Manchester City are still paying Roque Santa Cruz's wages at Malaga.

The 31-year-old also confirmed City continue to pay part of his estimated £70,000-a-week wages, after he refused to stay in the Premier League by joining Stoke or Sunderland on loan.

"Financially, it would have been better for Manchester City if I had taken a loan deal where the other club would pay all the wages," he explained to the Mail on Sunday.

"Because it was my last year of contract, they wanted to cover 100 per cent of it. Some clubs in England were willing to do that but I wanted to come back to Spain and the wages they pay in England are a lot more than here."