Manchester City have opened talks with Crystal Palace over a deal for Victor Moses.

The Guardian says City have identified Moses as a possible star of the future and hope to capitalise on Palace's financial problems by agreeing terms to make the 19-year-old the seventh striker on the club's books.

Brian Marwood, City's football administrator, has already spoken extensively to Palace but made it clear to the Championship club that his employers would not be persuaded to spend in excess of the player's true worth just because of the immense wealth afforded to them by their owner in Abu Dhabi.

Simon Jordan, the Palace chairman, is looking for a figure of around £5m, citing the fee that Aston Villa paid Leeds United for Fabian Delph.