MONEYBAGS Manchester City are today reported to have joined Chelsea and city rivals United on the trail of Newcastle United’s Cheik Tiote.
In the last month the Ivory Coast midfielder has been linked to Manchester United and Chelsea, who are understood to be willing to pay ÂŁ25m for him.
But the Sunday Mirror reports today that City boss Roberto Mancini would love to outmanoeuvre them, and is close to making a shock bid for the 25-year-old, who is off to the African Cup of Nations.
It says Mancini is sending scouts to the tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to watch how Tiote plays alongside countryman Yaya Toure, City’s midfield kingpin.
Tiote was signed from Dutch club FC Twente in summer 2010, and the ÂŁ3.5m Newcastle paid for him now seems a bargain.