Ronaldinho once rejected overtures from Old Trafford because he could not abide the thought of the Manchester weather - but Manchester City are hoping that the Barcelona player will agree to join them in the summer’s most jaw-dropping transfer deal after Thaksin Shinawatra, the chairman, sent a delegation to Brazil to present him with a contract worth more than £100,000 a week.

After having an offer of about £13 million accepted by Barcelona, City have been granted permission to discuss personal terms with the Brazil forward, who has twice been named World Player of the Year. Thaksin’s closest aides, Pairoj Piempongsant and Sasin Monvoisin, have been sent to Porto Alegre, where Ronaldinho is on holiday with his mother, sister and, most significantly, his brother, Roberto Assis, who acts as his agent. The deal that they will offer the player could exceed far more than £100,000 a week if he is able to help the club to meet certain targets, not just on the pitch, but also commercially.

Having fallen out of favour at Barcelona, Ronaldinho was thought to prefer a move to Italy, where AC Milan and others have expressed interest in signing him, but, in light of City’s persistence and their willingness to break the bank to sign him, the 28-year-old is thinking seriously about going to Manchester and is said to have informed friends in Brazil that he will be moving to city.

The club recognise that the deal is far from completion. Indeed, Mark Hughes, the new manager, will have the final say as he waits to hear from his contacts whether Ronaldinho has the appetite to perform in the Barclays Premier League after a dip in form over the past two years.

There is a zeal about the club’s pursuit of a marquee signing to accompany the appointment of Hughes and the impending arrival of Jô, the highly rated 21-year-old Brazil forward, from CSKA Moscow in a club-record £18 million deal. “Is it possible for Manchester City to spend £100 million-plus,” Garry Cook, City’s new executive chairman, said yesterday. “I have no doubt, if players become available who are the right type to invest in and there is a potential return on spending that money, our chairman [Thaksin] will spend whatever it takes. Thaksin Shinawatra believes we are only three years away from being one of Europe’s top clubs.”

While Thaksin dreams of world domination, tensions are growing within the club, with Cook’s appointment casting doubt over the future of Alistair Mackintosh, the chief executive. Having overseen City’s transfer and commercial strategies, Mackintosh is thought to be uncomfortable with having to report directly to Cook, who will act as the buffer between Thaksin and Hughes, and as the owner’s main man in Manchester.