Sven-Göran Eriksson is eager to start planning for next season when Thaksin Shinawatra, the Manchester City chairman, returns from Thailand today. The City manager has been disappointed by his team’s loss of momentum over the past two months and will submit a list of transfer targets that includes Luka Modric, the Croatia midfield player, who is also wanted by Chelsea.

The West London side are favour-ites to sign Modric in the summer, having spoken to Dynamo Zagreb, his club, in January about a £17 million deal, but Eriksson has identified the 22-year-old as a priority. Modric’s agent, Marko Naletilic, confirmed Chelsea’s interest in an interview with an Italian newspaper, but he also stated that “there has been movement recently from Manchester City”.

That movement is unlikely to have been at boardroom level, given that Thaksin has been distracted from events at City in recent weeks. The former Prime Minister of Thailand was arrested on corruption charges when he returned to his homeland last month after a 17-month exile.

Although he is due back in Bangkok on April 11 to face those charges and to clear his name, Thaksin said that the priority is to return to Manchester and “tighten the bolt”, with City “losing too many games in the last three to four months while I am busy”.

Thaksin’s comments may imply displeasure with City’s form, after only two wins in 12 Barclays Premier League matches since December 15, but Eriksson welcomes the opportunity for forward planning. “Dr Thaksin is most welcome,” Eriksson said. “He has been away a long time and it will be nice to see him. I will have a meeting with him and his advisers and start discussing next season.” Peter Crouch, the Liverpool forward, is also a potential summer target for Eriksson, who is aware that the 27-year-old has not yet agreed to extend his contract, which expires at the end of next season. Ideally, Eriksson would also like to sign a top-class left back, central midfield player and right winger, but it is not clear how much Thaksin will give him to spend in the transfer market.

Although Eriksson is looking for substantial funds to invigorate his squad, Arsène Wenger has hinted that he does not envisage spending much in the summer. The Arsenal manager expects to continue with his prudent spending pattern of trying to find relatively cheap, unknown young players and those who may have lost their way. The Arsenal board has made money available to Wenger, but the Frenchman has said that he will keep faith with his squad, which has taken

the club to the top of the Premier League and has reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season.

“I will keep faith because we have worked hard for what we have now,” Wenger said. “The real target of a manager is to find the balance with what comes in and what goes out and build a team. It is [also] to do well with the funds available. A football team is not about buying and selling. It is about building, patience, working together and going through a growing process. Also, it is enjoyable now to see the team coming slowly up and seeing how well they can do.”