Shaun Goater joined Manchester City's pre-season tour of Denmark yesterday amid suggestions that he may start the new season with the Blues.

Goater made it clear at the end of last season that he wanted to move on after being reduced to a minor role in Kevin Keegan's squad.

But after having his request granted by the manager no one has made City a firm offer for his services.

As a result he travelled to Scandinavia with the rest of the squad and turned out in last night's friendly against Odense.

Goater replaced Nicolas Anelka in the 71st minute of the match that City lost 1-0.

“At the moment it is looking like Shaun Goater will start the season with us. I do not have a problem with that, I think it is a bigger problem for Shaun,” said boss Keegan yesterday.

“I can understand that and we have got to try and find that common ground whereby if the offer comes in, and it is the right offer for Shaun and it is right for us, we will do it. We have to take into account Shaun's situation.”

The changing landscape of the transfer market has not helped the Bermudian striker's case with a deflated market.

“The transfer market is ever changing. If someone had said a year ago that Harry Kewell would have cost Liverpool ?4-million or whatever it was, you would have said you were kidding,” Keegan said.

“The reality is that is the way the market is and there are pluses and minuses on that. We will see what happens with Shaun.

“At the moment Shaun is very much a Manchester City player but I am aware that he wants to go and play football. We have to balance that up and we will try and do that at the right time.”

Meanwhile, Kyle Lightbourne came on as a second-half substitute for Kidderminster Harriers in their friendly with Premiership newcomers Leicester City on Monday. Lightbourne, on trial at the Harriers in the hope of securing a deal with the Third Division side, missed a good chance in the 78th minute of the match that ended 1-1.

Lightbourne, who scored one and set another up in the 6-1 thrashing of a non-league side at the weekend, has not been told yet whether has a deal for the upcoming season and is fighting it out with a number of other triallists.

Harriers' coach Ian Britton said: “This week I'll make my mind up on some of them. A couple I'll take on and there's also a couple I want to bring in.”