Manchester City eye teenage Serie A starlet

Manchester City are reportedly considering a bid for Pescara goalkeeper Mattia Perin - but they face competition from Serie A giants AC Milan.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roberto Mancini is interested in the 19-year-old shot-stopper as he looks for a back-up to current number one Joe Hart.

Perin is owned by Italian side Genoa but is currently on loan at newly promoted Pescara as he continues his development. The teenager has represented Italy at every youth level from under-17 to under-21's.

He made his professional debut at the end of the 2010/11 season, and spent last season on loan at Serie B club Padova, where he impressed.

He received his first call-up to the Italian senior team this year. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli brought him into the Euro 2012 finalists' squad to face England in an August friendly, but the young keeper did not make his debut.

But Manchester City face stiff competition for his signature. AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani is good friends with Genoa president Enrico Preziosi and is hopeful of sealing a deal, according to the reports in Italy.

Manchester City football development executive Patrick Vieira has insisted City's big-spending days are over, and the Premier League's biggest expenditure this summer was the £16m signing of Benfica midfielder Javi Garcia.