Spanish news outlet, Don Balon has linked Manchester City to Valencia midfielder, Carlos Soler. The 21-year-old has been attracting a lot of attention from European sides lately and is expected to cost around £55m.
Soler has established himself in the starting XI of the Valencia lineup this season. He has been a key figure in their resurgence to title-contention status and has appeared 23 times this season, scoring the ball once while assisting 5.
He is already pegged to be the club’s leading man in the future under new boss, Marcelino García Toral. Standing at 6 feet tall, Soler is a physical presence at the heart of the park capable of putting in a solid defensive shift. His nimble footwork allows him to drift in and out of tight spaces and create chances for his teammates.
He has created over 15 chances this season and has shown signs of prolific vision to find his teammates in threatening positions. He does not shy away from the big stages either having scored the only goal in the league fixture against Real Madrid.
Soler still needs to develop further in order to reach elite status but his skills can be moulded further in the fast pace of the English game. More so, it will be a further boost to work under the guidance of a manager who has handled talents like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez in the past.
Pep’s work has already been reflected in the improved performances of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane this season. The former Barcelona head coach went so far as to admit that winning a quadruple is almost impossible without a squad of at least 32 players. While planning an overhaul of every European talent might not be possible, the City board has been accommodating of the 47-year-old’s wishes.
His ideology lies in obtaining the best talents which can match up to that of European giants like Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Soler will be inclined to make a move to a side who are dominating the Premier League with a 16-point lead at the top and reunited with Gundogan at the heart of the park.
Manchester City’s season has been remanent of a dream with the club still alive in all four competitions. However, if Weigl does arrive at Etihad would that mark the exit of any of the current City players? Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho have been rewarded with key roles with the former often delegated to a rotational position.
Gundogan’s injury concerns might help Soler to find minutes on the pitch but it will not be close to a starting XI spot. The asking price for the 21-year-old might turn out to be too much for a player coming off the benches when the club already has Phil Foden and Oleksandr Zinchenko as backup options.
