adminMANCHESTER. — Pep Guardiola wants FOUR new full-backs with three of them costing Manchester City a whopping £110 million.
The City boss is chasing right-sided defender Kyle Walker from Tottenham and two left-backs – Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand and Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy – as he looks to bolster his defence.
His final target is free transfer Dani Alves (34), his former Barcelona right-back from Juventus. Guardiola is becoming impatient for Tottenham and England right-back Walker (27) to arrive.
The deal is close but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is holding out for £50 million and City thought they could sign him for £40m.
A compromise at £45 million could be agreed this week, as Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has told Levy that Walker can go. Pochettino now regards Kieran Trippier (26) as his first-choice right-back and Spurs have already lined up Ricardo Pereira, who is rated at £22 million, as a potential replacement for Walker.
Porto star Pereira (23) has impressed while on loan in France with Nice.
Guardiola is also eyeing two left-backs in Mendy (22) at £39,5 million and Bertrand (27) at £25 million .
The Manchester City boss has made the full-back positions a priority in his planning for a title push.
Three full-backs have left City this summer – Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy. And City’s other full-back – Aleksandar Kolarov (31) – s now viewed by Guardiola as a left-sided centre-back.
Guardiola insists Manchester City will improve next season following the disappointment of a trophy-less first year in English football. — The Daily Star.
Online Reporter