Manchester: Manchester City are ready to grant Joleon Lescott’s wish to leave the club on loan, with Tottenham and Newcastle leading the chase to sign the England defender until the end of the season.
City would prefer to wait until Martin Demichelis has recovered from an injury he picked up in training on Christmas Day but accept that Lescott is now their fourth-choice centre back and needs first-team football to have a chance of going to this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
Lescott, who has made 13 appearances this season, cost City GBP22million from Everton in 2009. His contract runs out in the summer.
Monaco and Besiktas have also expressed an interest in the 31-year-old but Lescott is understood to want to stay in the Barclays Premier League, with Tottenham favourites to sign him.
City are also prepared to let 21-year-old striker John Guidetti go out on loan amid interest from Stoke. Manager Manuel Pellegrini said: ‘Maybe it would be a good chance for him to play. We have four very important strikers and John must play after a very long injury.’
Meanwhile, Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby is seeking talks with manager Tim Sherwood as he contemplates his future ahead of the World Cup.
German international Holtby, 23, is wanted by Bundesliga clubs on loan, including his old side Schalke.
Holtby said: ‘I would never rule out a return to the Bundesliga, especially to Schalke, where I had a great time, even though it might have come across differently during my move a year ago.’
