Man City owner eyes MLS team

New York - Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family whose investment group owns English Premier League side Manchester City, reportedly wants a Major League Soccer team for New York.

The New York Times reported that Mansour has entered final talks with the US league for a 20th club and is willing to pay a $100m expansion fee for a team that could be dubbed New York FC and begin play in 2016.

A deal is nearly set, the Times said, to build a $340m stadium that would seat 25 000 spectators as a new home for the club near the US Open tennis grounds and the home stadium of Major League Baseball's New York Mets.

MLS hopes to announce the deal ahead of Manchester City's exhibition match at New York's Yankee Stadium against English rivals Chelsea on May 25, according to the report.

The sheik's group bought Manchester City in 2008 for $330m and the team won their first Premier League crown in 44 years last year.