The Australian midfielder was on the verge of sealing a £5.4million four-year contract in June, until Palermo pulled the plug on the move after failing to agree payment terms.

Despite the dispute between the clubs, City manager Sven Goran Eriksson is still hopeful of landing his man even if a deal takes longer than expected, and Bresciano admitted he would jump at the chance to play for the former England coach.

He said: "I've just got to wait and see if my team in Italy release me in January. I've got my fingers crossed."