Earlier this week, reports from Brazil brought an update on Athletico Paranaense’s efforts to sign Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho.
It’s been claimed the club had ‘intensified talks’ to bring back the midfielder, who already played for them before moving to Europe.
Journalist Jorge Nicola talks about the rumours on an YouTube video today, and shows that an agreement is still far from being reached.
He first mentions that he’s spoken to Athletico president Mario Cesar Petraglia, who labelled the story as ‘fake news’, claiming there’s a ‘long distance’ before a deal can materialise.
The problem is obviously money.
Nicola explains that Fernandinho makes at least R$2m (£260k) per month at Manchester City, while Athletico’s limit for salaries has been of between R$150k (£19k) and R$200k (£26k), meaning the player would need to accept a huge pay cut to make the move.
It’s claimed that another Brazilian side, Atletico Mineiro, are also keen on the Etihad man and would have better financial conditions to bring Fernandinho in.
On Athletico Paranaense’s side, however, there’s the player’s affection for his old club.
The midfielder’s contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the season, and Nicola says ‘it’s kind of clear’ the Premier League club won’t be offering him an extension.
