Mancini dismisses Kjaer reports

New Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini insists he is not interested in Palermo defender Simon Kjaer.

Speculation is rife that City and bitter rivals Manchester United are set to do battle for the Denmark international.

However, Mancini claims a bid for Kjaer, who is under contract at Palermo until 2013, is not in his plans.

“At the moment we are in training and I have to think about other things,” he told Mediterraneonline.it.

“Could the Dane interest us? At the moment we have other targets.

“We’re not thinking about Kjaer.”

City have something of a defensive crisis at the moment with Nedum Onuoha, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge all injured, while Kolo Toure will be absent for a month due to his involvement in the Ivory Coast’s African Nations Cup campaign.