Laudrup: Chelsea stint (TimHonan/Empics)

The Manchester City boss, Europe's biggest spender in this summer's transfer market, has spent the past fortnight trying to convince one of Denmark's greatest ever players to become the main supplier of ammunition to striker Nicolas Anelka.

Laudrup, 33, who gave up top-level football when he quit Ajax two seasons ago, had already agreed terms on a one-year contract when wife Mette spiked the deal.

The influential Mrs Laudrup, often responsible for her husband's moves during a chequered career, deciding that she didn't want to go from Copenhagen to Manchester - and wasn't happy with splitting the family up even for a season.

Laudrup left Chelsea in 1998 after only 11 games as he told the club that his family couldn't settle in London.

One of Europe's most entertaining players in a 14-year career spanning nine clubs including Milan, Bayern Munich, Rangers and Chelsea, Laudrup would not have cost a fee and his £15,000-a-week wages would have relied heavily on appearance and win bonuses.

But even the assertion yesterday from record £13million-buy Anelka that City 'is a team who are going places' was not enough to tempt Laudrup back to the Premiership.

As he approaches the new season with promoted City, Anelka scoffed at suggestions that Keegan and his players will do well to survive in the Premiership.

The France forward said: 'This is a big challenge for me and the team to be playing in the Premiership. I believe at City we have a good squad and a good coach. This season we want to achieve something.

'This is a team which is going places. I think every player here wants to win something here and by the end of the season be in Europe. That is possible.'

In spells with Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, the 23-year-old has grown used to high-profile football.

Anelka added: 'The new stadium we will play in next season is great and we have to play well to bring European football to it and to make Manchester City a bigger club.

'I have personal targets but I prefer to say that I want to win something with the team, not just for myself. I want to score goals and play well for the side. After the season which the team had last year, we think we can do something and play in Europe next season.'

Anelka first played in the Premiership in 1997 and established a reputation as one of Europe's most feared young goalscorers before making an acrimonious £23m move to Real Madrid in the summer of 1999.

The transfer turned sour and he was moved on within a year, this time making a switch to PSG, where he again fell out of favour.

But Anelka insisted: 'Now that I am back here all I want to do is play football and I want to play football for Manchester City.