by John Cross
Edin Dzeko is a £25million target for Bayern Munich as Manchester City look to clear the decks for Robin van Persie.
City are actively trying to sell strikers Dzeko, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz AND Emmanuel Adebayor.
In fact, the only hitman they definitely want to keep is Sergio Aguero, scorer of the last-gasp goal against QPR that so dramatically clinched the Premier League title last month.
Big-spending City have told manager Roberto Mancini he has to sell before he can buy Arsenal goal-machine Van Persie, as they are determined to get their house in order for the introduction of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.
Holland star Van Persie is Mancini’s number one priority, but the deal is looking complicated because of City’s sell-first stance.
The new Premier League champions are unlikely to sanction big pay-offs for any of their flock of unwanted strikers, who may struggle to match their current contracts elsewhere, because they are likely to fall foul of FFP guidelines.
Dzeko, a £27m signing from German side Wolfsburg only 18 months ago, has attracted strong interest from Bayern and other Bundesliga clubs.
The Bosnia international has grown frustrated because of a lack of regular starts and wants to play more games.
Tevez will be allowed to go for the right price, while Harry Redknapp’s shock exit from Tottenham muddies the waters on the possibility of Adebayor making last season’s loan spell permanent.
Forgotten man Santa Cruz, who hasn’t played for City since November 2010 and has since been on loan at Blackburn and Spain’s Real Betis, still has one year left on his deal.
Mancini is banging the drum for Van Persie, but City will have to act quickly as they face competition from new Italian champions Juventus.
The Italians see Van Persie as a stellar signing to mark their return to the Champions League and are willing to pay the Dutchman £180,000-a-week, but City can top even that salary offer.
Van Persie has been offered a new three-year deal at Arsenal but has made it clear he is frustrated at not winning trophies – although the club are having a busy summer of strengthening in attack with Germany forward Lukas Podolski already signed and France striker Olivier Giroud all set to join.
