Past-it Patrick? City may find they've landed a player who's lost his power

The trick, when it comes to making good money in the transfer market, is to see things before anyone else - be it a precociously gifted, and so far undiscovered, young star or the first signs that a once great player is in decline. Arsene Wenger has proved damn good when it comes to both, as he demonstrated on two occasions with Patrick Vieira. Not only did the Arsenal manager sign the then 20-year-old Frenchman before AC Milan realised how good he was, luring him for the bargain price of £3.5million in 1996, but he then spotted nine years later that those gangly legs were starting to go. Past it? City's acquisition of Patrick Vieira has been called into serious questionWenger, sources at Arsenal now say, saw it as an opportunity to settle a score with the Italians on behalf of the English game. Too often English clubs had caught a cold, paying well over the odds for over-the-hill Italians.  Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira arrives for Manchester City medical ahead of shock Premier League returnArgentina defender Ansaldi next on Mancini's transfer wish-listEspanyol line up ambitious loan deal for Manchester City striker Santa Cruz Chelsea could be slapped with £8m bill after taking Sturridge from Man CityMANCHESTER CITY FC

Source: Daily_Mail