Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, has confirmed that Samuel Eto’o is on the brink of joining Manchester City in a “monster” deal that will make the Cameroon striker the best-paid player in the world.

City will match Barcelona’s asking price of about £25 million for Eto’o and have agreed to pay the striker in the region of £200,000 a week, including bonuses, as the Barclays Premier League’s new financial superpower looks set to deliver the global superstar that Sheikh Mansour, the club’s billionaire owner, craves.

Over the course of a four-year contract, the deal could be worth more than £66 million in total, with City hoping formally to conclude the extraordinary transfer coup before the squad flies to South Africa on July 15 for a pre-season tour.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal forward, will supersede Eto’o as the highest-paid player in the world once the annual 25 per cent increase on his £9.5 million-a-year salary at Real Madrid kicks in, but, for now, Eto’o would have no rival in the pay stakes.

“Eto’o has a stratospheric offer from City, which would convert him into the best-paid player in the world,” Laporta said. “It’s starting to become clear that he has this monster offer. He wants to stay but an offer like this is very difficult to refuse. If Eto’o accepts this stratospheric offer, we will have to bring someone in.”

Carlos Tévez’s £25.5 million move to City should also be confirmed within the next seven days. The forward, who rejected the chance to stay at Manchester United, will join the Premier League champions’ rivals on a four-year deal worth £140,000 a week.

The Times revealed three weeks ago that City were busy plotting an audacious £50 million swoop for Eto’o, 28, and Tévez, 25, as Mark Hughes, the manager, bids to assemble a squad capable of challenging for a Champions League place next season.

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David Villa was among three Valencia players recommended by Fernando Torres to Rafael Benítez, his Liverpool manager. Benítez believes that to accommodate Villa he would have to build the team around the Spain forward and it is more likely that he will pursue his interest in David Silva, the winger, who has held talks with Real. Juan Mata, also a winger, is the third player suggested by Torres.

Adriano Galliani, the AC Milan vice-president, has confirmed that he has contacted Arsenal about Emmanuel Adebayor after Edin Dzeko, the Bosnia forward, said that he was going to stay at Wolfsburg.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are expected to agree a fee of about £2.5 million for Ronald Zubar, the Marseilles defender, and the Premier League side are also keen on Jerko Leko, the Monaco midfield player, who has two years left on his contract.