Manchester City to trigger Alvaro Negredo's buyout clause?

Manchester City are reportedly preparing a bid for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo.

The Spaniard has an £18m buyout clause inserted into his contract and City want the forward as a replacement for Carlos Tevez, who joined Juventus last week, according to The Mirror.

West Ham United had a £14.5m bid rejected for Negredo earlier this month, but new City boss Manuel Pellegrini feels that the 27-year-old will be interested in a switch to Manchester if the clause is activated by the club.

Negredo scored 25 times in La Liga last season as Sevilla finished ninth in the division.