Manchester City have identified Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola as a “long-term replacement” for Jack Grealish, according to reports.
Caught Offside claim that the Frenchman has been scouted extensively by Pep Guardiola’s side but they are not the only Premier League club interested in the player.
Arsenal and Tottenham have been keeping tabs on Barcola’s progress as well, with the forward having had an outstanding season for PSG.
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The 22-year-old has scored 21 goals and provided 19 assists in 58 appearances, having helped his team to a historic treble, including the Champions League.
PSG are not interested in selling Barcola
Unsurprisingly, after the campaign he has had, the newly-crowned European champions are reluctant to let the France international go.
It is believed that a fee in excess of €100m (£84m) would probably be needed to even get PSG to the table. With that being the case, the chances of City, or another team, securing Barcola’s services this summer are rather slim.
Have City considered pursuing alternatives?
Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is very much still on the club’s radar. The Brazilian has been a target for the Cityzens in past transfer windows but there is a feeling that he could leave the Bernabeu this summer if he doesn’t get certain guarantees about first-team football.
New Real head coach Xabi Alonso spoke about the forward’s future last week, emphasising that he is an important first-team player. However, a lot hinges on a face-to-face meeting with Rodrygo.
As Alonso prefers to play three at the back, there could be less room up front. If Rodrygo doesn’t get the assurances he’s hoping for, he is expected to request a transfer. In that eventuality, he could be available for around €100m (£84m), making him a more realistic target than someone like Barcola.
In other news, Paul Scholes explains why one Man City target is not good enough to replace Kevin De Bruyne