Manchester City Pep Guardiola have identified Real Madrid Mid-fielder Federico Valverde as a potential replacement for Rodri after latest injury
Manchester City are willing to fork out €70 million to sign Federico Valverde in January, with Real Madrid unlikely to part ways.
According to Caught Offside, Manchester City are prepared to make a €70 million bid to sign Federico Valverde in January. Given the problems in Pep Guardiola’s midfield following Rodri’s injury, the Premier League champions looking at different options. However, should the Uruguayan become available, they will probably try to get the 26-year-old versatile midfielder in.
Manchester City’s midfielder search
Manchester City continued their dreadful run of form, suffering a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, a first in Pep Guardiola’s illustrious career to date. The latest of that run of losses came against Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend, as they slipped five points behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
The big problem they have is in the midfield due to Rodri’s season-ending injury, which has left Guardiola scratching his head for solutions. The January transfer window might represent a time when they could find a solution to their midfield problems, as there are some options for Manchester City to consider.
City were told to pay €45 million for Hakan Calhanoglu, as on paper, the Turkish international may suit their style and what they are looking for in a Rodri replacement. There is the factor of age with the Inter Milan star, which has also seen Guardiola look at others like Martin Zubimendi, who is also the next deputy for Rodri in the Spain setup.
Samuele Ricci is also a target and likely someone who could be signed ahead of the January transfer window. However, one player who stands out among the list of options is Federico Valverde, as Manchester City are keen on the Real Madrid star.
Complications in signing Federico Valverde
The report states that Manchester City are prepared to make a €70 million offer for the 26-year-old versatile midfielder in January. For starters, Real Madrid view Valverde as a key part of their squad, and under no circumstances will they even consider selling the Uruguayan for €70 million. If they open the doors for the midfielder to leave, it will be for a much higher price, given his €1 billion release clause.
Secondly, Real Madrid do not need to consider selling Valverde, as they too are manouvering through issues of their own. Hence, even if Manchester City are to come up with a €70 million offer for the 26-year-old versatile midfielder, the likelihood of the Uruguayan leaving is none at this stage, especially in January.
