Manchester City star Oscar Bobb suffered an injury setback in the Carabao Cup this week, just as he was emerging as one of the more intriguing transfer targets for January.
Sources suggest the Cityzens are prepared to place a price tag on him in the new year, at a time when they are seriously considering triggering Antoine Semenyo’s £65million release clause at Bournemouth.
As Man City plot a push for silverware in the second half of the season, they are keen to test the market, making Bobb’s role in the squad increasingly unclear.
The 22-year-old winger is highly rated at the Etihad but has started just five Premier League matches this term.
To add to his problems, Bobb limped off in the quarter-final win over Brentford just as he had begun to attract attention from elsewhere.
We understand Bobb would be valued at around £25million if any club looks to take advantage of the situation.
Interestingly, Crystal Palace are understood to have been weighing up a move for Bobb, alongside their interest in Tottenham star Brennan Johnson.
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Palace are keen to add another attacking dimension to Oliver Glasner’s squad and are viewed as a strong potential destination for Bobb.
Such a move could open up an interesting scenario for City, who would be eager to develop a positive working relationship between the two clubs across 2026, as they are one of the teams monitoring midfielder Adam Wharton ahead of next summer.
An offer for Bobb is expected to be significantly lower than the fee required to prise Johnson away from Tottenham.
Johnson’s future in north London remains uncertain, with sources indicating he would command a fee in excess of £40 million – if Spurs are genuinely willing to sell.
As reported this week, we have also been told that a loan move for Johnson could be explored, which would add another layer to the situation.
We have previously reported that Palace are likely to face competition from Bournemouth and Aston Villa for Johnson, further adding intrigue to Bobb’s situation.
The extent of Bobb’s injury setback is yet to be revealed.
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Meanwhile, my colleague Fraser Fletcher reported in an update today that Tottenham are prepared to offer Semenyo huge wages to convince the Bournemouth star to join them.
As mentioned, Man City are firmly in the race for Semenyo, having held talks with his representatives, as have Liverpool and Manchester United.
In other news, Man City director of football Hugo Viana has put together a list of managerial options to replace Pep Guardiola.
The name of Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca – a former coach for the Cityzens – has emerged, while Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany is also on Viana’s radar.
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