According to the reports from Turkish media outlet Sabah as cited by Manchester Evening News, Manchester City are ready to make an offer for Juventus defender Merih Demiral. It is being said that Pep Guardiola has become ‘crazy’ for the Turkish international. City will reportedly offer €45m for Demiral, but a move might not necessarily be completed in January.
City’s defensive issues have been well documented this season. Their failure to replace Vincent Kompany coupled with a long term injury to Aymeric Laporte broke the backbone of their defensive unit. As a result, they have suffered in the league so far against a Liverpool side which has looked on a different level altogether.
A centre back is an absolute need of the hour for the club. Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones haven’t covered themselves in glory with some of their performances. With Laporte set to be back soon, some of Guardiola’s problems might be solved.
However, it is understandable why the club are on the lookout for a new defender. Guardiola has often indicated that signing a top player in January won’t be possible and even with Demiral, things are a bit uncertain.
Will Demiral be a good bet?
The 21-year-old defender moved to Juventus in the summer of 2019 from Sassuolo. Demiral has made six appearances in all competitions so far this season. Hence, it is fair to say that he is nowhere near being a first-team member at Juventus. However, it is his performances for his national side that has caught the attention of many.
Demiral has been partnering with Caglar Soyuncu for Turkey and together, they helped their side to get to the Euros main draw. The 21-year-old impressed with his aggression, strengths and tackling abilities. Demiral stands in at 6ft4, so he is understandably good in the air. He seems to have all facets necessary to thrive in the Premier League. However, the player is still inexperienced and might make some mistakes from time to time.
But it seems like Guardiola is impressed with what Demiral has to offer. At the moment, the €45m price tag might seem a bit too much for a relatively unknown name like him, but for comparisons, nobody also knew Soyuncu when Leicester signed him, and he would be easily worth more than €45m now. Hence, we believe that City should go for Demiral if they feel that the defender fits their team well. Whether he would be able to deliver week in week out at a big stage for a big club like City remains to be seen.
