Barcelona president Joan Laporta yesterday confirmed City were looking to make Eto'o the highest paid player in the world.

City denied the figures but confirmed a £25million bid had been lodged for the Cameroon star and were hopeful of concluding the transfer at some point this week.

However, it seems Eto'o is unhappy at being forced out of the Nou Camp, where he has one season of his present contract left to run.

And, rather than accept the riches of offer at City, he is preparing to see out the final year of his contract before leaving Barcelona for nothing next summer.

"If there is not a 180-degree turnaround then he will stay with Barcelona," Eto'o's agent Josep Maria Mesalles told ONA FM.

The news will undoubtedly come as a blow to City boss Mark Hughes, who is due to return from a family holiday tomorrow.

Having missed out on Kaka last January, it would continue to prove City will struggle to attract the marquee signing their Abu Dhabi-based backers have been looking for without the added lure of Champions League football.

Even the long-touted capture of Carlos Tevez will not be taken for granted until the Argentina star has signed on the dotted line at some point after July 1.

Hughes will continue to strive to bring in fresh faces, although he may have to increase his valuation of £15million to prise Everton defender Joleon Lescott away from Goodison Park.

Reports in Spain also suggest a £3.5million offer for Espanyol right-back Sergio Sanchez - a former team-mate of current City star Pablo Zabaleta.

It is certainly expected Hughes will have made more purchases before City head to South Africa for a three-match tour later this month.

The trip is part of a pre-season programme the Blues confirmed yesterday will end on Saturday, August 8 with a prestigious friendly against Celtic.

It was only in May 2008 that Rangers fans were involved in major disturbances in Manchester city centre around the UEFA Cup final defeat to Zenit St Petersburg.

However, Greater Manchester Police have given the green light to the possibility of another Old Firm invasion, which is certain to attract a decent crowd to Eastlands a week ahead of City's Barclays Premier League opener at Blackburn.

Meanwhile, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed he is still trying to find a way of curbing the Premier League's spending power.

While it could be pointed out Real Madrid are the ones who have done the big spending this summer, twice smashing the world transfer fee record, first to buy Kaka, then Cristiano Ronaldo, who will cost £80million from Manchester United, Blatter remains deeply troubled at the migration of talent to England.

He views the method of owning clubs in England as inherently unsatisfactory, putting the Premier League at an advantage compared to their major European counterparts.

"There are big associations, like France, Germany and Spain where there is a bylaw that the owners of the club must be at least 51% from the club," said Blatter.

"They must be members of the club or partners from the same country.

"This does not exist in the Premier League and it is a problem we have to address."

Yet Blatter is currently at a loss as to how exactly he will achieve his aims, given UK law will not be changed to implement the same ownership rules that exist in other countries.

"We have no right to interfere in economic movements," he admitted.

"We, the whole FIFA family, are aware of this.

"We have spoken before about financial fair play. Financial fair play is not only a licensing system and financing control but financing fair play means also that all participants should observe a minimum of fair play."