City target Portuguese ace and other red-hot gossip

Manchester City are hot on the heels of Sporting Lisbon defender Daniel Carrico. The big-spending Blues want the Portugese 21-year-old to back-up first choice pair Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott. Carrico has also caught the eyes of Lal Liga clubs Atletico Madrid and Valencia. Elsewhere, South African international Steven Pienaar has dismissed reports suggesting he may leave Everton for Bayern Munich as "speculation"; Chelsea midfielder Miroslav Stoch, who is on loan at Dutch club FC Twente, is a target for Dutch giants Ajax and PSV Eindhoven; and Birmingham are want Portsmouth hitman Frederic Piquionne after failing to land the Frenchman in the January transfer window.