Manchester City are not willing to match the asking price of Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovačić this summer. According to recent reports, Los Blancos’ demands have proven to be too much for the Citizens to cope with, in their pursuit of the Croatian international during this summer transfer period.
It is believed that the champions of England are still on the lookout for a new midfielder following the collapse of their move for Jorginho, who has joined Chelsea recently. Some sources are now claiming that City are reluctant to meet the Galacticos’ valuation of Kovacic which is reported to be around £80m.
The Croatian sensation had a terrific campaign with his country in the 2018 FIFA World Cup where he helped his nation make it to the final of the competition, eventually losing out to France with a 4-2 scoreline.
With the Citizens being priced out of a move for Kovacic, let’s take a look at three replacements for Pep Guardiola to consider in this post-season.
Leander Dendoncker
The 23-year-old midfield sensation is currently playing for RSC Anderlecht and had put in some majestic performances for the Belgian club during the course of the last campaign. He had taken part in 44 matches for the Belgian giants last season across all competitions and has one goal and three assists to his name. Dendoncker has incredible potential and could turn out to be an ideal asset under Pep Guardiola if given the chance to make a switch to the Etihad Stadium. He is quite versatile and can operate in a number of different positions in central midfield as well as in central defence, which makes him a good fit for the Citizens of Manchester.
Arturo Vidal
The Chilean experienced midfielder has been in sensational form for Bayern Munich over the last few campaigns However the 31-year-old has been plagued with injuries in recent times which has seen him appear in just 35 matches for the Bundesliga champions last season, scoring 6 goals while also creating 2 assists across all competitions. He is exactly the kind of talent who can thrive under Guardiola at the heart of the City midfield if the Etihad-outfit decided to opt for his services in the coming weeks.
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Saúl Ñíguez
The Atletico Madrid midfield dazzler has enjoyed an outstanding campaign so far and has put in some eye-catching performances for the La Liga side last season. The Spanish sensation has featured in 53 matches for the Madrid-based side and has found the back of the net 6 times while providing 5 assists across all competitions. At 23, he still has his best years ahead of him which Guardiola’s team could look to benefit from, in the coming years.
