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Dzeko key to title push - Mancini

Edin Dzeko has been a long-time transfer target of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini © Getty Images

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Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko is closing in on a Bundesliga-record €40 million move to Manchester City, according to reports in Germany on Wednesday.

Dzeko, 24, has made no secret of his desire to leave Wolfsburg and City have been linked with a swoop for some time, despite the Bosnian previously stating that AC Milan would be his preferred destination.

But with City looking to consolidate their position in the upper echelons of the Premier League, Roberto Mancini is moving for Dzeko in a bid to boost his side's ability to challenge for the title.

The arrival of Dzeko would likely force the sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz, while Mario Balotelli - already struggling to earn a regular first-team place - is unlikely to welcome the Bosnian with open arms.

Mancini has confirmed that he is a fan of Dzeko, with the Wolfsburger Allgemeine newspaper quoting Mancini saying: "We have the chance to win the league this year and the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko. This player can decide titles and that is why we want him.''

Wolfsburg's managing director Dieter Hoeness declared last week that his club are preparing to make major changes to the playing personnel after a disappointing first half of the season.

Selling a player of Dzeko's talent may not be his preference, but the player's malaise at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, who currently seem unlikely to provide him with the chance to play in the Champions League next season, may be one of the reasons the team has not been functioning since Steve McClaren took over as coach in the summer.

A fee of €40 million, which the Wolfsburger Allgemeine reports would be made up of an initial fee of €30m with five million to follow in case of City qualifying for the Champions League, while €5 million would go on signing-on and agent fees, would break the Bundesliga's transfer record.

Bayern Munich currently hold that with their €30 million outlay on Mario Gomez from Stuttgart in 2009. Diego's sale from Werder Bremen to Juventus last year is the most expensive foreign sale to date at €27 million, while he returned to the Bundesliga last summer, joining Wolfsburg for a cut-price fee of €15.5m.

And the Wolves are set to make a huge profit on a player they signed for just €4 million from FK Teplice in 2007. He won the Bundesliga golden boot award last season after coming runner-up to his team mate Grafite in Wolfsburg's championship-winning year.

He has already found the back of the net 10 times this season, taking his overall tally to 66 in 111 games for the Wolves.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.