Manchester City boss Mark Hughes hopes to land Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna in a £12 million deal.
The Daily Star Sunday says Senna signed a new three-year deal only last summer but Hughes hopes Villarreal will be tempted to sell because of the size of the fee for a player who is now 32.
Sparky sees Brazil-born Senna as the holding midfield player he wants - a role formally occupied by ex-Liverpool and Germany star Didi Hamann.