Manchester City may be being used as prop for club chief to play tough-guy

Maybe AS were right with their big Monday claims, and Manchester City have offered €89m, plus a further €5m in bonuses, for Jose Gimenez.

Or maybe they were wrong. That isn’t to say the Spanish newspaper have plucked it from thin air. They made sure to make clear, at least twice in their initial article on the alleged offer, that the information was coming from Atletico Madrid sources.

They were also clear to say Manchester City hadn’t responded to a request for comment.

Quickly, Mundo Deportivo turned up saying Atletico have no intention of selling the defender, and any club wanting to sign him would have to deposit his €120m clause.

Now it’s Marca’s turn to dismiss Pep Guardiola’s chances of getting the defender. They say Gimenez himself isn’t looking to leave the Spanish club this summer, and his stance is encouraged by Atletico being absolutely against an exit.

Atletico president Miguel Ángel Gil Marín is said to have made it very clear that no club will get Gimenez for less than €120m in the current market, regardless of Covid-19 hitting finances.

The defender is seen as a cornerstone of the club’s project, and isn’t one of those available for sale.

Who comes out of all of this looking good? Si, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín.

And that may be the whole point of Monday’s drama.