Sturridge in City's sights

Roberto Mancini is reportedly set to raid Chelsea to take former striker Daniel Sturridge back to Manchester City this summer.

The Italian tactician is set to for a busy summer of wheeling and dealing at the Etihad Stadium with the futures of players such as Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Adam Johnson in doubt. As a result Mancini is plotting his own transfer targets as potential replacements in the City forward line with speculation claiming a swoop for former Academy player, Sturridge, is high up on his wanted list. The 22-year-old, who left City for Stamford Bridge three years ago when he was lured by a better wage deal, has struggled for first-team action since Roberto Di Matteo took over from the axed Andre Villas-Boas with just two starts in 12 games. As a result it is thought Sturridge, who made his England debut in November and has two years left on his current Chelsea deal, will wait to see if Di Matteo is handed the job on a permanent deal in the summer before deciding on his future. If the Italian stays on with the Londoners, Mancini could be tempted to make an offer to take Sturridge back to the Etihad to bolster his forward line having admitted earlier in the season that he would have been a first-teamer had he still been a part of the City squad.