Manchester City are weighing up a bid for Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugalde, according to reports.
TBRFootball claims that the Costa Rican international is being watched by the Premier League champions, along with several other teams, ahead of the January transfer window.
Ugalde has been in excellent form this season, having found the back of the net 16 times in 22 appearances.
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His performances, combined with the fact that there is a £25m release clause in his contract, make him an attractive target for the Cityzens.
A backup for Haaland is desperately needed
Manager Pep Guardiola does not have an understudy for Erling Haaland, having sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid last summer.
The Norwegian has stayed fit this season but City are playing a dangerous game. If he is sidelined for any length of time, they have limited options in terms of replacements.
Kyogo Furuhashi and Orri Oskarsson were considered in the summer, with both seen as economical solutions but it appears Ugalde is the one favoured ahead of January. He is already well known to the club, with City Football Group having signed him for Lommel S.K back in 2020. The 22-year-old has, though, made subsequent transfers to FC Twente and Spartak.
City are not the only Premier League team pursuing his signature
TBRFootball reports that Arsenal and Chelsea are leading a host of other English top-flight sides who are considering their own bids for Ugalde.
Of course, the big question is: will his goalscoring record in Russia translate to English football? The fact that his buyout clause is so low means that it wouldn’t be a massive gamble to take. With City keen on recruiting a forward, you wouldn’t rule them out from making an official approach.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here