Manchester City have held talks with the most powerful man in US football about buying a franchise in Major League Soccer.

The Blues have America in their sights as part of their plans to expand the club's profile on a global level and are mulling over a tour across the Atlantic in July.

They will also target the US as the second stage of their scheme to roll out the successful City academy across the planet, with the first phase already underway in Abu Dhabi.

Chief executive Garry Cook has held preliminary talks with MLS commissioner Don Garber, who was attending this week's Soccerex convention in Manchester.

Garber is keen to get European clubs involved in the MLS, and recently held talks with Barcelona and Real Madrid about investing in one of their franchises as they seek to expand their league.

City, who have scrapped the idea of buying a franchise in Indian Premier League cricket, would have to stump up around £25m, and new teams are being formed in Philadelphia this year, and in Vancouver and Portland next year.

Cook has strong links with Portland - said to be one of the destinations for the summer tour - as he formerly worked as a marketing executive for Nike, based in the Oregon city. The Blues are also considering matches in Philadelphia and New York.

Garber said of the City talks: "Part of the relaunch of that team is for them to think strategically about their business and where international expansion fits into that, and where the US might fit into that.

"We've had very preliminary discussions about that."

The MLS want links with Europe in order to improve the quality of players coming through their system, and that would dovetail neatly with City's international academy plan, which is headed up by former Academy director Jim Cassell.

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