Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson says Elano has similar ability to former Italian stars Roberto Baggio and Roberto Mancini.

Eriksson plucked Elano from relative obscurity at Shakhtar Donetsk during the early weeks of his stint as City boss and already the £8m fee is looking like a major bargain.

"It is impossible to hit the free-kick any better than that," enthused Eriksson. "A centimetre either way and it hits the bar or the post.

"Elano is a great footballer. He can do a little bit of everything. I have worked with other top-class creative players in the past; people like Baggio and Mancini, but he is right up there with them."