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Manchester City have had a £4million 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.
And, with most of the cash from Shaun Wright-Phillips' £21million 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.
'I can confirm the club has had a substantial bid rejected by Fulham for French international midfielder Steed Malbranque,' City communications chief Paul Tyrrell told the club's official website.
'It is disappointing that our offer has been turned down but we still retain a strong interest in the player.'
Malbranque, 25, joined Fulham for £5million 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.
The 25-year-old has played in excess of 130 games for the Cottagers since moving to London from Lyon, where he started out as a trainee.
A neat, passing midfielder with an eye for goal, he is exactly what City have lacked since the retirement of Ali Benarbia and the departure of Eyal Berkovic following his row with Keegan.
Although Robbie Fowler has taken on some of the creative responsibilities, he is now injured and with Wright-Phillips and Nicolas Anelka both seeking alternative employment since last January, Pearce knows he needs someone to supply the chances for Cole, Vassell and Bradley Wright-Phillips to convert.
The Football Association of Wales have been given until tomorrow to clear a £250,000 debt they have run up at the Millennium Stadium.
Stadium owners, the Welsh Rugby Union, have demanded payment for costs incurred for the football team's five internationals played in Cardiff since February.
Paul Sergeant, stadium boss, has written to all 28 members of the FAW council to request settlement in order to avoid problems ahead of Wales' high profile World Cup qualifier against England next month.
'Such is the magnitude of this matter I've no alternative but to write to every one of you and ask that you release payment for past costs without further delay,' Sergeant said in his letter, according to the Daily Express.
'There is a major international match looming and we have no desire to jeopardise it over such a simple matter.'
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