Reports in Germany suggest that Manchester City will break the Bundesliga transfer record by signing Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg in January.
The Bosnian front man has long been linked with a move to Eastlands and the Wolfsburger Allgemeine newspaper has now quoted City boss Roberto Mancini as having said:"We have the chance to win the league this year and the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko.
"This player can decide titles and that is why we want him."
City had a brief stay at top spot in the Premier League on Tuesday before being relegated back down to second on goal difference, when Manchester United drew 1-1 with Birmingham City hours after Mancini’s men thumped Aston Villa 4-0.
Dzeko is reputedly very keen to join a bigger club than the 2009 German champions, but a proposed move to AC Milan looks unlikely after they signed Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria, so City, with their mountain of money, are certainly in a strong position and have been linked with a 40 million euro move.
The striker’s ten goals this season have taken his overall tally with the German side to 66 in 111 games.
His club’s spokesman Gerd Voss has, however, told BBC Sport: "We will not speculate on this.
"The silly season has begun with the January window about to open. We had it in the summer with Dzeko and we have it now again but we will not comment."