Santa Cruz ready for City striker battle

MANCHESTER, England: Roque Santa Cruz has said he would relish the opportunity of battling Samuel Eto'o and Carlos Tevez for a place in the Manchester City side next season.

Paraguay international striker Santa Cruz is City's biggest signing of the close season so far having cost 18 million pounds ($30 million) from City's Premier League rivals Blackburn Rovers.

But City manager Mark Hughes is hoping to invest a total of 50 million pounds ($83 million) to secure the services of Barcelona's Eto'o and Argentina's Tevez, who is available for 25 million pounds ($41 million) after his two-year loan at neighbours Manchester United expired.