Manchester City are at the front of the queue of clubs looking to hire RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann.
That’s according to SportBILD, who say that they are ‘above everyone’ in the race for the highly-rated coach’s signature.
It’s believed that Manchester City could be on the hunt for a new manager next summer, with Pep Guardiola’s contract expiring and no new deal agreed as yet.
Guardiola has made it clear that he would like to stay but rumours about a potential return to Barcelona, and the lack of a new deal, have continued to fuel the speculation.
SportBILD insist the rumours are true, stating that Nagelsmann ‘will be hunted down’ and is ‘on the wishlist’ of top clubs in Europe, ‘above all’ Manchester City.
They, though, would need to pay a big fee to get him out of Germany. Leipzig had to pay €5m to get him from Hoffenheim but if he were to move next summer, that transfer fee ‘will probably have to be twice as high’.
Whether Manchester City would pay that isn’t made clear, though it’s hard to imagine them being too stingy with their money should they need to replace Guardiola.
It all depends on him, though. If he decides he wants to stay in Manchester and makes that abundantly clear then that is very likely to be the outcome barring any disasters this season.
If not, then it appears Nagelsmann is the one at the top of the club’s thinking to replace him next summer and he may not be the only one to arrive from Leipzig.
The magazine also reports that City have ‘pledged their interest’ in centre-back Dayot Upamecano, who is available for €45m next summer due to a release clause in his contract.
City aren’t the only ones interested, though, with Manchester United and Real Madrid also keen on the French centre back.
