but the French side will demand more.
Meanwhile, it seems Wenger’s initial reaction to the prospect Patrick Vieira’s return has not been positive.
Wenger has said in the past he is not a fan of re-signing players. but it is believed Vieira, 33, wants a Gunners return.
But despite being concerned about a lack of height in his team, it appears Wenger is not keen on taking his former skipper from Inter Milan
Why don't we just get Senderos and spend the rest on someone else.