Manchester City football administration officer Brian Marwood has revealed that the club have targeted Patrick Vieira as their future manager.

The former Arsenal midfielder joined the North-West club as the head of elite development in 2013, but last month took on his first senior management role at MLS side New York City FC, who are owned by City's parent company.

"It was important that we could find the next development stage for Patrick and it was still part of the group - that opportunity came about in New York," Marwood told Sky Sports News. "We are really excited, he is really excited by it and I think it is exactly the next step he needs.

"Hopefully, at some point, he'll come back and manage Manchester City, That's the ambition for him and that's the ambition for us, but he has to go through this learning curve."

Current boss Manuel Pellegrini signed a new contract in the summer.