Manchester City are eyeing a summer swoop for Paris Saint-Germain academy jewel Ayman Kari next season.
According to a report from AS, Manchester City are set to rival Atletico Madrid in the pursuit of Ayman Kari. The Paris Saint-Germain youth player currently plies his trade for the PSG U-19 team and is regarded as one of the most talented prospects in the academy. However, he is expected to move on, should the club fail to offer him regular game-time in the first-team next season.
Kari’s precarious situation at PSG has put Manchester City on red alert. The Citizens are hoping to prise the 17-year-old away from Paris next season and give him the opportunity to shine in England.
A central midfielder by trade, Kari certainly has significant leverage in the PSG academy, though. He is, after all, regarded as one of the best prospects in the current squad, having made a solid impression with his performances in the French youth competitions and even the UEFA Youth League.
As far as the style of play is concerned, Kari can be likened to Yaya Toure, as he is a tall midfielder who is blessed with immense technical quality and a brilliant range of passing. He can also effortlessly break through the opposition press, which is perhaps why Manchester City are so keen on the services of the teenager next season.
With Fernandinho already in the final phase of his career, Man City are undoubtedly in the market for a new midfielder next season. While they have been linked with established players such as Denis Zakaria, having a young prospect can always be a bonus as they don’t usually demand much game-time.
Ayman Kari, in that regard, could prove to be a good long-term investment for the Citizens. His technical prowess and passing could indeed make him an ideal fit for Pep Guardiola’s Juego de Posicion setup.
Kari isn’t a particularly difficult target either, with PSG unlikely to keep hold of him next summer. Les Parisiens, in fact, have let go of multiple talented academy players over the years, with the list including elites such as Christopher Nkunku, Moussa Diaby, Dan-Axel Zagadou, among many others.
As a matter of fact, in addition to Kari, Manchester City are also in the market for another PSG super-talent in Xavi Simons. Neither of them appears to have any prospects in the PSG first-team, so it won’t be surprising to see them move to Etihad next season.