City in line to bring Bridge to Manchester

UEFA Cup Round of 32 contenders Manchester City FC have agreed a fee for Chelsea FC left-back Wayne Bridge with manager Mark Hughes explaining: "We need to speak to the boy and try to agree personal terms."

Stern competition
A league title winner with Chelsea in 2004/05, the 28-year-old Bridge made four UEFA Champions League group stage appearances this season but has found regular first-team football hard to come by at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Ashley Cole from Arsenal FC in 2006. Signed from Southampton FC in 2003, he has been capped 32 times by England, and scored once in 87 league games for Chelsea. He was loaned to Fulham FC during the 2005/06 campaign as Chelsea won a second succesive title.

Negotiations ongoing
"We need to speak to the boy and try to agree personal terms," said Hughes, whose side meet FC København in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. "If we can do that hopefully Wayne will be a Manchester City player, that's the aim. Wayne will probably travel to Manchester this evening and hopefully negotiations will go well and he can have a medical tomorrow. Hopefully if the deal can be concluded I'll be absolutely delighted to welcome him to Manchester City."

Sahar loaned
Meanwhile, Chelsea have loaned 19-year-old Israel forward Ben Sahar to Dutch side De Graafschap for the remainder of the season. The former Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC player joined Chelsea as a 16-year-old in 2006, and has since spent time on loan with Queens Park Rangers FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC and Portsmouth FC. His new side are second from bottom of the 18-team Dutch table.