Signing of Ilkay Gündogan aside, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City so far this transfer window.
With still over two months left, there is plenty of time to get things done, but judging by how quickly the club set out to sign players, you’d expect them to want most of the team set before their new manager starts pre-season.
Having lost out on Aymeric Laporte after the French defender signed a new contract with his current club, Athletic Bilbao, the Citizens have moved onto other targets, as young and possibly as talented, to bolster their defence.
AS on Monday claim the Premier League club are now focusing their efforts on signing Atlético Madrid’s José Giménez, and the La Liga club are already making plans in case he leaves.
The Spanish newspaper state Atlético are relaxed over the whole transfer, trust Giménez to stay and anything under the player’s €65m release clause will be rejected.
Nevertheless, you can never be too prepared in football, which is why AS say Diego Simeone and co. have already contacted Villarreal about Matteo Musacchio, just in case Manchester City get their way.
Atlético Madrid certainly know how to deal with pressure from the Premier League, having fought off interest from the same club for Diego Godin last year, and they expect to be able to do so again.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
