Manchester City chiefs are determined to win any transfer battle for Liverpool ace Fernando Torres. The People says officials at Eastlands have been in contact with the players' advisers at Bahia International to ensure they are kept up to date with any offers on the table to take the £50million striker away from Liverpool.

City are faced with the very real prospect of losing Argentinian star striker Carlos Tevez in 2011 and that has urged them to seek a top class replacement.

A source close to Torres said: "They are willing to pay one pound more than the best offer that comes in for Fernando.

"City want to prepare a new project with Torres as their main star. Next season they want to make sure they are fighting for the Premier League title from the first moment again."