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Manchester City reportedly want to recruit two midfielders following Rodri’s long-term injury - and one of them is Bruno Guimaraes.
Pep Guardiola’s men were wrecked by a season-ending injury to Rodri in September. Their form has since nosedived, with the champions winless in seven games before Wednesday’s 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest.
Man City sit nine points behind Liverpool and there is growing acceptance that the Premier League has become a lost cause without Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. Guardiola is already thinking about how he can recruit to ensure the same drop-off does not happen again.
That could spell bad news for Newcastle United in their attempts to keep talisman Guimaraes. Eddie Howe made the Brazilian captain at the start of the season and he produced his finest display since taking the armband in the 3-3 draw with Liverpool.
Guimaraes had a £100million release clause inserted into a five-year contract signed 14 months ago but that expired in June. Reports at the time suggested City valued the 27-year-old closer to £80million.
Guardiola fuelled speculation by praising Guimaraes before an FA Cup clash between both clubs in March. He said: “He (Guimaraes) is an exceptional holding midfielder. He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball.
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“At set pieces, he’s aggressive and is a real, complete holding midfielder since being at Lyon and now at a club who want to grow up and up. I’m sure he’s part of the project for the next (few) years. Definitely.”
The Daily Mail now claim City could revive their interest in January or test Newcastle’s resolve next summer. FFP/PSR restrictions continue to govern the thinking at St James’ Park and there is a growing inevitably about needing to sell a blue-chip player to move forward.
Offloading Guimaraes would unlock spending power to revamp United’s squad and Howe has a ready-made replacement in Sandro Tonali. The piece also suggests Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton as potential Man City alternatives.
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