Manchester City to ignite a £63m shopping spree, starting with Kolo Toure

Moneybags Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is set to spark a £63million transfer merry-go-round for defenders.

Kolo Toure will be the trigger, with City confident of signing the defensive lynchpin in a £14million switch from Arsenal.

Hughes has wanted Toure all year ever since missing out on the Ivory Coast defender in January - and will offer him a £90,000-a-week deal to join his Blues revolution.

Emirates chief Arsene Wenger will then use the cash to pursue Fulham's Brede Hangeland, viewing the Norway star as a direct replacement for Toure.

The Cottagers are determined not to let their prized asset leave on the cheap and will demand all of the Toure money before they even consider selling him.

Wenger could face competition from Everton for Hangeland, and manager David Moyes
is monitoring developments with City also after Joleon Lescott.

Hughes is focusing on his defence after signing strikers Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez.

Hughes said: "We're in the market for good players that we think will improve us. If we can bring them to the club we'll be very delighted."

Lescott falls into that category for Hughes and Everton have rejected City's £15m offer, demanding £20m for the versatile England defender, who can play centre-half or full-
back.

Moyes feels this is the going rate after Liverpool shelled out £17m to land Glen Johnson.
City have so far refused to increase their £15m bid and may have to bait the deal with Nedum Onuoha.

Moyes would then have the cash to step up his interest in Tottenham's Alan Hutton, after losing out to Spurs for Kyle Naughton.