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Manchester City will fend off interest from Marseille to take elite development squad boss Patrick Vieira.

The Frenchman is highly regarded by the senior management at the Etihad and has been tipped in some quarters to go on to take the top job at the club.

Marseille are reported to have lined up Vieira to replace under-pressure Marcelo Bielsa - but City have warned the Ligue 1 club off making an approach, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Vieira has been working towards his UEFA coaching badges since retiring from playing in 2011.

The 38-year-old said in October that he feels he still has a lot to learn before taking a managerial post, and felt City was perfect for his education.

KIDD: City need a boss who understands PL - they need Vieira

“I am in the right place because I have people who believe in me, and who give me the tools I need to improve certain aspects of my coaching, people who want to see me succeed,” he said.

“I have a massive way to go and I’m in the first few steps. You don’t become a City manager from one day to the next, and that is not how I’d want to do it.

“I have a lot to learn, and the manager has been fantastic because he talks to me about tactics, and his experience – that is what I need to learn.”

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is a big fan of Vieira, saying: “I have a lot of confidence in, and the highest regard for, Patrick.

"I think he will have a very successful career in coaching and what he is doing today with the EDS will help him move from step to step and become a successful coach.”