Reports in Spain suggest that world’s richest football club Manchester City have stepped up their interest in signing Valencia striker David Villa.

The 26-year-old Spain international has been in tremendous form after the successful summer campaign at the European Championship, and has overall scored 12 goals in 13 games this season.

Following a highly-speculative summer transfer window where he was linked with a move to the Premiership powerhouses Liverpool and Chelsea, the former Real Zaragoza ace decided to stay on with the Los Che with a new six-year contract penned.

However, although he is tied up at the Mestalla until 2014 with a reported buy-out clause of €150 million in the new contract, City are said to be determined to bring him to England with reports suggesting that the representatives of the Eastlands club have met Villa’s agent, Jose Luis Tamargo.

According to Marca, Manchester City could test the resolve of Valencia, whose financial troubles have been much publicised over the summer, with a record breaking bid of around £78m (€100 million).

City, who have been bought by the Abu Dhabi-based group in the summer, had clinched a summer transfer coup snatching Robinho from under the nose of Premiership powerhouse Chelsea, from Real Madrid at British record fee on the deadline day.