Exclusive: City want Tiago

Exclusive: Sven Goran Eriksson is set to make a bid for out of favour Portuguese midfielder Tiago in the January transfer window. Sven has already stated that he will buy players in January, and Claudio Ranieri and Juventus are known to be looking for a move for the player.

A spokesman for Tiago said, "We are aware of Man City's interest and would welcome a move back to the Premiership.

"At Chelsea, Tiago was never given much of a chance and he feels that he has much more to offer. Man City are doing well this year and we hope Tiago can be given an opportunity to play there."

Man City would be expected to almost match the 13M EUR that Juventus paid for the 26 year old, and an £8m fee has been suggested for the ex-Chelsea and Lyon midfielder.

Tiago himself said: "So far my time with Juve has been a disappointment. I thought I'd be a first-choice player, but it has been the exact opposite and my time here hasn't been easy.

"Initially I admit that I felt tired, but I got back into shape by the time the season started and the boss has still preferred other players."