Manchester City are now preparing a big offer for an attacker who has a “left foot made of gold”, with Pep Guardiola believed to be a big fan, according to a report.
Pep planning summer rebuild
Man City have started to show some more promising signs in the Premier League over the past couple of months, defeating Newcastle United 4-0 at the weekend, but they are still far from their best.
Guardiola’s side trail league leaders Liverpool by 16 points, and the 5-1 defeat against Arsenal at the beginning of the month is symbolic of their significant drop-off this season, which has been exacerbated by Rodri’s season-ending ACL injury.
As such, despite a window of heavy spending in January, Guardiola is now planning even more signings for the summer, setting his sights on a number of players who could replace some of the old guard.
With Kevin De Bruyne’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, Paulo Dybala has been identified as a potential target, while City are also eyeing Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso, with Pep keen to strengthen in the full-back areas.
Related
Man City now have serious interest in signing another “great” midfield star
He’s rediscovered his best form this season…
According to reports from Spain, the Sky Blues also have a new target on their shortlist, with Guardiola said to be ‘in love with’ Como attacking midfielder Nico Paz, who has been very impressive in the Serie A this season.
Paz’s vision and eye for goal has caught the eye of the reigning Premier League champions, who are now considering a move in the summer transfer window, with a big offer being prepared.
Guardiola views the Como star as a player with enormous potential, so he could personally ask the City board to make a huge offer in the summer.
Paz starring in the Serie A
The former Real Madrid man has been enjoying a fantastic debut campaign in the Serie A, with six goals and four assists to his name in 24 appearances, having predominantly featured in attacking midfield, although he started at centre-forward last time out.
While the Argentina international’s attacking quality has caught City’s eye, there are signs he is a well-rounded midfielder, as he ranks highly across a number of key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
|
Average per 90 |
|
|
Tackles |
1.72 (83rd percentile) |
|
Interceptions |
0.94 (97th percentile) |
|
Blocks |
1.72 (98th percentile) |
|
Aerials won |
1.15 (88th percentile) |
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the £15k-p/w attacker as having a “left foot made of gold”, and his performances this season indicate he could now be ready to take the next step in his career by moving to one of Europe’s top clubs.
It is clear to see why Guardiola is such a big fan of the 20-year-old, and with the City manager keen to drive down the average age of his squad at the end of the season, Paz could be an ideal signing.
