Yakubu on Eriksson's wish-list

Sven-Goran Eriksson is believed to have made Middlesbrough striker Ayegbeni Yakubu one of his top targets should he become Manchester City manager.

City need to strengthen their attacking options after scoring only 10 goals in 19 home Premier League games last season.

Yakubu, along with Bolton's Nicolas Anelka, is being linked with a move to Eastlands.

Publicly, Boro have insisted all summer that 24-year-old Yakubu - who has scored 35 goals in his two seasons on Teesside - is not for sale.

However, it would be no surprise if the club decided to cash in on any offer in excess of the £7.5million they paid Portsmouth for the former Maccabi Haifa forward.

Yakubu has been less than effective after Christmas in each of his two campaigns to date at Boro, and the percentage of his goals which have come from the penalty spot has led to concerns over his return from open play.

He nonetheless remains a formidable opponent, and City do not have someone of that quality up front.

The worry for City's prospective owner Thaksin Shinawatra, though, is he is running out of time in his bid to install a new manager before the players return to training on Wednesday.

Eriksson is expected to take charge and seal a three-year deal - but only when Thaksin has secured a 75% stake in the club.

At the moment he is slightly short of that mark.