Manchester City have now opened talks to sign an "exceptional" Real Madrid player, who has been personally requested by manager Pep Guardiola.
Man City unbeaten in nine after Villarreal triumph
Man City extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions by defeating Villarreal 2-0 on Tuesday evening, with Erling Haaland once again getting on the scoresheet, and the striker is now just one game away from breaking one of Cristiano Ronaldo's records.
After a turbulent 2024-25 campaign, City appear to finally be rediscovering their best form, having also moved up to second in the Premier League, but it has now emerged that Guardiola is keen to bring in some extra attacking firepower.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola applauds fans after the match
Haaland is in the form of his life, but a report from Spain reveals Man City are keen on bringing in another attacking midfielder to provide for the 25-year-old, having opened talks over a deal for Real Madrid star Arda Guler at Pep's request.
Since the arrival of Xabi Alonso, Guler has emerged as a key player for the La Liga side, which means they are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure, but that hasn't stopped Guardiola's side recently opening negotiations.
Guardiola is personally keen on the attacking midfielder, as the manager believes he suits City's style of play, but the Blues may need to break their transfer record to get a deal done, with it being reported the 20-year-old is valued at over £130m.
"Exceptional" Guler would be statement signing for Man City
The youngster has been one of the Spanish side's most important players this season, chipping in with three goals and five assists in 11 matches in all competitions, and he was recently compared to two former Real Madrid stars by Alonso.
The Madrid boss said: "Not just because of his background, but because of the quality he has. He is a mix between Ozil and Guti, because Guti knew how to play close to the box and give the final pass."
Despite only turning 20 earlier this year, the Turkey international already has plenty of first-team experience, being lauded by Statman Dave as a result of his performances for Fenerbahce during the 2022-23 campaign.
Signing Guler would be a real statement of intent from Man City, but in truth the move seems very unlikely, given that Real Madrid have no plans to let the starlet leave, and he remains under contract until 2029.