Manchester rivals United and City are both in line for the services of Inter Milan right-back Maicon.

Both Sir Alex Ferguson and Mark Hughes are expected to make January bids for the £20million-rated Brazil international.

United and City both have problems at right-back as Ferguson has reportedly not been impressed with John O'Shea this season and Gary Neville is edging towards the end of his career.

In the City camp, Hughes has struggled to keep a permanent right-back as the form of Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta ebbs and flows.