Arsenal hero Lee Dixon believes former teammate Patrick Vieira will be a flop at Manchester City. New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini wants the Inter Milan midfielder to bolster their top-four push - even at the age of 33.

But Dixon said: "He gets a few little niggles and hasn't got a classically fit footballer's body, where you know he's an athlete who can go on and on. He might look like he has that body but he hasn't.

"He always needed a long time to recover after games, longer than some of the older lads.

"When Patrick joined Juventus from Arsenal, the Premier League and Serie A were like chalk and cheese and, at that stage of his career, it suited him.

"I know myself that since I finished back in 2002 the game is twice as fast and ridiculously different to when I played."

Dixon, speaking on Radio 5 Live, added: "It's 4½ years since he left Arsenal, he's 33 and if you are asking, 'Can he play at the top level', then I wouldn't think he'd play every week."