Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - April 20, 2022, Brighton & Hove Albion's Marc Cucurella applauds fans.
Manchester City, and by extension sporting director Txiki Begiristain, could be set for a ‘tug-of-war’ as they plot a fresh bid for Brighton defender Marc Cucurella.
The Lowdown: Man City make their move…
The Premier League champions have identified the left-back as a top target this summer, especially after former fan favourite Oleksandr Zinchenko completed his move to Arsenal.
City manager Pep Guardiola is said to want the 24-year-old, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that ‘talks’ have commenced over a possible transfer.
The Athletic recently lifted the lid on a rejected opening offer of £30m from the Sky Blues, but according to reports out of Spain, it appears that Begiristain and co aren’t quitting too easily.
The Latest: Txiki plots fresh Cucurella bid…
According to Sport (via Sport Witness), the ‘tug-of-war will continue’ for Cucurella’s signing, and it is believed that he wants a move to Eastlands before the start of 2022/23.
Furthermore, City are set to ‘raise their offer’ for the former Getafe gem, although they remain reluctant to meet his €50m (£43m) asking price.
Indeed, it appears that both Brighton and City will continue to tussle over his value, but one of them must give some quarter in order for a deal to take place.
The Verdict: Keep trying…
While we don’t generally condone paying £43m for a player who has spent just one season competing in the Premier League, Cucurella could prove a very astute signing for the right amount of money.
Finishing 2021/22 as one of Brighton’s best players (third-highest ranked on WhoScored), the defender has also been called ‘sensational’ by members of the press for his contribution under Graham Potter.
It’s also believed that insiders within the Etihad Stadium view Cucurella as ‘perfect’ for Guardiola’s system, so the Cityzens ought to keep trying in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.
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