Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos could reportedly be set for a contract offer from Premier League champions Manchester City as his current deal nears expiry.
According to a report from ESPN, newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City considering signing Real Madrid captain and icon Sergio Ramos on a free transfer in the upcoming summer window.
Ramos’ 16-year successful stint at Real Madrid could be coming to an end this summer with the Spaniard in the final few weeks of his contract with the club. Talks of a renewal have been going on for a while, but the two parties are yet to arrive at a satisfactory agreement due to the fact that the veteran star is demanding a two-year deal but the club are unwilling to alter their policy of one-year extensions for players above thirty.
This has led to negotiations getting stalled, and even though Ramos would prefer to stay at Real Madrid, he is prepared to pack his bags and secure an exit if he is unable to come to agreement on a deal with club president Florentino Perez. This development has seemingly alerted a host of clubs across Europe, including Premier League champions Manchester City.
Manchester City are coming on the back of a disheartening Champions League final defeat to Chelsea, following which Pep Guardiola is keen on bolstering his defensive options, despite having signed Ruben Dias in a club-record deal last summer. The Cityzens did lose Eric Garcia, who has signed for Barcelona on a free transfer, while Nathan Ake has endured an injury-riddled debut campaign at the Etihad.
In addition, Aymeric Laporte, who has dropped behind Dias and John Stones in the pecking order at Manchester City, has been linked with an exit, with Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona interested in the left-footed defender. Thus, there could be room for a new centre-back signing at the Etihad come summer and Guardiola sees Ramos as someone who could add a lot of value to the team.
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Ramos turned 35 in March earlier this year and has had a spate of injuries over the course of 2020/21 campaign, which resulted in him being omitted from the Spain squad for the UEFA Euro 2020. Nevertheless, City believe that he can play the Vincent Kompany role within the side and are prepared to offer him a two-year contract with an option of a third at the Etihad itself or at City Football Group’s MLS franchise New York City FC.
There has been no approach made as of yet, but Ramos is said to be aware of the interest from Manchester City, while the Premier League bigwigs continue to keep close tabs on the situation. The report claims that talks will be held between the 35-year-old and Los Blancos in the coming days over a new deal, following which a clearer picture should emerge.
