Arsenal Hope to Beat Manchester City to £20m Playmaker: Wenger Battles Mancini for Everton Ace Arteta

Manchester City are looking to flex their spending muscles once again by offering £20million for Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta.

City’s interest in the 28-year-old former Barcelona trainee is in addition to their hopes of landing Aston Villa’s James Milner.

They will face competition for the Spanish midfielder from Arsenal, who regard him as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas, now looking certain to return to the Nou Camp.

Manchester United are also monitoring Arteta, who has developed into one of the Premier League’s hottest properties. (Mail on Sunday)

There is no doubting Mikel Arteta’s class, the Spaniard has spent the last five and half year seasons wowing the Goodison Park support and has been targeted by potential suitors for some time now, could there be any chance either Arsene Wenger or Roberto Mancini could persuade the former Rangers man to leave the Toffees?

The 28 year old amazingly is still without a full Spain cap and may feel his chances of getting a call up would improve if he was playing Champions League football and maybe a move to the Emirates would be tempting. Is Arteta the type of player the Gunners need though? In many ways the abilities and assets the attacking midfielder offers are much the same as Cesc Fabregas, hence many reports suggesting that the north London club could turn to the Everton man if they do indeed lose their skipper to Barcelona.

Manchester City will of course be able to offer obscene amount in wages but perhaps that won’t be enough to convince Arteta to leave, clearly he loves playing for the Toffees and he may feel he could fulfill his ambitions at the Merseyside outfit.

David Moyes will again be hoping not to lose any of his top notch talents this summer and as always the Scot will hope to be given sufficient funds to help the club push onwards towards the top four next term.