Back in 2019, when Nicolas De La Cruz started shining for River Plate, we covered several stories saying Manchester City were interested in signing him.
Pep Guardiola’s side were said to be strongly interested in the player, with claims saying they could even trigger his €22m release clause.
But things cooled down for a while, and in a story from Argentine newspaper Olé today, the Premier League side are back being named.
The article is actually about the European sides who’ve been in touch with De La Cruz’s entourage, with Everton being the main club in the race.
Regarding Manchester City, it’s said the player ‘got to Pep Guardiola’s ears’, but that wasn’t enough for the club to advance for him. That’s because De La Cruz ‘didn’t match the four filters’ which the Citizens have before making any signings.
Despite making it sound like they know what City’s criteria are, Olé doesn’t detail it.
The newspaper adds that given De La Cruz’a young age and how often he’s played so far, the 22-year-old wouldn’t have problems to get a work permit in the Premier League.