As Manchester City reportedly set their sights on an heir to club legend Fernandinho, some major news has come to light involving candidate and Real Sociedad star Mikel Merino.

The Lowdown: End of an era...

The Brazilian has already confirmed his intention to leave Eastlands nearly 10 years after signing for the club from Shakhtar Donestk in 2013.

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Since joining the Sky Blues, Fernandinho has gone on to become a mainstay and pivotal figure - both on the pitch and behind-the-scenes under two different managers.

Previously, the 36-year-old signed one-year contract extensions in both 2020 and 2021, but it seems the defensive midfield colossus is now finally drawing the curtain on his City career.

In some sad news for supporters, watching the last of the old guard depart Manchester will be a tough one to take.

Club chiefs, following the announcement from Fernandinho, have allegedly got to work on a list of possible replacements.

The Latest: Spanish source shares Merino update...

As per Spanish sources, City and sporting director Txiki Begiristain have Real Sociedad star Merino as a candidate, alongside previously reported Toni Kroos.

Allegedly, 'in recent days', it is believed that the Premier League champions are now 'willing to pay the €60 million (£50m) clause' in order to avoid negotiations with the La Liga side.

Guardiola, as per this report, also likes Merino 'a lot'.

The Verdict: Make a move?

While truly succeeding Fernandinho is a near-impossible task given his contribution over the last decade, the Sky Blues and Guardiola could do far worse than Merino.

According to WhoScored, the former Newcastle United star has stood out as a crucial man for Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil, making more tackles per 90 than any regular in the side with over one league start.

He's also their best performing player domestically going by average match rating over 2021/2022, perhaps backing why Guardiola loves the player who can break up play and spread the ball around with equal aplomb.

In other news: Guardiola may now convince 'spectacular' £307k-per-week star to join City! Find out more here.