that playing at Maine Road will be more fulfilling than appearing in the Champions' League.

Manchester City have all but agreed a 2.25m fee with Leeds for the Norwegian international but the lure of Europe's premier club competition is threatening to throw a spanner into the City chief's transfer planning, according to the Manchester Evening News . Haaland can sniff the chance of tasting the Continental high life and it will take all of Royle's legendary persuasive powers to clinch the move. The 27-year-old Leeds utility man believes he may have a part to play the Yorkshire side's bid for European glory.

And it is a similar story in Scotland where 31-year-old Ukrainian winger Andrei Kanchelskis is also eyeing up a fresh tilt at Champions' League fame and fortune with a Glasgow Rangers side who annually under-achieve in that particular competition.

If Haaland remains at Leeds it will represent quite a change of heart for a player who, midway through last season, was ready to throw his hat in the ring with the Blues. That, however, was when he was out of the first-team picture, a situation which swiftly changed as Leeds hit a run of injuries and bad form in the spring. Now Haaland hopes David O'Leary will find a place for him at Elland Road and is not put off by the arrival of Frenchman Olivier Dacourt or talk of Aston Villa's Lee Hendrie switching to the Yorkshire club.

With Lee Bowyer facing a serious court case, another midfielder David Hopkin reportedly on his way out of the door and David Batty ruled out until Christmas by injury, Haaland is moving up the first-team queue and is likely to adopt a wait-and-see policy. "I am not looking for a move,'' he insisted.

"I want regular football and I played the last few games for Leeds. I really enjoyed it. I am just hoping to play a few more games this season which should be exciting, especially if we progress in the Champions' League when we will need a big squad.

"It will be tough to get a regular place in the side but if the boss says I am part of his plans then I will be ready for pre-season training.'' It would be a blow to the Blues if the Haaland trail went completely cold for Royle sees the versatile former Nottingham Forest player as a way of filling two positions, in defence and midfield. Ironically, if Haaland does decide his future lies at Elland -- rather than Maine -- Road, it could open the door for another Norwegian.

Royle will be keeping an eye on the form of Bjorn Otto Bragstad during the Euro 2000 in Belgium and Holland. The giant central defender who has plenty of Champions' League experience himself with Rosenberg, is available for 1.5m and City face competition from Southampton for his signature.

Alternatively, Royle could switch his attention to a British player, with Fulham stopper Chris Coleman top of the list. The Swansea-born, 27-year-old Welsh international has impressed Royle and with a change of management at Craven Cottage, Coleman may be ready for a switch to the Premier League and a return to City with whom he played in his formative days before becoming homesick.

The arrival of another central defender at the club would automatically throw into doubt the future of Nick Fenton who continues to interest Bournemouth and Notts County.

City could also be in the running for Aston Villa midfielder Mark Draper who wants away from the Midlands club.