Man City have made a “fresh enquiry” for Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto, according to reports.
TEAMtalk claim that Enzo Maresca’s side initially made an approach for the France international at the start of the summer.
However, Gusto’s asking price is believed to have put them off from making an offer for the player at the time.
Despite City seemingly reviving their interest, it doesn’t appear as if Chelsea have lowered their valuation, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Blues are still demanding a fee in excess of £70m for the 23-year-old.
Man City have wanted a new right-back for several years
The Cityzens have never really replaced Kyle Walker, with the likes of Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis having been used since the former England international’s departure.
Nunes, in particular, was a stopgap solution, as his natural position is in central midfield, but he did perform reasonably well as a fullback last season.
Maresca is, however, clearly unhappy with the options at his disposal. He started a centre-half, Abdukodir Khusanov, instead of Nunes and Lewis, in the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday.
Gusto is not the only Chelsea player in the club’s sights
TEAMtalk claim that there is a possibility City will make moves for three of Maresca’s former players before the transfer window closes, in a “triple” raid.
Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto are also reportedly on the Manchester club’s radar, but it would be a massive surprise if Chelsea sanctioned all three deals.
The least likely is believed to be Neto, who has strong interest from Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal are keen on securing the winger’s signature, and he is said to be open to the move.
A bid for Fernandez is expected to be lodged before the transfer window shuts on September 1st, but there is still believed to be a sizeable gap between the two teams’ valuations of the player.