Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour sees the signing of Chelsea captain John Terry as a personal challenge.
The Manchester Evening News says he is said to have told his City minions that Terry is the man he wants wearing the armband for his club and for England.
Convinced that England will have a successful campaign in South Africa next year, he feels the capture of Terry would be a major coup for the Blues, both in terms of building a football team and enhancing the club's prestige.
There is even a strong rumour that City enquired about Terry's availability in the same January transfer window but were given a sharp rebuff.
Since then, things have changed. City are busy knocking down walls, and the expected capture of Carlos Tevez and possibly Samuel Eto'o, would remove the final few obstacles between City and fantasy football.