Arsenal frustrated as Manchester City hijack transfer targets

Lille's Ivory Coast international striker Gervinho EMPICS Sport

Big-spenders muscle in on chase for Cahill and Gervinho

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Arsene Wenger is is facing up to the prospect of losing two of his main summer transfer targets to Manchester City.

The Eastlands club, who pipped the Gunners to third place on the final day of the Premier League season, are expected to be the transfer window’s biggest spenders again as they prepare to enter the Champions League for the first time.

City manager Roberto Mancini is expected to be given another huge cash injection courtesy of billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group.

And that could price Arsenal out of the market for long-term target Gary Cahill, the Bolton Wanderers defender and Lille’s Ivory Coast international striker Gervinho.

Higher

City are known to be interested in both players, and have made a new centre-back a priority following the six-month ban handed to former Gunners star Kolo Toure for failing a drugs test. Bolton have made it clear they want in the region of £15m for Cahill, and City will be prepared to go higher than that.

Gervinho is likely to cost around the same, but it is a valuation Arsenal were happy to meet. However, City’s interest is set to increase the fee for the player, and a frustrated Wenger admitted: “We are in a job where other clubs do not respect the basic rules of any other company and we have to live with that.

“You cannot think that if there is not enough money to run the company then someone else [will] come in and give his money. That is not how we want to run.

“We have to fight [for players] against clubs which have unlimited resources.

“They do not live within their natural resources which is why Uefa want to fight for the fair play.”