Man City transfer news: Dusan Tadic, Isco, Ben Chilwell, Paulo Dybala
Real Madrid's Champions League exit could be good news for Pep Guardiola
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”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Ivory Coast reels from surge of homophobic attacks fuelled by online influencers
Under the Radar Once considered a safe haven, West African nation's LGBTQ+ citizens says they are now afraid to be seen in public
By Tess Foley-Cox Published
-
How did Trump shift voters to the right and win?
Today's Big Question Latino voters led a national shift to the right
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How do presidential transitions work?
The Explainer Donald Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after a two-month process
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?
Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
By The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after ‘extraordinary’ rant at players
feature After another year without a trophy, Spurs are now searching for a new manager
By The Week Staff Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City’s financial charges: what next for the Premier League champions?
feature The club is alleged to have breached financial rules around 100 times over a nine-year period
By Mike Starling Published