Manchester City assistant manager Angelo Gregucci admitted the English Premier League champions were keen on bringing in Edinson Cavani from Napoli, as Inter Milan ponder a bid for Edin Dzeko.
Cavani has been tracked by City for quite a while now, and it is believed the Manchester club failed with a bid in the summer, but are ready to make an offer of around £45 million ($72 million) for the prolific forward in the winter window.
While Napoli have repeatedly stated their intention of keeping their star asset in Naples at least until the end of the season, manager Roberto Mancini is desperate to add a proven goalscorer to his ranks with his current quartet of striker struggling for goals.
"I don't know if the club will lay siege to Napoli for Cavani, but every club with a player of the highest level will know they'll be courted by bigger clubs," Gregucci told Radio CRC.
"Mancini decides the transfer targets along with the new directors. If you ask the clubs who can afford Cavani, for example Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, then I think they'd want Cavani just as Manchester City want him.
"If he should want to undertake a new adventure, then he will tell the club and I expect they'd let him go.
"Cavani is among the world's top five strikers and is doing great things. Napoli invested heavily in him, but the player's intentions are decisive."
Man City are looking to offload Mario Balotelli in January, but have found it difficult to find any willing buyers ready to take a punt on the controversial forward. Gregucci, however, believes Balotelli has the talent to become the best.
"Mario has huge potential and is a treasure for our football," he added. "As for the recent events, I'd prefer not to talk about them so as not to make too much of it.
"Seeing him train, though, I think Mario should be included in the world's top 10 strikers."
If City are unable to let go of Balotelli, they might be open to offers for Dzeko, with Inter Milan lining up a £25 million ($40 million) move for the Bosnian.
Mancini will only sell one of his strikers, if he has a replacement in hand, and with Cavani likely to stay until the summer, the more likely scenario is the changes in the striking department happening at the end of the season, although as ever, nothing can be entirely ruled out.