Manchester City's Abu Dhabi are ready to delay their spending spree until the summer market.

The Telegraph says sources close to the owners believe that talk of signing the likes of Kaka, Casillas, Messi and Torres is premature, with the management preferring to take a more patient approach to building the club into one of the biggest in the world.

However, it is believed that City will face little or no competition from Premier League rivals should they decide to pursue mid-price targets, including the Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz, as the majority of clubs face up to the realities of the difficult financial climate.