Thaksin puts £10m aside to bring Wright-Phillips back to City
Last updated at 23:09 27 June 2007
Thaksin Shinawatra believes Shaun Wright-Phillips will launch his Manchester City revolution in spectacular style.
And City's new owner is ready to shatter the club's wage structure to ensure the former Eastlands hero comes 'home' from Chelsea.
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City slicker: Shaun Wright-Phillips could be set for a return to Manchester
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Fans' favourite Wright-Phillips is top of the shopping list for Shinawatra's consortium.
But it was left to City's prospective new boss Sven Goran Eriksson to have the final say.
And The Sun reports that the Swede has given club chief executive Alistair Mackintosh the green light to go and re-sign the England winger, 25.
City owner Shinawatra has pledged that Eriksson will have £50million to spend ? and £10m of it will land the lightning-quick Wright-Phillips.
And the former Thai PM is ready to more than double the club's current top pay packet to around £60,000 a week to get his man.
But Frank will face a battle with West Ham for Wright-Phillips' signature as the Hammers have been chasing the player since January.
Season ticket sales at City have been on the up since Shinawatra's takeover and the news of England's former boss Sven possibly taking charge. But they will overhaul last season's figure of 27,000 if the club can lure back Wright-Phillips.
A member of Shinawatra's camp said: ?We know Wright-Phillips will be the major coup in terms of public relations and on the pitch.
"The idea is to get a spark back into the club and we know there is nobody who would do that more for City's fans than Wright-Phillips."
Chelsea paid City £21m for the player in July 2005.
Wright-Phillips played 181 games and scored 31 goals for City after joining the club as a teenager in 1998.
Eriksson gave him his chance with England and Wright-Phillips earned 12 caps under him, scoring one goal.
The Swede wanted to take him to the World Cup last summer but his lack of first-team games with Chelsea eventually ruled him out.
While Eriksson is still to be formally unveiled as City's new boss the club are treating him as if he is.
City lost captain Joey Barton, 24, to Newcastle for £5.8m and Sylvain Distin, 29, to Portsmouth on a free.
But the Blues are planning at least five new signings, including Bolton captain Kevin Nolan, 29.
Shinawatra wants to have 75 per cent of the club shares before making the announcement about Sven and currently has 55.9 per cent.
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