Man City 'working on' £67m deal for Kyle Walker replacement but stumbling blocks remain

Manchester City are reportedly working on the signing of highly-rated Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso in the final days of the January transfer window.

The reigning Premier League champions have been the biggest spenders in the division this month after confirming the signings of Claudio Echeverri, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and most notably Egyptian superstar Omar Marmoush in a blockbuster £59m deal with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Marmoush hit the ground running with a solid debut during a 3-1 victory over Chelsea while Khusanov had a difficult evening after making a blunder which led to a goal by Noni Madueke. Both will look to help City progress into the play-off stage of the Champions League in a must win clash against Club Brugge and will also hope to ensure that the Citizens secure qualification for next year’s tournament with a strong league finish.

Pep Guardiola’s side have mainly been focused on incomings and strengthening their group as they react to a disastrous first half of the season which has seen the team pick up just 41 points in 23 games, marking their worst points tally at this stage since 2009/10 when they were managed by Mark Hughes.

However, this month Sky Blues have also had to contend with the departure of club captain Kyle Walker, whose exit to AC Milan leaves the eight-time Premier League winners with a huge hole to fill in the right-back area.

Manchester City set their sights on Andrea Cambiasso

Give Me Sport reports that Pep Guardiola’s City side are leading the charge to sign Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiasso.

The 13-time Italian international has become an increasingly important part of the Turin-based side over the last few seasons and is enjoying a career best campaign after scoring twice and assisting twice in 28 appearances across all competitions.

The Genoa-academy graduate primarily plays as a right-back for the Old Lady but has proven throughout his career that he is very comfortable in both the right-back and right midfield positions.

Cambiasso is renowned for his immense versatility, explosive pace, exceptional crossing ability and his tireless work-rate. He formed a fundamental part of the Juventus team which lifted the Coppa Italia last season and was recently rewarded with a new and improved long-term contract which runs until 2029.

Is Andrea Cambiasso likely to leave Juventus this month

Andrea Cambiaso was given a reported valuation of around £57m heading into the January transfer window by manager Thiago Motta as he became aware of interest from a number of clubs.

However, Give Me Sport now claims that this figure has been increased to around £67m due to the short amount of time Juventus would have to find an adequate replacement.

The outlet explains Juventus are keen to keep hold of the 24-year-old and claim that his future in Turin will likely be dependent on the club’s progress in the Champions League as they prepare to face Benfica. The defender won’t play against Benfica due to injury as his manager said:“He had problems with his ankle, he doesn’t feel 100% ready and so Andrea will take some time to recover.”

In other news, Manchester United have been urged to avoid bringing Paul Pogba back on a free transfer to Old Trafford once the midfielder’s doping ban comes to an end.