MANCHESTER UNITED and Chelsea are locked in a £20million battle for Everton teen Jack Rodwell.

Both clubs see the elegant midfielder as a key target and are willing to force the Toffees' hand with lucrative offers.

Chelsea have already bid £14m for the starlet, with United valuing him at £16m.

But with Goodison boss David Moyes desperate to keep hold of the brightest talent to come out of the academy since Wayne Rooney, it will take around £20m to prise 18-year-old Rodwell away.

He signed a five-year deal in February and is not desperate to leave Everton - where he has become a permanent fixture in the side.

However, the lure of Old Trafford and the chance to play alongside Rooney would certainly be a factor especially as it would mean not having to leave the North West.

With doubts over the long-term fitness of Owen Hargreaves, Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson is keen on another holding midfielder and England Under-21 regular Rodwell is seen as the perfect option.

United wanted to offer cash plus youngster Matthew James for Rodwell.

But it was made clear to them that only a straight cash deal would be considered.

Manchester United are set to launch a £15million bid for Bayern Munich star Philipp Lahm this January.

Sir Alex Ferguson is concerned at his ageing Manchester United defence, with Gary Neville in the twilight of his career and doubts over Rio Ferdinand’s long-term future.

Rafael is seen as Neville’s successor, but Ferguson sees 25-year-old Lahm as a potential mentor to the young Brazilian.

Lahm is seriously considering his Bayern future after he was fined for publicly questioning Louis van Gaal’s role as manager.

He criticised Gaal’s transfer policy and squad rotation system, and the outburst has plunged his future at Bayern in doubt.

They are off the pace in the Bundesliga and on the verge of exiting the Champions League at the group stages.

Lahm and Co are four points behind second-placed Juventus with just two games to go in Group A.

If they fail to reach the knockout stages, Ferguson will test the waters with a January raid for Lahm.

United are keen to tie up a deal for the German international before his price-tag soars after the World Cup.

Sir Alex Ferguson is prepared to rely on his current Manchester United squad to land an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title.

The United manager will only seek to strengthen his first-team squad in the January transfer window if he believes he can get value for money - and he sees that as a major problem.

Although United have slipped five points behind leaders Chelsea and are level on points with Arsenal having played a game more with just under a third of the season gone, experience has taught the 67-year-old team boss the folly of pressure buying.

'I would like to do business but only if the prices are right - and that can be a problem in January,' he said.

The only striker on his radar is Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko and Ferguson is ready to step up the increasingly bitter rivalry with neighbours City by entering the race for the 23-year-old Bosnia international.

City are desperate to complete the £20million move in the window but they could lose out if Wolfsburg make them wait until the summer.

'Sir Alex believes Dzeko has a great future in the game but circumstances prevent him doing any business until the summer,' said a source. 'He is watching the situation closely.'

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea will be involved in an unprecedented scramble to sign 16-year-old striker Connor Wickham from Ipswich in January.

Wickham, the youngest first-team player in Ipswich's history, is regarded in the game as the most exciting young Englishman to emerge since Wayne Rooney.

He added to his fast-growing reputation with a hat-trick for England Under-17s a fortnight ago and Roy Keane's club fear he may be lured away before he can sign a professional contract in March.

The Premier League's Big Four are all chasing him - the first time that has happened with a teenager in England - with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger both taking a keen interest, while Aston Villa and Tottenham are also trying to get him.

A club source said: 'Whenever Wickham is down to play for the first team or reserves, two dozen scouts emerge out of nowhere to watch him. The consensus is he's as good as Rooney was at that age but is a lot bigger.'

Colchester-born Wickham is already 6ft 3in and has still to agree a contract at Ipswich, leaving them vulnerable to approaches from the big clubs. Although Ipswich would be in line for compensation, a fee would have to be decided by tribunal should all parties be unable to agree a figure.

In 2008 Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said he felt 'mugged and brutalised' after being awarded just £700,000 when John Bostock left the Championship club to join Spurs.

Bostock yesterday scored twice for Brentford, where he is on loan from Spurs, in the 2-2 draw against Millwall in their League One match at Griffin Park.

Wickham became Ipswich's youngest player when he made his debut against Doncaster Rovers last season aged just 16 years and 11 days.

He scored his first senior goals in the Carling Cup against Shrewsbury this season and, although manager Keane has used him mainly as a substitute, he is likely to start at home to Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday as Ipswich chase only their second win of the season.

Wickham, who can officially turn professional only on his 17th birthday on March 31, scored a hat-trick in 21 minutes for England in the UEFA Under 17s Championship in a 4-0 win against Azerbaijan in Baku, helping to book his country's place in next year's elite round.

Keane has been trying to shield the player against high expectations, but the Irishman did say: 'Connor is a great talent, there's no doubt about that.'

Laurent Blanc has emerged to top the Manchester United short-list of managers to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that the Frenchman’s incredible record at Bordeaux has put him firmly in the frame to follow Fergie – ahead of Jose Mourinho and Carlos Queiroz.

The belief at Old Trafford is that Ferguson will remain in charge until at least the end of next season – health permitting.

But Blanc, who ended his glittering playing career with a two-year stint at United, is now firmly established as the club’s No.1 choice.

Chief executive David Gill and United legend Sir Bobby Charlton have been tasked with selecting candidates capable of filling the massive void that will be left when Ferguson steps down.

They will call on Ferguson’s massive wealth of football knowledge in that hunt – and the United boss is a big admirer of his former centre-back.

A United insider said: “Replacing Sir Alex will be the toughest job since Matt Busby left the club.

“It isn’t just about winning at United. It’s about playing the game the right way and upholding the traditions.

“There is a lot of admiration at Old Trafford for the job Blanc has done at Bordeaux and the style of play he has imposed.

“It is no secret at the club that he became close to Sir Alex when he was a United player. There is still a lot of mutual respect.”

Ferguson has twice tried to lure Blanc to work alongside him at United.

In the summer of 2008, after the Frenchman had guided Bordeaux into the Champions League by finishing second in Ligue One in his first season at the Parc Lescure, Ferguson asked him to replace Portugal-bound Queiroz as his No.2.

Blanc opted to remain at Bordeaux – and decided to do the same when Ferguson came calling again last January.

Bordeaux won the French League for the first time in a decade last season and are top of the table again this season.

Blanc has enhanced his reputation further by taking Bordeaux into the knock-out stages of the Champions League despite a tough group.

But when United came calling for a second time, in the New Year, the Frenchman said: “Two years experience isn’t enough for the top English jobs.

“My ideal career path would be to start in France, then manage abroad, and then return to head the French national team.”

Ferguson, who will celebrate his 68th birthday on New Year’s Eve, failed three times in efforts to sign Blanc when the Frenchman was recognised as one of the most gifted defenders in world football, before finally succeeding in 2001.

Blanc’s final season as a player saw him take the 2003 Premier League title with United, but he had spells at Barcelona and Inter Milan, and with France he lifted the World Cup and European Championship.

During his time at Old Trafford he would have regular talks with Ferguson about coaching methods and tactics.

Blanc signed a two-year contract extension with Bordeaux earlier this year – but the deal is believed to include a get-out clause that would allow him to leave if he was offered a big job from abroad.

He will turn 44 on Thursday – the same age Ferguson was when he arrived from Aberdeen to become the most successful manager in United’s history.