Man City stunned as Brighton 'lead the way' to sign £50m Bundesliga gem
Man City and Brighton are both targeting a Bundesliga star in the summer transfer window.
Man City are currently desperate to keep their hopes of winning silverware this season alive, as they are preparing for a Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid. They suffered a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, so they have a lot of work to do.
Furthermore, City dropped points by drawing against West Ham at the weekend, and they are now nine points behind title rivals Arsenal in the Premier League. It makes Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against the Gunners ever more important.
If City fail to win a piece of silverware this season, they will be desperate to improve Pep Guardiola’s squad in the summer transfer window. But it seems one of their moves could be hijacked by Brighton.
Brighton lead Man City in race for El Mala
FC Koln and German international winger Said El Mala has become a big talking point in the Bundesliga, and it seems that he is becoming more and more of a name amongst English clubs, too.
The 19-year-old has been sensational this season for Koln, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 28 games. He has been linked with a move to Manchester City as a potential future replacement for Bernardo Silva, whose contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
However, it seems that City’s move for him could be usurped by rivals Brighton, as Football Insider reports that the Seagulls are currently the frontrunners to sign the German attacker.
They claim that Brighton could be willing to spend £50m to sign the highly-rated youngster, which puts Fabian Hurzeler’s side in pole position to land his signature. However, Man City will be able to offer him Champions League football, something that Brighton can’t offer, so they could try to get ahead of their rivals yet again. It is also understood that Bayern Munich wants to sign the 19-year-old in the summer too.
Bernardo Silva exit looks more certain
Silva’s contract is due to expire in June, and there has been no indication yet that the Cityzens will extend the Portuguese midfielder’s deal at the club, so it looks like he will be leaving as a free agent in the summer transfer window.
Recent reports have said that Barcelona are reportedly interested in Silva on a free agent deal, and there is also significant interest in the 31-year-old from the Saudi Pro League, where he could potentially follow in the footsteps of his Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Silva has since made 445 appearances in all competitions, 38 of which have come this term, and he has scored 75 goals. He has won countless trophies under the guidance of Guardiola. The playmaker has the opportunity to try something new now, though and may well be weighing up his next move amid his uncertain contract situation.