Man City set to make move for Republic of Ireland star James McCarthy
Manchester City are understood to be considering an approach to Everton for Ireland star James McCarthy, having wrapped up a £49m deal for Liverpool's Raheem Sterling.
City appear to be turning their attention to Everton man McCarthy after missing out on England star Fabian Delph, who opted to stay at Aston Villa.
However, Everton would strongly resist any effort to lure the McCarthy, who would be another hugely expensive acquisition should City succeed with a bid.
Meanwhile, City boss Manuel Pellegrini is claiming he has recruited one of the world's most exciting talents in Sterling.
The England forward has signed a five-year contract that will earn him more than £50m.
Whether an emerging talent should demand such a fee has been the subject of debate since the clubs concluded negotiations on Sunday, but Pellegrini is in no doubt about the player's potential.
"Raheem Sterling is one of the best attacking players in world football," said the Chilean, who has given the winger the No 7 jersey.
"I am very much looking forward to him joining our squad in Australia this week. He is a young player with outstanding ability."
Liverpool will initially be paid £44m, with potentially a further £5m in additional fees as Sterling's career progresses.
However, a significant portion of this, believed to be 20pc, is heading to Queens Park Rangers, who sold the player to Liverpool four years ago.