Fortune for a flop?
The Sky Blues are “willing to splash £26m on ex-Southampton flop Dusan Tadic”, claims The Sun with the paper reporting that Pep Guardiola was bowled over by his exploits for Ajax against Real Madrid earlier this week.
The 30-year-old former Saint scored and produced two assists during Ajax’s incredible 4-1 win at the Bernabeu, and Spanish rag Mundo Deportivo are claiming that City “have already been in contact with the midfielder’s representatives”.
Bayern Munich are also said to be sniffing around the veteran Serbian, who left the south coast last summer after failing to live up to Southampton’s expectations. Ajax purchased Tadic for a bargain £10m and the Dutch club stand to make a healthy profit, particularly if they induce City and Bayern to embark on a bidding war.
Isco is enraged
Another consequence of Real Madrid’s home humiliation, reports the Manchester Evening News, is that Isco wants out of the Spanish capital. Apparently the playmaker was “enraged” with his manager Santiago Solari and as a result he “has informed his entourage to make contact with Manchester City”.
The MEN, taking its cue from Italian outlet CalcioMercato, says that Isco watched the debacle at home rather than from the stands after being left out once again by his manager. The 26-year-old has become a bit-part player since Solari took the helm last autumn, and the Spaniard “has reportedly complained in person to Jose Angel Sanchez”.
Whether the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will accede to Isco’s demand remains to be seen – particularly as he is cobtracted to the club until 2022 – but CalcioMercato says that he is adamant he wants to leave the club for either City or Juventus.
Foxes stand firm
The Sun claims that City may be forced to fork out more than the £75m that Liverpool paid Southampton to sign Virgil Van Dijk if they want to land Ben Chilwell.
Describing Leicester’s stance as “stubborn”, the Sun says that Pep Guardiola is desperate to strengthen his back four and he wants another left-back after “growing frustrated” with Benjamin Mendy’s injury record. The Frenchman has made just 20 appearances in 18 months and the City gaffer has his heart set on Chigwell as his replacement.
But new Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers regards the 22-year-old defender “as a vital part of his plans” and only a silly money offer will persuade him to sell.
Dybala on the radar?
City are also being mentioned in dispatches concerning the future of Juventus striker Paulo Dybala.
Rumours of a potential swap deal between Juventus and Inter involving the Argentine and his compatriot Mauro Icardi have been doing the rounds for some time, but other clubs including City are in the mix, according to reports in Italy says website Sportwitness.
“Their reasoning is that not only does Pep Guardiola like ‘more than a little’ what the forward has to offer, and has done so for ‘a long time’, but Ferran Soriano personally went to watch him back in January during Juventus’ game against Lazio,” it says.
