Roberto Mancini lines up £20m bid for Everton star Mikel Arteta and new move for Aston Villa winger James MilnerManchester City are looking to flex their spending muscles once again by offering £20million for Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta.
City’s interest in the 28-year-old former Barcelona trainee is in addition to their hopes of landing Aston Villa’s James Milner.
They will face competition for the Spanish midfielder from Arsenal, who regard him as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas, now looking certain to return to the Nou Camp.
Manchester United are also monitoring Arteta, who has developed into one of the Premier League’s hottest properties.
Arteta’s agent insists he is happy on Merseyside and Everton will resist all attempts to poach one of their key assets.
Any transfer saga will also conjure up memories of last summer’s battle over England defender Joleon Lescott.
Everton twice rejected approaches from City for Lescott, who eventually made a transfer request. Finally, following a war of words between Everton boss David Moyes and his opposite number Mark Hughes, Lescott signed for £24m.
There is also no love lost between Moyes and Roberto Mancini, Hughes’ successor.
Mancini was given a £20,000 suspended fine by the FA following a touchline clash with Moyes during a 2-0 defeat by Everton at Eastlands in March
Arteta, who still has two years left on his contract at Goodison Park, has blossomed after a slow start to his career which included indifferent spells with Rangers and Real Sociedad.
Moyes signed him for a bargain £2m from Sociedad five years ago and he was an ever-present in the Everton midfield until a knee ligament injury sustained in February 2009 forced him to miss last year’s FA Cup final defeat against Chelsea and kept him out of action for 11 months.
His return in January coincided with Everton’s late charge for a Europa League place — only Chelsea secured more points over the second half of the campaign.
Moyes is faced with having to better his achievement in finishing eighth in the Premier League with little financial backing.
Although some cash is available, the Everton boss will have to generate most of any spending money by selling the likes of Arteta.
City, meanwhile, are determined to press ahead in their pursuit of Milner and are prepared to offer Villa a choice of four players plus £20m for the 24-year-old.
The mega-rich Eastlands club have already seen a £20m cash offer for the England star rejected by Villa, but plan to tempt them by throwing in either Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards or Nedum Onuoha.
City are expected to bid again next week with Mancini desperate to tie up the transfer before the World Cup, but could still face competition from United and Chelsea, who can offer Champions League football next season.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1280519/Manchester-City-want-20m-Everton-star-Mikel-Arteta.html?ITO=1490 
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