City bid for Malbranque rejected

Manchester City have had a £4m (€5.76m) bid for Steed Malbranque rejected by Fulham.

Blues boss Stuart Pearce has identified the Frenchman as the player he wants to provide the creative spark badly lacking in City’s midfield in recent seasons.

With most of the cash from Shaun Wright-Phillips’ move to Chelsea still unspent, Pearce is unlikely to be deterred by Fulham’s initial rebuff.

The indications are City will be back with a fresh, improved offer today and are hopeful Malbranque could be available for Saturday’s Thomas Cook Trophy clash with Olympiakos at Eastlands.

Malbranque, 25, joined Fulham for £5m (€7.2m) during the summer of 2001 after helping Lyon finish second in the French league.

With the Cottagers he has established himself as a lively midfielder with an abundance of attacking flair.

Malbranque has scored 38 goals in his four seasons with Fulham, as well as setting up countless others for his teammates.

He also led France to the final of the 2002 European Under-21 Championships in Switzerland and was an unused substitute for the senior side on one occasion last year.

City have already signed one player from Fulham this summer in former England striker Andy Cole.

Since then, Pearce has also captured Aston Villa’s international hit-man Darius Vassell.

Should the new Blues chief complete the hat-trick by persuading Fulham to part with Malbranque, it would represent a significant stride forward in his development of the club since taking over from Kevin Keegan last March.