STOKE City are lining up a £5 million raid for Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari, reports said Friday.

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis was given “a glowing report” by the Zimbabwean captain’s former Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, the Daily Star reported.

“Pulis is at the head of the queue to offer the 30-year-old an escape route” from his “Manchester City hell”, the paper reported.

After netting 15 times in the Premier League during the 2007-08 league season, Benjani suffered with injuries in the 2008-09 season – only making eight league appearances for City.

The arrival of Santa Cruz from Blackburn and Manchester City’s reported interest to sign strikers Carlos Tevez and Samuel Eto’o has alerted teams to Mwaruwari’s availability. Eastlands boss Mark Hughes is expected to sell up to six players to make room for his new recruits.

With a year left on his contract, Benjani will jump on a move away from Manchester City for what could be his final contract in the top English division.

Mwaruwari, currently holidaying in Africa, is expected to join his Manchester City teammates on July 18 when they play Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in the Vodacom Challenge Cup in Johannesburg.