City To Launch £60m Bid For John Terry

While The Sun reports that Luiz Felipe Scolari is intent on taking Robinho from Eastlands, its Sunday sister claims that Mark Hughes has asked his bosses to launch an equally ambitious raid on Stamford Bridge.

The News of the World puts forth that the City manager has told Shiekh Mansour, who fronts the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), that Terry is the best defender in the world.

Hence, as the Arab owners are determined to transform the Sky Blues into the best team on the planet, Mansour has agreed to bankroll an astonishing £60 million bid for the England skipper.

It is understood that City will offer Terry a contract worth around £10 million per season, which would make him the best-paid footballer in the world.

The likelihood of the 27-year-old leaving London for a highly ambitious yet inconsistent club in the North West remains extremely remote, especially considering his status as a die-hard Blue.

However, with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich growing cautious in light of the global financial crisis, the club's big-spending ways have been put on hold for a while - although the recent reports of Robinho's impending switch would seem to suggest otherwise.

--Cecil Braun, Goal.com