Scolari and Jose at City?

The former England boss has kept a low profile in the build-up to Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool, while club owner Thaksin Shinawatra reportedly puts the finishing touches to his summer pay-off.

Friday's Daily Mirror claimed that Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari will quit as Portugal boss after Euro 2008 and will then take charge at Eastlands after flying to England for talks with Shinawatra on Wednesday.

While the Daily Express reports that Shinawatra has offered the job to Jose Mourinho through his agent Jose Mendez.

Eriksson has already been linked with a move away, most notably to one of his previous clubs, Benfica, whom Portuguese media claim want him to replace Jose Antonio Camacho.

"The door is not closed on Benfica," Eriksson's agent Athole Still told O Jogo.

"The question of money is important. He may have been contacted indirectly. If any club wish to talk with Eriksson, they must call me."

The Daily Mail report that City's players threatened to go on strike over Shinawatra's treatment of Eriksson and the squad wanted to embarrass the former Thailand Prime Minister by boycotting this month's end-of-season tour of that country.

Meanwhile, Eriksson has done his best to shrug off the speculation and perhaps put Thaksin in a more difficult position by winning the last two matches of a promising season, starting at Anfield.

Quoted in the Manchester Evening News, Eriksson said: "We are all professionals and we must concentrate on the two games we have left to play.

"It is strange to have two away games to finish and they are both difficult matches but I am sure we are going to produce good performances in both those matches.

"If we will win or not at Liverpool, you never know because they are a top side but all those fans that travel to see us play at Anfield and all those watching back home will see a good performance.

"The players are determined. There are certainly no signs in training that they have packed their bags for their summer holiday. They did excellent sessions earlier this week and playing Liverpool is always special."