NEWS ROUND-UP:MANCHESTER CITY expect to follow the signing of Carlos Tevez by making Emmanuel Adebayor the ninth striker on their books, having lodged a €23 million bid with Arsenal for a player they know is available as long as the price is right. Arsenal want closer to €29 million but both clubs are willing to reach a compromise.

Adebayor was identified in the process that led to City withdrawing interest in Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o last week.

Talks have accelerated over the last few days and, though Adebayor initially wanted a move to Italy, a salary in excess of €173,000 a week would persuade him to move north.

If everything goes according to plan, City hope the 25-year-old will take some part in their pre-season tour to South Africa, with Mark Hughes’s squad due to fly out tomorrow with Tevez on board after the club confirmed his arrival on a five-year contract last night.

“Carlos is an international player of the highest class who possesses all the attributes that will help drive this club forward,” Mark Hughes, the City manager, said. “He is not only outstanding technically but he is a reliable goal scorer and someone who will contribute fully to the team ethic. He gives us another exciting, attacking dimension. I cannot wait to welcome him to City.”

City will now redirect their attention to their attempt to sign John Terry from Chelsea and the more straightforward task of agreeing a deal with Arsenal for Adebayor, whose reputation plummeted during a disappointing last season.

But Hughes is mindful the Togo international scored 30 goals in the 2007-08 campaign.

Tevez, meanwhile, is scheduled to take his medical examination today before an afternoon press conference.

The Premier League have ratified all the paperwork and assured themselves City have sole registration of the only player to win the South American player of the year award three seasons running.

An Olympic champion with Argentina in Athens five years ago, Tevez has won successive Premier League titles at United, where he was a crowd favourite.

Whether such adoration will be maintained now he has become one of a select band to have joined both Manchester clubs will be tested at the Old Trafford derby on September 19th.

However, having lost out on Tevez, Alex Ferguson declared his belief the former West Ham player had already done a deal to move on.

“I half expected Carlos Tevez would be going a long time back,” said the United boss.

“I think he maybe did a deal around January because I spoke to him and gave him an offer on the night we played Inter Milan (in March) and he never came back to me.

“I phoned him on holiday and he never got back to me and I texted him twice and he never got back to me then either, so obviously he had made his mind up a long time ago.

“He was a good player and did well for us. But he obviously assessed the situation and wanted to go somewhere else.”

Such talk seems slightly wide of the mark but, with his family settled in the north-west and City hardly scrimping on the value of contracts, Tevez spurned interest from Chelsea to effectively remain at his current base, merely exchanging a red shirt for blue.

It further strengthens an attack that includes Roque Santa Cruz, Robinho and Craig Bellamy, plus a further five experienced players, most of whom are likely to find themselves surplus to requirements.

That will definitely be the case if the transfer of Adebayor goes through, although Arsenal must know they will be putting their own Champions League place at risk by sanctioning such a deal.

In addition, Terry’s situation needs to be clarified, with City willing to pay record wages to lure the England captain north from Chelsea.

With the Londoners ready to leave for their own pre-season tour on Thursday, it has been suggested some kind of press conference could be held where Terry outlines his own vision for the future, although as he apparently feels let down by the lack of big names heading for Stamford Bridge, manager Carlo Ancelotti could not be certain of its contents.

Stoke midfielder Rory Delap has signed a one-year contract extension to remain at Stoke City in the the Premier League club until 2011. Former Republic of Ireland international Delap, who turned 33 earlier this month, played a key role in helping the club retain their top-flight status at the first time of asking last season when he made 36 appearances.

Everton are locked in what could soon become a three-club battle to sign Sheffield United’s full-back Kyle Naughton.

Last week Everton agreed a fee and the 20-year-old was given permission to talk to the Merseysiders over personal terms.

But since then Tottenham have made a late bid for the player, with Aston Villa apparently also waiting in the wings.

Hamilton defender Brian Easton looks set for a move to Burnley after both clubs agreed an undisclosed fee for the highly-rated youngster.

Guardian Service