Shaun in £21m Chelsea switch
A dramatic long weekend, which started with City boss Stuart Pearce insisting the 23-year-old wanted to stay at Eastlands, will end with Wright-Phillips agreeing personal terms, then passing a medical before heading across the Atlantic on Chelsea's pre-season tour of the US.
In contrast, the City squad headed out to Thailand for the FA Premier League Asia Trophy last night still shocked by the loss of their talisman.
As recently as Friday night, when he signed autographs after what proved to be his final outing in a City shirt at Tranmere, club officials were convinced Wright-Phillips wanted to stay a major factor behind their rejection of Chelsea's £20m bid which had arrived hours earlier.
That bullishness evaporated within 90 minutes Macclesfield on Saturday, when Wright-Phillips pulled out of the friendly with a stomach bug before telephoning chairman John Wardle as he was being driven home to inform him of his desire to speak to Chelsea.
Wardle, still on his summer holiday, was devastated by the news but recognised the inevitability of the situation.
Although Wright-Phillips was initially refused permission to speak to Chelsea, it was only to allow City chief executive Alistair Mackintosh to broker the best possible deal.
Mackintosh managed to prise an extra £1million out of Roman Abramovich's wallet, although it's not known whether he has managed to retain the £17million up front payment which formed part of the first offer.
The fee far exceeds City's previous biggest sale, the £7million received from Fenerbahce for Nicolas Anelka in January, and will help cushion the blow of losing such a popular and brilliant player.
Although Wright-Phillips has won just four caps, he is almost certain to be a member of Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad next summer.
It is thought Pearce will be given half the fee to spend on new recruits, with Robbie Keane, Freddie Kanoute, Peter Crouch and Andy Johnson among those being linked to a squad whose only recognised senior striker Robbie Fowler missed the flight to Bangkok with a back complaint.
Pearce had hoped to rush a deal through for former Manchester United forward Andy Cole to fly out with the City party but negotiations were not concluded in time and Mackintosh will stay behind to try to tie up the loose ends of that deal today.
Early indications suggest the arrival of Cole will not appease the long-suffering City support, who are fearing the worst for the new campaign the loss of Wright-Phillips compounded a lacklustre defeat at Tranmere and a draw at League Two Macclesfield.
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