Manchester City plan to outbid West Ham with a £12 million offer for Inter Milan striker Adriano.

West Ham yesterday sent a delegation to Milan to discuss a similar deal, says the Daily Mail.

But City boss Sven Goran Eriksson, who held talks with Adriano's representatives yesterday, is aware the player does not want to go on loan and City are trying to stretch their budget to pull off what would be a remarkable coup at wages of around £70,000 a week.