Nicklas Bendtner's transfer to Hull City could be on - because Arsenal are willing to split his wages - according to The Daily Mail.
The Danish striker could cost City £3m upfront but would command a salary of around £50,000 a week.
But the Gunners are so keen to offload him, they are willing to smooth a move by contrubuting £20,000 a week until the end of the season.
So, is Bendtner the answer to Bruce's striking conundrum? At first glance it looks like a tempting offer. However, the 25-year-old has struggled to make a breakthrough a Premier League level - despite his fine scoring record for Denmark - and his wage demands would threaten the carefully balanced budget the Allams have worked so diligently to maintain.
Bendtner has played almost as many games on loan as he has for Arsenal since joining the Gunners in 2005.
It has also been claimed he suffers from over-confidence - although his widely reported statement to the effect of being the world's best player was a misquote. What he actually said was: "For me confidence is so important. It's good to know I can go out on the field and feel I can take on the world."
Mind you an Arsenal psychologist did say that in squad self-confidence tests, Bendtner scored "11 out of 10".
Despite all that, Bruce though clearly likes Bendtner, having had him on loan twice at Birmingham City and Sunderland.
The City boss has said, however, that he has several irons in the fire when it comes to strikers, and according to Sky Sports he is chasing West Bromwich Albion outcast Peter Odemwingie, along with West Ham, Fulham and Sunderland.
That speculation is not new of course: The Nigerian is desperate to leave the Hawthorns - after famously failing to force a move to QPR in January - and West Brom are keen to get rid.
Odemwingie could be available for just £1.5m, but a move for the unhappy striker - who scored five times in 13 starts and 12 substitute appearances last season - would represent a gamble to say the least.
Here's a new name - Bologna striker Robert Acquafresca - linked earlier in the summer with a loan move to Sunderland. Milanese sports writer Tancredi Palmeri, of CNN and Gazetta Dello Sport, says today that City have made contact with the Italian club over a possible move for the 25-year-old, who has failed to make an impact in Serie A.
Meanwhile, Connor Sammon has dismissed rumours linking him with City and has pledged his future to Derby County, according to today's Irish Independent.
The Republic striker has thrived at international level under Giovanni Trappatoni, leading to speculation he could be ready to test himself in the Premier League.
Sammon said: "I haven't heard anything about that (Hull's interest) but I'm happy at Derby. I feel really settled here."
Watford's Troy Deeney - who almost single-handedly denied City a place in the Premier League with his late-season goal-scoring spree - is another option for Bruce, according to the Daily Mail.
Elsewhere, Richard Dunne, heavily linked with a move to the KC, could now be on his way to QPR, with talks confirmed, while Harry Redknapp is also set to up his bid for Gary Hooper to £5.5m - after Celtic rejected a lower offer. However, the former Tigers target prefers a move to Norwich, accoring to The Sun.
One deal that looks to be done: as we report this morning, City look set to agree a one-year deal with former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper.Crazy Twitter talk:Adel Taarabt's QPR future is supposedly in doubt after the Moroccan midfielder turned up late for training. So, would Harry Redknapp sanction a move to City?July 14
So do you think Steve Bruce is a man to bear grudges? Well this one might test him. Across in Blackburn it seems striker DJ Campbell has become available, only two weeks after he was signed on a free. The People says new Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer is happy to let Campbell leave for nothing to free up his reported £1million a year wages.
We wonder if Bruce has forgiven Campbell for walking out on a deal to come to the KC last January when Blackburn gazumped their wage offer?
Meanwhile, Bowyer is also said to be lining up a £2million bid for Crewe's Max Clayton if prolific striker Jordan Rhodes, long linked to City, is poached.
Another man who caught City fans' eyes for the wrong reasons is also being linked to the Tigers. Troy Deeney, who scored a spectacular 20-yard strike when Hull City were beaten by Watford in April, is interesting Bruce according to the Sun on Sunday.
Deeney scored 20 goals last season for Watford in 43 games as well as chipping in with 10 assists.
He's not without some baggage though. In June 2012 Deeney was jailed for 10-months following a nightclub brawl in which he kicked a student in the head. He was freed after four months and says his spell in prison turned his life around.
One piece of good news for City fans is it appears the signing of Steve Harper is imminent. Reports from the North-East suggest the former Newcastle keeper will be in Hull tomorrow for a medical.
Some interesting news from Glasgow. Celtic manager Neil Lennon admits Gary Hooper may have played his last game for the Hoops after the former Scunthorpe striker failed to appear during their 3-0 defeat by Union Berlin on Friday, reports the Sunday Express. "It will be difficult to convince Gary to stay," said Lennon. The Mail on Sunday say QPR seem to be first in-line for Hooper's signature after Steve Bruce cooled his interest over Celtic's transfer demands.
Meanwhile the People say Bruce is keeping close tabs on his former club Sunderland with three players Phil Bardsley, Jack Colback and Lee Cattermole all available as Paolo Di Canio rings the changes. Di Canio would probably drive Bardsley to Hull. He left him in Sunderland to train with the kids while Sunderland headed to Italy for pre-season training.Crazy Twitter talk? If his pockets were only a little deeper, Steve Bruce might be tempted by this rumour. Spurs are willing to listen to offers for American striker Clint Dempsey apparently. But a minimum of £6million and big wages would be out of the Tigers' reach. Wouldn't they?July 13
We can finally kill off one persistent rumour today. Hull City have dropped any interest they may have had in South African
striker Katlego Mphela. It appears Mphela rumours were all all one-way. City made no approach but the South African
international has been offered around several English clubs - including the Tigers. So, don't expect any move for the
Mamelodi Sundowns striker as Bruce continues his hunt closer to home.
Yesterday, we asked if Bruce might look at a reunion with Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner. Today, The Sun says the
City boss is ready to do a deal over the Danish international's £52,000-a-week wages because he will cost £2m less than the
fee agreed for Charlie Austin.
Bendtner was on loan at Juventus last season and was due to move to Eintract Frankfurt this summer - but a £3m transfer has
fallen through.
Bruce knows the 25-year-old from season-long loan spells at Birmingham and Sunderland and can guarantee the perpetual
bench-warmer - whose fine goal-scoring record for Denmark has not yet been replicated at domestic level - first-team
football.
Brighton striker Ashley Barnes is also in the frame for a KC move, according to Sky Sports.
The 23-year-old has establised himself as one of the Championship's rising stars, with 14 goals in 2011-12 and nine last
season, despite missing seven games through suspension.
Newcastle's colourful director of football Joe Kinnear is ready to wrap up a move for Darren Bent. Today's Mirror claims Aston Villa are ready to soften their hard-line stance over an £8m transfer fee.
And former target Gary Hooper now looks likely to go to either Norwich or QPR after Celtic boss Neil Lennon admitted
the striker had probably played his last game at Parkhead. Quoted in the Daily Record, Lennon says: "Has he played
his last game for Celtic? Never say never but it's looking more and more that way."
Away from strikers and City are hoping to tie-up a deal for former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper. As we revealed
last week, the veteran stopper is ready to extend his Premier League career for one more season.
Meanwhile, Cardiff are keen on Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback - also linked with the Tigers - according to the Daily Mail. Crazy Twitter talk: Okay, it's not a transfer rumour, but here's one leftfield explanation for the Hull City Tigers
name switch speculation. Apparently, it all stems from slacker rock band Pavement owning a racehorse called Hull City
Tiger. The Californian band's front man Stephen Malkmus is a self-confessed City fan.
