MANCHESTER United are secretly plotting an £8 million summer swoop for Cardiff City hotshot Robert Earnshaw - a deal that would break the previous Welsh transfer record.

The 21-year-old Wales striker has plundered 25 goals in all competitions for Cardiff City this season and his predatory instincts have caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson as well as other top Premiership managers.

Now Ferguson is preparing a shock bid to sign the Welsh international in the summer, rather than in the current transfer window, in a capture that would trump John Hartson's £7.5 million move from West Ham United to Wimbledon in 1999.

Liverpool, Middlesbrough and West Ham are also interested in the Welsh international, born in Zambia and raised in Bedwas, but United have put him top of their wanted list.

Ferguson's scout Mick Brown has watched Earnshaw's every move for the past two months - in which time he has scored 11 goals in seven league games.

The Old Trafford chief has noted Craig Bellamy's dramatic up-turn in performance since Sir Bobby Robson took him to Newcastle United at the beginning of last season - and Ferguson believes Earnshaw has similar qualities.

Cardiff owner Sam Hammam has vowed his top stars will not be leaving Ninian Park for whatever price but the lure of an £8 million pay-day - the biggest transfer fee involving a Division Two player - could be too tempting to turn down.

A source close to Earnshaw confirmed that both Ferguson and the player want Earnshaw to remain a focal point of Cardiff's promotion ambitions this campaign and not move in the current transfer window as Earnshaw would not get a regular start at United. Then Ferguson, the most successful domestic manager in recent times, would swoop in the summer and introduce Earnshaw bit-by-bit into his all-star side next term.

United have two of the most lethal predators in the Premiership - 21-goal Ruud van Nistelrooy and ten-goal Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - but Ferguson is keen to add pace to his front-line and speedster Earnshaw, who has scored 51 goals in 91 league games over the past two-and-a-half seasons, would give him just that.

Earnshaw is the top marksman in the Football League with 21 goals, coming in just 19 games.

He started the campaign out of favour with Cardiff manager Lennie Lawrence and was a substitute for the opening half-a-dozen fixtures but a hat-trick at Boston United in the Worthington Cup persuaded Lawrence to recall him for league games.