Reports in Germany today suggested the 21-year-old has already agreed a deal to join Manchester City and while Hamburg refused to confirm whether that was the case, they did admit the Berlin-born defender is set to quit the club in the summer.

A Hamburg spokesman told www.bundesliga.de: "Jorg Neubauer, Jerome Boateng's agent, has informed us that the player wants to move. There is no deal agreed yet, however."

Boateng joined Hamburg from Hertha Berlin in 2007 and has emerged as one of the leading defenders in the Bundesliga, making 71 appearances for the club.

He made his international debut in the key 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Russia in October, although he blotted a composed performance with a 69th-minute red card.