Man City have put an ‘maxi offer’ on the table for Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci in a blow to Milan, according to reports in Italy.
The Citizens lost 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday as Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to nine points over second-placed Arsenal.
Man City, who were second until the weekend’s fixtures, are now 11 points adrift of Arne Slot’s men as they look to defend their Premier League title.
Pep Guardiola’s side have now lost four Premier League matches in a row, while they are winless in their last seven fixtures in all competitions.
Guardiola got taunted by Liverpool fans during the match with a “sacked in the morning” chant before the Man City boss responded by holding up six fingers, representing each Premier League title he’s won since moving to England.
The pressure is now building on Man City and Guardiola to turn results around this season with the injuries to Rodri, who is out until the end of the season, and Mateo Kovacic really impacting their midfield.
And Italian website Milan Live claim that Guardiola ‘makes Milan cry’ with a ‘maxi offer’ for Torino midfielder Ricci and ‘takes him to City’.
The report adds that an ‘offer impossible to refuse is ready’ which has the ‘Milan fans trembling’ with Guardiola ‘ready to steal’ Ricci from under the Rossoneri’s noses.
A potential move to Milan ‘has become more than concrete’ in recent weeks for Ricci but Man City are now ‘ready to knock out Milan in the race to sign Ricci’.
The defending Premier League champions have put ’35 million euros on the table’ for the Italy international after Ricci’s value has ‘more than tripled’ since 2022.
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Ruben Dias, who made his first appearances since the end of October on Sunday against Liverpool, has “a good feeling for what is ahead” despite their poor start to the new Premier League campaign.
Dias told the club’s official website: “It is obviously not the easiest period but we’re made for this. It was a difficult game today, it was always going to be in our best moments and has been since I’ve been here, even in our best moments – this has always been a tough place to come, and even more now in our circumstances.
“I am seeing through it and I saw a lot of character today and that is something that gives me a good feeling for what is ahead.
“Winning is all about that. We have a lot of winners in our dressing room. In times like this it is all about mentality and keep on going and pushing and thinking one game at a time.
“Nottingham Forest is all that is on our mind and we want to win and that is how you break it. Today I saw little things that will help us move forward.
“This is just part of our legacy. We’ve won so much and still we are where we are and this happens. It is more about building and building the legacy. These tough moments will never stop coming in football.
“Football is the perfect example of life, sometimes life seems easy but it slaps you in the face and football is the perfect example of that. That is why we win again and again, we’ve been able to be versatile, adapt and keep on moving forward and thinking one game at a time.
“That is what we need to get back to. This is all about our legacy and building that and believing in it. We’ll see where we are at the end of the season. Now is just Nottingham Forest, Nottingham Forest, Nottingham Forest.”