Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has revealed they are hoping to secure a double swoop for Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri by the end of the month.
Aguero is looking for a new club after revealing his intention to leave Atletico this summer with the player planning to make a decision on his future after the Copa America.
The 23-year-old has admitted he would be happy to join another Spanish club or move to England with Real Madrid also in the race for his signature.
Mancini is an admirer of Aguero and he believes the Argentine would be a success in the City team if they land him.
"At the moment I am waiting because if we lose Carlos, Aguero is a player that can play for Manchester City because he is young, because he is a good player like Carlos, he can score a lot of goals and can play with Mario (Balotelli), with Edin (Dzeko)," Mancini told Sky Sports News.
Asked if City were likely to make a bid for Aguero, Mancini said: "It is probably yes. I think in this moment we only have to wait."
City eye Aguero & Nasri
The former Marseille man is entering the final year of his contract at Arsenal and although Arsene Wenger claims the midfielder will stay, Mancini hopes he can bring him to Manchester.
"Samir is under contract with Arsenal. Also for Samir it depends on many things," added Mancini.
Asked if an offer has been made for Nasri, Mancini continued: "I don't know in this moment, I don't know the situation but for Nasri it is difficult.
"I hope that we can buy because we need other players and I hope that this player can arrive before the end of the month."
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Luka Modric has handed in an official transfer request at Tottenham.
Modric's future at White Hart Lane has been the subject of intense speculation all summer with Chelsea
chasing the Croatian's signature.Chelsea have already seen two bids of £22million and £27million for the 25-year-old rejected as they look to lure him to Stamford Bridge.
It was widely suggested Modric would hand in a transfer request in a bid to force a move away from Tottenham and it is understood he has made that request in writing.
Modric is currently with Spurs on their pre-season tour of South Africa, but he is desperate to make the move to West London.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy insist Modric is not for sale at any price, but they could find it difficult to keep the unsettled player now he has made his transfer request official.
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Charlie Adam scored his first goal for Liverpool in their 6-3 win over a Malaysian XI on Saturday.
Adam was a lively presence in the opening exchanges and after 25 minutes played in Andy Carroll, who went down in the area and earned the penalty.
Adam had to take the spot-kick twice but sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 1-0.
Mohammad Safiq Rahim equalised with a fine free-kick five minutes from half-time.
Liverpool made 11 substitutions at the break and after 68 minutes David Ngog scored following some poor defending.
The Frenchman added a second moments later after being fed by the impressive Alberto Aquilani as the Reds swamped their opponents.
Maxi Rodriguez made it 4-1 in the 76th minute before Mohammad Safi scored twice in as many minutes to put the hosts back in contention.
Maxi then scored a second of his own in the last minute as the All-Stars chased the equaliser.
Dirk Kuyt got his name on the scoresheet in the closing seconds to make it 6-3 and round off Liverpool's tour of Asia in style.
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QPR new boy Kieron Dyer has hit out at West Ham for their medical treatment during his injury-ravaged spell at the club.
The 32-year-old endured an injury-hit four seasons at Upton Park and he has blamed some of his fitness problems on the bad advice he got from the club's medical team.
"It's very frustrating when you're doing all you can to get fit but you're being told the wrong information," Dyer told the Daily Express.
"Two seasons ago I was out with a hamstring injury for almost the whole season. I kept coming back on advice but kept pulling my hamstring. I went to see a specialist who said 'You've got a big piece of scar tissue in your leg. Break it down and you'll never have a hamstring problem again'.
"I broke that down and what happened? I never had a hamstring problem again.
"It's frustrating when you're doing everything you're told to do but you're being misdiagnosed, so you're doing all the rehab but you're doing the wrong rehab," he said.
"You come back and break down again and you go and see another specialist and they say, 'Why have you been doing that?' That happened a number of times where I lost months and months of the season."
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Michael Owen has declared that he hopes to play more regularly this season and is confident of enjoying more success with Manchester United.
He is now looking forward to the new campaign after scoring the first goal of United's pre-season tour of America in the 4-1 victory over New England Revolution.
The 31-year-old expects to be given more opportunities to impress over the coming 12 months and wants to repay the faith shown in him by manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"I always have high hopes and go into the new season with optimism," said Owen.
"The club took the option to extend my contract and that fills you with confidence because it makes you feel part of the team.
"You feel wanted by the manager and, when he told me towards the end of the season that he wantedme to stay, I was delighted.
"The manager obviously saw something that made him want to keep me and he says I will be involved a lot more this year, so I am hoping that's the case.
"I want to play a bit more and be successful - and it's important to me to do that."
While he accepts that competition for places means he will not play every game, Owen can take a lot of positives from what he has achieved in his career.
"It's easy to be confident when you know you can do it and I've done it thousands of times before," he explained.
"Some people may have short memories but I haven't. I know what I'm capable of and everyone at the club does too.
"We have some top players, it isn't easy playing every week when you have so many top players. But I'm relaxed about it and confident of doing well."
Owen also admits that playing a part in United's title-winning 2010/11 campaign has only increased his hunger for further glory.
He added: "When you have something you really want, you're delighted to achieve it - and I was delighted to win the title.
"But part of you wants another one and to play a bigger part next time."
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Theo Walcott has again made it clear that he would like to be deployed as a striker at Arsenal.
before joining the Gunners in January 2006.Arsene Wenger felt that his abilities were better suited to a wide role and Walcott has spent the past few years as a winger.
However, the 22-year-old regards himself as a natural striker and believes he is now ready to make an impact in a more central position at the Emirates Stadium.
"I hope so," said Walcott. "It just depends on the players the boss brings in.
"I was signed as a striker - I want to play up front. I think I have done my trade out on the wing.
"I think a lot of people forget I'm not a winger. I see myself as a striker, but if I get played up front it will take me a few games to get used to playing there again because I haven't played there for about five years.
"I think I have done a fairly good job on the wing for Arsenal. For this team I will play anywhere, but hopefully the fans will start seeing me up front a bit more."
Thierry Henry was transformed from a winger to a striker during his time at Arsenal and Walcott hopes to take a similar path after showing signs last season that he had become more clinical in front of goal.
Walcott feels fully fit and has set his sights on the 20-goal mark this term as he strives to help Arsenal bounce back from a 2010/11 campaign that promised much before ending in disappointment.
He said: "I've been practicing my finishing after training. This season, 15-20 is my target.
"I know I'm not going to play every single game. I always work at a high intensity so I'm not going to be able to do every single game.
"The boss will know that as well. Hopefully I will be given a bit more of a free role as well. I'm intrigued to see what happens."
Walcott added: "I'm upbeat about the new season. "It will be interesting to see which players come in and what I get out of the pre-season matches, not just me but the whole squad: How we play together, if the boss is going to change anything- the formation or anything like that."
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