Manchester City's ambitious bid to sign Samuel Eto'o is in danger of collapsing at the eleventh hour amid claims that the Barcelona striker is demanding almost half of the £25 million transfer fee in addition to wages of about £200,000 a week.
With the Spanish champions refusing to bow to such demands, the transfer is unlikely to go through unless a compromise can be reached, leaving Eto'o to see out the remaining year of his contract at the Nou Camp.
Josep Maria Mesalles, the player's agent, will hold a press conference in Barcelona today when the future of Eto'o is expected to be confirmed, but having failed to land Kaká, the Brazil forward, in January, City are bracing themselves for more disappointment in their search for a global superstar.