City have paid Zabaleta's buy-out clause (required under Spanish law) of eight million euros (11.80 million dollars).

Zabaleta, 23, was part of the Argentine team which won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics last week, and he caught the eye with his sophisticated surges down the right.

He joined Espanyol from Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo in 2005 and helped the Catalans reach the 2007 UEFA Cup final.

According to The Sun, Chopra, a player of both English and Indian descent, plays as a striker for Sutherland and was originally a product of the Newcastle United Youth system.