Manchester City could sign AS Monaco sensation Aurélien Tchouaméni this summer as manager Pep Guardiola sets his sights on an heir to Fernandinho, according to reports out of Spain.
The Lowdown: Sky Blues set for summer charge…
The Premier League champions, having retained their top flight crown in the most dramatic way possible, have now set their sights on the summer transfer window.
Three goals in an incredible five minutes on the final day of 2021/2022 gifted City a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa and their fourth title in five seasons under Guardiola, an afternoon which will live long in the memory of all supporters.
However, despite the emotion and joyous title celebrations which have followed since, the club must bid goodbye to faithful servant and legend Fernandinho after his near-decade long stay at Eastlands.
The Brazilian will leave Manchester upon the expiry of his contract in June as sporting director Txiki Begiristain is tasked with finding a suitable replacement.
Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips and Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong are among the names to have been linked as Guardiola sets his sights on a rotational partner for Rodri in front of City’s back four.
The Latest: City could join Tchouaméni race…
According to reports out of Spain, City could now join the race to sign Monaco starlet Tchouaméni alongside the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
The Blues, alongside Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain, ‘closely follow’ the 22-year-old and their ‘appearance’ in the ‘long-distance race’ to sign him ‘is not ruled out’.
However. it is believed Tchouameni won’t leave for less than €80 million (£68m).
The Verdict: Make a move…
We believe Guardiola and Begiristain should certainly make a move for the exciting midfielder who already has eight international caps in a competitive France side.
France Under-21 boss Sylvain Ripoll has labelled Tchouaméni a ‘monster‘ with the player’s statistics certainly going some way to explain why.
He finished last season as Monaco’s best-performing player by average match rating (7.32/10) whilst making more interceptions per 90 than any of his teammates and winning the most Man of the Match awards (WhoScored).
Another reason to move is the distinct possibility Tchouameni leaves this summer with his manager Philippe Clement admitting just last Monday that there is a ‘chance’ he leaves Monaco (L’Equipe via GFFN).
Clement went on to suggest that they are already preparing for his departure amid plenty of interest from the continent.
City would be remiss if they didn’t try and take full advantage to back Guardiola with his signing.
In other news: The Times: Man City weighing bid for ‘special’ star called ‘one of the best’ in world football…find out more here.
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