Football FanCast columnist Rob Facey wonders who can remedy the striking shortage at Manchester City this season as Mark Hughes looks to build on the success of Sven Goran-Eriksson.

After failing to convince Ronaldinho to join Man City rather than AC Milan, Eastlands boss Mark Hughes is keen to assert himself in the transfer market, particularly in bringing in a new striker.

After Benjani Mwaruwari tore a thigh muscle in training this week, City are in desperate need for a striker. This latest injury, coupled with record signing Jo's involvement with the Brazilian Olympic squad, means that City will be without a real striker until September.

Corradi, Vassell and Bianchi are deemed surplus to requirements as Mark Hughes looks to make the current squad his own and, after releasing Mpenza and Dickov, the club are short of options in the final third.

The Independent is claiming that Mark Hughes is close to completing the signing of West Ham's Craig Bellamy as the club look to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season.

The Welshman would be reunited with Mark Hughes who oversaw his most successful period of his career while at Ewood Park.

Hughes is also believed to be in the market for Lucas Neill too, but now that Richard Dunne has signed a new contract it is certain that he will make a move for a striker before he attempts to bolster City's defence.

It remains to be seen if West Ham will let Bellamy leave London after spending most of last year on the operating table following his £7.5m move from Anfield. They will surely expect around the same amount and would Hughes be wasting money by spending this on a player with question marks over his fitness.

His temperament is fiery and he has a knack of winding up the opposition, but then again so did Hughes as a player, which is perhaps why the pair were so integral to Blackburn's success.

Is Craig Bellamy the striker that Man City need to improve on last season, or should Sparky be looking further afield?