Tottenham Hotspur have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Michael Johnson, the Manchester City midfield player. Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has identified Johnson as a potential replacement for Mathieu Flamini, who will join AC Milan on a free transfer at the end of the season, but the England Under-21 player, who is valued at £12million, is proving a hot commodity.

Despite equalling the club's transfer record, £16.5million, when signing Luka Modric from Dynamo Zagreb, Juande Ramos, the Tottenham head coach, wants at least one more midfield player and has made inquiries about the availability of Johnson. Liverpool have held a tentative interest in Johnson, but Rafael Benítez, the manager, has his sights set on luring Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.

Johnson, 20, signed a four-year deal with City last August, but, although the club met his representatives in February to discuss an improvement on his basic wage of £12,000 a week, talks about a new contract appear to have been put on hold as the club contend with the disarray brought about by the impending dismissal of Sven-Göran Eriksson as manager.

Eriksson will be given a stay of execution after the club confirmed yesterday that the Swede will oversee the end-of-season tour to Asia this month. With Thaksin Shinawatra, the owner, unlikely to have found a replacement by then - Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Portugal coach, who has been offered £3.2million a year to succeed Eriksson, will not be rushed into a decision about his future, as confirmed by his spokesman yesterday - it is a situation all parties may have to accept.

Numerous City players are known to be dismayed by the treatment of Eriksson, but, while the club will hope to keep hold of Johnson, serious doubts persist about the future of Richard Dunne, the captain, who is wanted by Newcastle United.