da betway： Manchester City’s pursuit of a long-term replacement for Fernandinho has been the most pressing transfer issue for Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola to dissect in the past twelve months.
da betsson： This time last season the Citizens were heavily linked with a move for Napoli’s deep-lying playmaker, Jorginho. A transfer failed to materialise in January and the consensus was that City would return to finally complete a deal in the summer – but those presumptions were based on false grounds.
Chelsea swooped in to steal the Italy international and City have been left pondering over potential transfer targets ever since, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Frenkie de Jong both at the heart of the growing speculation.
But a recent report from Italian media outlet Calcio Mercato has detailed a different narrative altogether, as they claim City are set to return to Napoli once again for another midfield lynchpin, Allan.
Napoli will be growing sick of the sight of a club who have troubled them both on and off the field in recent years, and naturally they will do everything they can to ensure Allan remains in Naples.
But the pulling power which Guardiola command in the modern era will certainly give Allan plenty to think about in the next two transfer windows.
Fernandinho has been marshalling City’s midfield in recent weeks with a typically supreme level of authority which was absent during the early openings of the campaign, but the Brazil international is set to turn 34 in May and Guardiola cannot go another season without securing a long-term replacement.
Like Fernandinho, Allan is agile in-front of the back-four and possesses the awareness and anticipation to do the dirty work in midfield. Not only is Napoli’s tough-tackling midfielder an excellent defensive asset, he is blessed with a shrewd eye for a forward-thinking through ball and an extensive range of passing which would enable him to make a seamless transition into Guardiola’s side.
The prospect of signing Ajax’s hottest property, De Jong, will be filling the Citizens faithful with excitement, but Allan represents more of a like-for-like replacement for Fernandinho than the Dutch wonderkid, and that factor could be telling in the transfer market.
Manchester City fans – thoughts? Let us know below!