Tottenham and Manchester City cook-up last-minute deadline day swap deal

David Bentley has been lined up in a sensational £15million player-plus-cash move to Manchester City.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is close to a £5m deal for City’s Bulgarian left winger Martin Petrov.

But big-spending City and Tottenham are also discussing a last-gasp deal for England international Bentley to go the other way, with cash also changing hands.

Bentley, 25, who last week was banned from driving for 12 months for a drink-driving offence, joined Tottenham for £15m a year ago.

But he has struggled to win a regular spot and also lost his place in the England set-up as he has failed to win over the Spurs fans.

Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland have all been interested in signing Bentley and Spurs are prepared to sell - as long as they can bring in a replacement.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is also demanding that he gets back almost all of his £15m outlay on the former Blackburn winger.

That has put off other clubs, and Everton even failed with a loan bid, but mega-rich City have the finances to sign Bentley and add the England winger to their expensively assembled squad.

City boss Mark Hughes managed Bentley during their time together at Blackburn and helped turn the former Arsenal trainee into an England international.

That prompted Tottenham to enquire about a possible player-plus-cash deal involving Petrov, 30, who was yesterday pulled out of the Bulgarian national squad to allow him to discuss a move to White Hart Lane.

Petrov nearly went to Tottenham two years ago but, after suffering a long-term knee injury, is now surplus to requirements at City.

But Tottenham are anxious to boost their squad after losing Croatian international Luka Modric for up to three months through injury.

Tottenham also made a cheeky enquiry to take Portsmouth’s Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar on loan, but now appear to be getting Petrov in a shock last minute deal.