Premier League giants Manchester City have set their sights on Juventus left-back Alex Sandro with a view to signing the Brazilian in the January transfer window
According to the Mirror, Manchester City are looking to move quickly on securing the signature of the Juventus left back Alex Sandro, looking to avoid potentially paying the double for the Brazilian.
The report from Mirror states that the Citizens have sent scouts to monitor Sandro multiple times, and are now ready to make a move for the Juventus defender before he signs a new deal with the Serie A champions.
It added that his current contract, which ends in June 2020, has a release clause for £25.6 million. If the Brazilian was to renew his contract with the Old Lady, though, the buyout clause could rise to £40 million.
Two-time Premier League champions Manchester City are known to be long time admirers of Sandro, having been tracking the fullback since his time at Porto. The Citizens, in fact, also made a bid to sign the 25-year-old in 2015 before the Brazilian chose to move to the five time defending Italian champions instead.
Prior to his 2015 transfer to Turin, Alex Sandro was regarded as one of the most promising left backs in the game, displaying unending energy at the back, and intelligence and verve going forward. And since making a switch to Italian football, he has only grown in stature to become one of the best fullbacks in European football.
For City, a move for the Juventus man would be a definite upgrade on incumbent left fullbacks Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov. The two have been long time servants at the Etihad Stadium, but have been largely unconvincing at the start of the season.
Sandro is known to be as effective as a traditional fullback in a back four as he is in the much more advanced role of a wing back. It is this versatility that is sure to have caught the eye of City manager Pep Guardiola who is known to appreciate this kind of versatility and dynamism in his players.
The Brazilian has been nothing short of impressive in this campaign too, having featured in 12 of the 13 league games his club has played in the Serie A so far. Sandro has helped Juve to being the most miserly defence in the league this season, with the champions conceding only 9 times, and has also grabbed three assists at the same time.
Alex Sandro has proven himself at the highest level and is certainly an upgrade over Pep Guardiola’s options currently. The current £25.6 million release clause should, therefore, not be a hindrance for Manchester City, with their financial clout making it possible for them to get hold of just about every player in the world.
A January transfer of Sandro will, then, definitely provide a healthy boost to City’s title charge, as they look to win the Premier League in Guardiola’s first season in charge at the club. The Citizens are currently second in the Premier League table, level on points with leaders Liverpool, after a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace last night.
