Jose Mourinho feels Real Madrid are more likely to sign Emmanuel Adebayor than Neymar or Sergio Aguero this summer.
Adebayor, 27, has been frozen out of the first-team picture at Manchester City and has made clear his determination to return to the Bernabeu after joining the club on loan last season.
Mourinho has already outlined his hope that Madrid bring in a further striker this summer and has now suggested they are hopeful of securing a permanent deal for Adebayor.
“Neymar is a Santos player. Aguero belongs to Atletico Madrid,” Mourinho said. “Adebayor is at Manchester City, but perhaps he is closer because he was our player for six months.
“We should not be very distant from those names, but I am calm because we have a fantastic squad and we are in a very good situation.”
Mourinho’s comments come as Adebayor again criticised City for the way they handled his omission from the pre-season tour of the USA.
“I don’t know what I have done wrong,” he said on Wednesday. “I get an email, out of the blue, on my holidays telling me I wasn’t going on the tour and they told me I am not going to train with the first team.
“It’s an insult to me to tell me I am now only fit to train with the reserves. I will return to training but I feel I’ve been let down and disrespected.”