Manchester City will need to pay close to €40m for Samuele Ricci if they want him to replace Rodri in the January transfer window.
That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb, who say Torino have no intention of giving up the 23-year-old on the cheap.
A report yesterday indicated that Ricci was one of several names being looked at by Manchester City to cover for the loss of Rodri, who is set to spend the season on the treatment table after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
Reports in England have said Pep Guardiola is crazy about Ricci, believing he could be a star in the making and an ideal fit for Manchester City’s squad.
At that point Torino asking for no less than €25m but his price tag has since broken through the €30m barriers and is now ‘approaching €40m’. That’s largely because of his development to this point but also the fact he’s got plenty left in him too.
Torino are aware of that and are moving to try and protect the player, whose current deal runs until 2026 but includes a salary below €1m.
That could easily be improved with a new deal and give the club more power in potential negotiations with the likes of Manchester City, particularly as next summer they’ll need to sell to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
The belief is that he’s a player who needs to be closely monitored in the coming weeks and months, with an extension possible but a transfer away for ‘monstrous figures’ also not to be ruled out.
