MANCHESTER CITY have completed the £40million signing of Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz.

Blackburn striker Santa Cruz, 27, agreed a £15million switch to Eastlands and completed a medical.

His fee will increase to £18million based on appearances.

Tevez, 25, agreed to the astonishing move from Old Trafford, as we predicted back on May 23, after a long chat with City boss Mark Hughes convinced him of the club's ambitions.

The Argie striker became sick of being down the pecking order at United and Hughes told him he will be his main hitman.

His £25.5m move will be completed on July 1 when his two-year loan deal with United comes to an end.

City will give him a five-year contract worth £100,000 a week.

Tevez chose City ahead of Chelsea.

Santa Cruz was signed on a four-year deal which sees his wages double to £80,000 a week.

LIVERPOOL have bust the bank to make Glen Johnson one of the highest-paid defenders in the Premier League.

Johnson hit the jackpot in his £18.5million move from Portsmouth yesterday with a £100,000-a-week, four-year deal worth a whopping £21m.

The England full-back, 24, had given the thumbs up to Liverpool last Thursday - as revealed in SunSport - but Manchester City made a late attempt to hijack the switch.

And that led to Johnson striking it rich. Kop boss Rafa Benitez had expected to get his man on far lower wages, yet when City entered the bidding it led to a hasty rethink on his personal terms.

Mark Hughes' men were prepared to pay £80,000 a week and Benitez had to trump that figure to complete his first major transfer of the summer.

Chelsea had also been in the hunt for the defender, who had four years at Stamford Bridge, but he eventually plumped for Merseyside ahead of west London.

Liverpool can wipe an immediate £7m from the fee - Pompey still owe that amount from signing Peter Crouch last year.

Johnson's capture is a huge coup for Benitez. He not only saw off City and Chelsea but also got the nod to compete for big-name players despite the club's financial plight.

Yet he will still have to off-load some stars to make further top-class signings. Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena are all potential high-profile departures.

Benitez has been watching Johnson for the past six months and made initial tentative inquiries in the January window.

Pompey thought they had won the battle to keep him when he signed a new four-year deal. But he always insisted he wanted to prove himself at the highest level again, after only 41 appearances in his Chelsea career.

Johnson has also just enjoyed his most impressive season, capped by a star man role in the World Cup drubbing of Andorra.

CHELSEA last night swung their attention to £25million Brazilian Maicon Douglas.

The Blues have missed out on long-term target Glen Johnson, with Liverpool confirming an £18.5m deal yesterday.

But Inter Milan right-back Maicon has impressed in the Confederations Cup in South Africa and kept Barcelona ace Dani Alves out of Brazil's starting line-up.

Inter will accept £25m for the 27-year-old defender and are even willing to part with idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 27, for another £50m.

Chelsea will appeal against UEFA's punishments following the Euro semi defeat to Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues were fined £85,000 for improper conduct of players and missile throwing by fans.

Didier Drogba was banned for six Euro games, two suspended for two years, while Jose Bosingwa was banned for four matches, one suspended.