Roque Santa Cruz is keen to leave Blackburn Rovers and accept Manchester City's offer to sign for them in the January transfer window. Santa Cruz has become restless at Blackburn during a slump that has seen them drop into the relegation places, and the Paraguay international striker has told people involved in the deal that he wants to link up again with Mark Hughes, the man who brought him into English football.
City failed with a £12m bid in August, but Hughes has asked the club's new owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, to make an improved offer that could see Blackburn make up to four times the £4.5m they paid Bayern Munich for Santa Cruz in the summer of 2007.
That is likely to meet opposition from Blackburn's manager, Paul Ince, who is desperate not to lose his most important forward at such a critical stage of the season. However, City have been increasingly encouraged by what they have heard behind the scenes and are confident of finally getting their man, providing they can agree a compromise over the fee.
The matter is complicated because of Hughes's past connections with Santa Cruz's employers and the suspicion at City that Blackburn are reluctant to do business with them because, as City's executive chairman Garry Cook put it earlier this season: "We have already taken their manager and backroom staff off them."
Nonetheless, City are in such a strong financial position since September's takeover they believe it will be no problem putting together a financial package that Blackburn will find impossible to resist. While most Premier League clubs structure transfer payments into various instalments, City are willing to pay Blackburn all the money in one lump sum.
Santa Cruz is one of three established Premier League players who are regarded as priority signings by Hughes, the others being Lassana Diarra of Portsmouth and Chelsea's second-choice left back Wayne Bridge. Hughes is also looking for a goalkeeper to rival Joe Hart and at least one new centre-half, but the list of players leaving the club is expected to be even longer.
Nery Castillo and Felipe Caicedo will quickly be ushered out of the door but the exodus could also involve Dietmar Hamann, Michael Ball, Javier Garrido, Darius Vassell, Nedem Onuoha and even the Brazil international Elano Blumer.
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric has been ruled out for two weeks after he learned yesterday that his groin injury was more serious than first thought. He pulled up in the first half of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Fulham and was substituted at the interval.
He had an ultrasound scan on Sunday, which showed little more than a strain and then went to Croatia to visit his family, as his country did not have an international friendly. After further ultrasound there, which confirmed the original findings he continued to feel discomfort and, as a precaution, he had an MRI scan yesterday. It revealed a partial tear to the groin muscle, which will require rehabilitation.
West Ham United's vice-chairman, Asgeir Fridgeirsson, said yesterday that the club will not have to sell players in the January transfer window despite one of their main shareholding companies, Hansa, heading into administration. He said: "West Ham is well-funded for the remainder of the year and I am convinced the club will go on, no matter what. We are not going to sell players to settle [the] debts of Hansa."
