Manchester City have been told to up their bid for Dinamo Zagreb starlet Alen Halilovic.

The Daily Mail says City have been told it will take an offer of well in excess of £9million to sign Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Halilovic, who has been dubbed the new Luka Modric.

Amid reports that a preliminary deal had been reached for the Croatian youngster to join City, Dinamo Zagreb's sporting director Zoran Mamic joked that Roberto Mancini would be lucky to acquire one of Halilovic's legs for the £9million fee being touted.

He said: "There's no deal [with Manchester City].We cannot talk about something that hasn't happened yet.

"But the figure that is mentioned in the English media [£9million] - for that kind of money we wouldn't even sell his left leg!"