Manchester City are reportedly hoping to complete a £30 million summer swoop for Antonio Rudiger, beating Chelsea to the AS Roma defender.
Daily Mirror are reporting that Manchester City are showing heavy interest in AS Roma defender Antonio Rudiger. The Citizens are reportedly hoping to complete a £40 million swoop in the summer for Rudiger. But they must first overcome competition in the form of Chelsea, who are also showing interest in the star.
Antonio Rudiger is a name that does not need any introduction. The AS Roma defender has starred in 27 matches in all competitions this campaign, and in general is a steady rock at the back for the Rome outfit. The 24-year-old also has 10 senior international caps to his name so far.
Also, Rudiger has been linked heavily with a move to the Premier League since last summer, with speculation continuing up to the January transfer window. However, there were rumours that Rudiger had opted to stay at AS Roma, which came as a huge blow to the suitors.
The suitors were all high-profile English clubs – with Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool while PSG offered them competition. And now, as per Mirror’s report, Chelsea and Manchester City are both interested in bringing Rudiger over to the Premier League.
Manchester City have made Roma & Germany centre-back Antonio Rudiger (24) a top summer target and hope to complete a £30m deal. [Mirror] pic.twitter.com/E4ViQy4doy
— City Watch (@City_Watch) March 17, 2017
Chelsea have been tracking Rudiger for a long while now, with Conte seeking defensive reinforcements. And with Champions League football all but certain for the next campaign, the Italian is reportedly interested in Rudiger to add depth and quality to his defensive options.
Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, has made Antonio Rudiger his priority target in the summer, with the Spaniard struggling to establish a solid back four at Etihad as at the present moment. Guardiola is looking to rebuild the City back-line and has identified the 24-year-old as one of his prime targets.
As per the report, the former Barcelona boss is hopeful of beating Chelsea to Rudiger with a £30 million summer swoop. Rudiger’s age along with his versatility is likely to impress Guardiola further, who has earmarked the German as the long-term partner for John Stones.
However, it remains to be seen if Chelsea and potential other suitors do come in with a better offer or better terms in order to beat City to the German. For now, though, it appears to be a two-horse race and the blue half of Manchester seems to be in the lead.
