Mark Hughes is confident that John Terry will join Manchester City, tempted by a “new challenge”. Hughes signalled his growing belief yesterday that the Chelsea defender can be lured to the City of Manchester Stadium as the club unveiled Carlos Tévez as their latest signing.

Hughes suggested that the England captain would relish the opportunity to follow Gareth Barry, Tévez and, almost certainly, Emmanuel Adebayor to the world's richest club. If that was not enough, the plan is to make Terry the best-paid player in the Barclays Premier League, with a deal worth more than £200,000 a week.

Tévez was introduced to the media as a City player amid joyous scenes, having dared to cross the divide and join from Manchester United, while a fee in the region of £25million has been agreed with Arsenal for Adebayor, subject to a medical examination and to the Togo forward receiving a work permit. Adebayor was on his way to Manchester last night and could sign in time to join City's pre-season tour to South Africa that starts this week.

The bid to sign Terry, in what would be the most audacious of City's deals under the ownership of the wealthy Sheikh Mansour, is now the main priority for Hughes. The City manager clearly believes that it is possible and, although scepticism remains about Terry's willingness to forfeit Champions League football, Chelsea are increasingly alarmed by the situation and may be forced to offer their captain an improved contract.

In comments that will enrage the Chelsea hierarchy and increase the pressure on Terry to clarify his intentions, the City manager said: “We could offer John Terry a different challenge. From my own experience, when you have been with a club a long time, you maybe get to a point when you need a new challenge, when you think a change of scenery would just reignite certain things within you.

“It is not a question of money. It is about a different stage in his life and career, and maybe that is why there hasn't been a response because John is thinking in those terms. I went through that process and I can understand if that is the way he is thinking.

“We made an offer to Chelsea and I've made known my feelings about John Terry: he's an outstanding player and an outstanding person. If the opportunity presents itself to bring a player of his calibre to the club, we will do our utmost to bring that about. Obviously, we need conversations with Chelsea in that regard. We would like to speak to John Terry, but that opportunity hasn't been forthcoming.”

Terry is due to join the Chelsea squad tomorrow on their flight to Seattle for a pre-season tour to the United States, having spent the past fortnight wrestling with what associates believe is a genuine dilemma about his future.

Sources say that, after meeting Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, at the weekend, his main concern is over the club's failure to sign top-class reinforcements to improve a squad that finished a distant third in the Premier League last season.

Most observers would suggest that City's prospects of challenging immediately for top honours are remote - they finished tenth last season - but the additions of Barry, Tévez and Roque Santa Cruz appear to have signalled the emergence of a genuine force in English football.

Adebayor is likely to be the next signing. Arsenal want Marouane Chamakh, the Bordeaux and Morocco forward, as his replacement.