Manchester City joins chase for Utaka

The Nigeria international has caught the eye of City boss Stuart Pearce, who is looking to pep up his attack over the summer.

City has yet to replace Nicolas Anelka and Pearce wants to ensure he has enough attacking cover in his squad for next season.

A City scout had Utaka under the microscope when Lens played Toulouse in the final Ligue 1 game of the season at the weekend.

Lens won 1-0 and Utaka played all 90 minutes but missed some scoring chances. He was all over the opponent’s defence and fired from all cylinders.

Toulouse goalkeeper Christophe Revault had to be at his best to keep Utaka off the score sheet in the 70th minute when Seydou Keita passed to Utaka. Revault deflected the ball over the bar.

The keeper had a tough time stopping several other shots by the Nigerian who scored 12 goals this season.