[Bilbobaggins]

Manchester City have failed with a transfer-record breaking bid to make Iker Casillas the highest paid footballer in the world, according to Spanish sources.

City are understood to have made contact with Casillas's agent about a move to Eastlands.

City owners - Abu Dhabi United Group - have already pledged to spend big and reports suggest they are prepared to break the world-record transfer fee, currently still set at just under £50million when Zinedine Zidane joined Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001.

City broke the British record when they paid Real £32.5million for Robinho in August, but their bid to land Spanish number one Casillas looks to have come up short.

According to leading Spanish radio station Caden Ser, City were ready to pay the buy-out clause in Casillas contract - currently set at a staggering £128million.

Then they offered to pay him up to £11million-per-season - which would see him picking up just short of £230,000 per week - dwarfing any deal paid to the world's top players at present.

However, it is believed Casillas rejected the overtures out of hand and therefore City had no need to make a formal offer to Real and there was little point in doing so unless the player wanted to move.

Despite the failure - it is a clear sign City's new owners are intent on taking the club to a new level.


courtesy of Sky Sports.com