Manchester City continued their high-spending ways throughout the 2010 close season, raiding La Liga for Valencia forward David Silva and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, while signing left-back Alexandar Kolarov from Serie A’s Lazio.

Between them, they set City back a reported £72m. And the Eastlands outfit also picked up German international defender Jerome Boateng for an undisclosed fee from Hamburg SV, although contemporary newspaper reports suggested that the Bundesliga club made £10.5m from the deal.

Silva joins City on a four-year deal while both Boateng and Toure have made five-year commitments to the team still heavily backed by the finances of the Abu Dhabi United group (ADUG), who took over City in 2008.

The spending looks set to continue still further. Inevitably, City have been linked with almost every high-profile name which even hints at being available (Didier Drogba from Chelsea, Liverpool’s Fernando Torres).

But they have been in protracted negotiations over reportedly disaffected Aston Villa midfielder James Milner.

 

The 24-year-old was expected to enter talks about his Villa future this week. But City’s offer of £24m is still some £6m short of the midlands club’s valuation of the England international.

City manager Roberto Mancini, meanwhile, has indicated that City are prepared to surpass the £32.5m they paid for Brazilian star-turned-City-misfit Robinho when ADUG took over two Augusts ago.

But more realistic striking targets would appear to be Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko or Internazionale’s ‘wild child’ Mario Balotelli.

Balotelli, who turns 20 on August 12^th, has crafted a reputation for annoying everyone he meets in football including – especially – team-mates and his manager at Inter last year, the “special one” himself Jose Mourinho.

And reports from Italy have suggested that he will join City before the weekend after he agreed a £65,000-per-week, five-year contract. The transfer fee is likely to be in the region of £24m.

In an interview this week, Mancini boldly claimed that City’s EPL rivals are “scared” of his increasingly new-look squad. He said:

“All the other teams are saying we must finish in the top four or make a real challenge for the EPL title because for 10 years there were only four teams challenging. This year there are five.

“I think all these teams over the years have spent a lot of money. They have all spent like City do now. There isn’t a difference. I think people are scared.

Mancini added: “At the moment, only Manchester City are in the marketplace buying players. But that is normal because Man City want to improve quickly.”

City have also added former Sampdoria colleagues David Platt and Attilo Lombardo to their coaching staff over the summer.

City lost both matches in the recent Barclays New York challenge, an understrength side going down 2-0 to Sporting Lisbon before a 2-1 defeat to New York Red Bulls.

They defeated Club America on penalties in Atlanta on Wednesday – with Shay Given saving two shoot-out spotkicks in his first match since disclocating his shoulder in April.

City face Internazionale in Baltimore on Sunday.