Manchester City will make a £12 million bid for Kolo Tour?, the Arsenal centre back, now that the North London club have concluded the signing of Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax.
City tried to sign Tour? in January, but while Arsène Wenger was loath to lose the defender in mid-season, the manager has accepted that Tour? wants to leave and would rather sell now than lose him for nothing when his contract expires next summer.
With the African Cup of Nations taking place in Angola in January, Wenger is also aware that he would probably lose the Ivory Coast defender for about a month anyway.
Mark Hughes, the City manager, wants to pair Tour? with Joleon Lescott, 26, of Everton and England, to form a more