DAVID SEAMAN last night agreed to join Manchester City in a move that he hopes will enable him to reclaim his place as England’s first-choice goalkeeper. The 39-year-old reluctantly severed his links with Arsenal, after a 13-season association, in the belief that the move to Manchester will provide him with a platform from which to relaunch his international career.

Seaman had hoped to persuade Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, to offer him one more season as first-choice goalkeeper at Highbury, but was unhappy with the suggestion that he would stay on as goalkeeping coach and help to groom his successor. As revealed in The Times last Thursday, he decided to look for a new club after Wenger refused to offer him the guarantees that he was looking for and swiftly agreed a one-year contract with City.

He is on holiday in Portugal, but has confirmed to City that he will sign on his return. Sources have indicated that the arrangement is unlikely to be extended beyond next summer, when Seaman plans to retire, but that he and Kevin Keegan, the City manager, viewed the transfer as a mutually beneficial arrangement, similar to that which enabled Peter Schmeichel to enjoy a final flourish at Maine Road before retiring last month.

A free transfer to the City of Manchester Stadium will see Seaman renew acquaintances with Keegan, the former England head coach, but it is with a view to impressing Keegan’s replacement that he chose to leave Arsenal. Seaman won the last of his 75 international caps against Macedonia at Southampton in October and, with uncertainty over his long-term future at club level, has been left out of Sven-Göran Eriksson’s past three squads.

David James, of West Ham United, has been preferred for England’s past five matches — including last night’s friendly against Serbia and Montenegro in Leicester — although Eriksson has insisted that Seaman will be considered for next summer’s European Championship finals if he is still playing regular first-team football, even though he will be 40 just a few weeks into the new season.

Ironically, the other leading candidate to join Keegan’s team was James, who consequently may struggle to find a Barclaycard Premiership club after West Ham’s relegation to the Nationwide League first division.

Schmeichel missed much of last season because of injury, but Keegan is confident that Seaman will prove more reliable. Although he was forced to miss several important matches in Arsenal’s unsuccessful pursuit of the Premiership title, playing only five times after March 11, Seaman managed a respectable total of 45 appearances for club and country and also made arguably the save of the season in Arsenal’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Sheffield United.

Wenger, though, was resolute in his commitment to signing a replacement. Up to a dozen candidates are still being considered, with Brad Friedel, of Blackburn Rovers, Rüstü Reçber, who is available on a free transfer from Fenerbahçe, and Sebastien Frey, of Parma, understood to be the names at the top of Wenger’s list. Rüstü, the Turkey international, almost joined Barcelona two weeks ago, but Arsenal have renewed their interest.

Ricardo, Boavista’s Portugal international, claimed last week that he had also received an offer from Arsenal and that he would be keen to accept, while Paul Robinson, of Leeds United, and Thomas Sorensen, of Sunderland, have also been considered by Wenger. Sources at Highbury, though, indicate that a more experienced figure, such as Rüstü or Friedel, who is also a target for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, would be preferred.

As it became clear that his position at Highbury would not be safeguarded, Seaman instructed agents to sound out potential suitors on his behalf. Steve Bruce, the Birmingham City manager, indicated a strong interest, but Keegan’s bid — and the promise of Uefa Cup football, achieved thanks to the team’s impressive disciplinary record — held the greater appeal.

Bruce may now make a firm inquiry to Manchester United, his former club, regarding Roy Carroll’s availability.

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