Since Hellas Verona acquired Ivan Ilic from Manchester City on a €7.5m deal last summer, the Italian media has been making it clear that the Premier League side have the preference in case the Serie A club sell him in the future.
So today, as outlet Calciomercato writes about Lazio’s interest in signing the 21-year-old, this subject is back on being talked about, named as a ‘sort of priority clause’.
The website writes about the ‘excellent’ relationship between the presidents of the Italian clubs, pointing out that the transfer would be done for between €12m and €13m.
Manchester City, however, are then brought to the story.
Calciomercato points out that Hellas Verona ‘have to notify’ the English club before closing a deal, as Pep Guardiola would have the right of ‘invoking their preferential channel’.
The report points out that the Premier League side could guarantee the player a higher salary, besides obviously offering him the chance of playing for bigger things.
If that happens, it’s ‘practically certain’ he would move there instead.
However, as nothing is said about Manchester City actually being already interested in that kind of operation, Lazio will continue to pursue the player, hoping that Guardiola won’t want him back.
