DIVISION One giants Manchester City have joined in the hunt for Kidderminster Harriers £1m-rated Craig Hinton.

Hinton, 23, has certainly drawn the scouts to Aggborough and established himself as an ever-present in the Harriers side last season.

Club chairman Lionel Newton has warned City boss Kevin Keegan that nothing less than £1m and a sell-on clause will be accepted.

Hinton, the former Birmingham City trainee signed by ex-manager Graham Allner, has prospered under the experience of Jan Molby.

Mainly used as a centre-back, Molby has declared he sees the mature campaigner as more of a right-back or midfielder in the future.

And he moved to hold Hinton, who was linked with Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the summer, to a three-and-a-half year contract in January.

Well-off City, relegated from the Premiership in 2000/2001, have been watching Hinton in pre-season and need cover at centre-back.

A big sale would help Harriers even further on top of a possible cash windfall from the likely transfer of goal-grabber Lee Hughes.

The striker looks set to move to Coventry City in a £5,000,000-plus move.