The Mirror says Chelsea and City are in a cheque book war for Anelka - but they will have to fork out £30million to sign the France striker.

Anelka will leave Bolton if the bidding reaches £15m in the January transfer window and insiders say he is also looking for a contract until 2011 and £4million a year in wages.

It is a huge bill that is being considered by both Avram Grant and Sven Goran Eriksson, who head the list of Anelka's many admirers, with the wages being unofficially passed on by agents to the interested clubs.