Wigan and Sunderland are leading the chase to persuade Everton manager David Moyes to sell striker Andrew Johnson.

Moyes has insisted Johnson, 27, is not for sale - but Everton may now decide to cash in to boost their transfer fund if they receive offers of about £10m.

BBC Sport understands Wigan boss Steve Bruce is currently in pole position and is ready to offer Johnson a lucrative package to tempt him to the JJB.

Ronaldinho will make a decision about his future in the next 72 hours after a meeting at Camp Nou yesterday. The Brazilian international and his brother and agent Robert de Assis attended the talks as Milan and Manchester City compete for the player's services. "Things are going well. They could not have gone better," De Assis said.

The selling club stressed, however, that a transfer of their former world footballer of the year is not a mere formality. "The two parties have agreed to give themselves two or three days to close the transfer of the player to one of the clubs interested," Barcelona said. "If no agreement is reached over this period, the player will join up with the rest of the squad for training."

Manchester City's executive chairman, Garry Cook, said last night his club had made significant advances in their attempt to sign Ronaldinho from Barcelona. City, Cook revealed, had made their first official bid in the region of £22m, and were waiting to discover whether Milan, their only serious competitors, had the financial muscle to match them.

City's owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, and his associates are aware that Adriano Galliani, Milan's chief transfer negotiator, was in Barcelona last night, and that Ronaldinho is tempted by Italy. Cook, however, believes Thaksin's immense wealth, City's upwards trajectory and their willingness to make Ronaldinho the best-paid player in England all count in their favour. (No kidding!)

Manchester City being totally shite doesn't seem to put him off, as to balance that out there's lots of pies nearby and the level of expectation at Citeh will be less than that in a decent club like Milan