Manchester City are holding a ‘profile evaluation process’ on Porto’s Alan Varela as he continues to impress for the Portuguese side.
That’s according to Mais Futebol, who say the club have been keen on the player since he was at Boca Juniors and have revived that interest in recent weeks.
According to their information, Manchester City have had someone present at Porto games in recent weeks to watch over the player, who was ‘highly rated’ by the club’s scouts when he was playing for Boca Juniors.
No negotiations are in progress at this moment in time, but they are in a ‘profile evaluation process’ ahead of a potential move in the summer.
Varela is currently valued at €70m as that is the value of the release clause in his current contract with Porto, which runs until 2028.
Whether Manchester City would need to match that, though, is up for debate as various other claims in Portugal have hinted at the possibility of it being done for a slightly lower price.
Portuguese sides often point to the release clause in player’s deals but will sometimes negotiate for lower, especially in the summer, so in this case something in the region of €55m plus good bonuses may do the trick.
It’s a situation to keep an eye on, with the interest long-standing and Manchester City watching his progression.