Manchester City's Arab owners are ready to keep sacked Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari in the Premiership. The News of the World says City chiefs know Scolari will spend the next six months in England learning the language properly and studying the English game while his son Fabricio finishes the school term.

That leaves Scolari in pole position to replace Mark Hughes at Eastlands - and act as the perfect bait to lure Kaka from AC Milan.

Billionaire City owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al Mubarek are still determined to push through a £100million deal for the Brazilian superstar.

And having Scolari at City would make a huge difference to Kaka, who was given his Brazil debut in 2002 by the former boss.

Sources in Portugal claim super-agent Jorge Mendes has been named as the man who can take Scolari to City, with the wheels already in motion to tempt Kaka.