Manchester City have been told to pay £35million if they want to sign Schalke midfielder Sebastian Rudy, according to The Sun.
The national newspaper claim that Pep Guardiola wants the 28-year-old midfield enforcer at Man City in order for him to be cover for Fernandinho.
The Sun report that Rudy was on the fringes of Schalke squad this season but after excelling against Wolfsburg, the Bundesliga side are only willing to let him go for a huge fee.
It is believed Guardiola initially tried to secure the midfield enforcer on loan but has been told that only a permanent deal will be accepted.
Good move for Man City?
No, not with that price tag.
As The Sun’s report details Man City are looking at Rudy to be back up for Fernandinho due to the players they see as potential long-term replacement, Ruben Neves and Declan Rice, being unavailable to sign at this time.
Rudy is meant to be in Man City’s sights due to being a possible short-term solution for the club to take, however signing him for £35million would be a costly endeavour that implies that he’d be a long-term fix.
Also given that stance, it seems odd that the midfield enforcer would be keen to commit himself to a club that his chances may soon dry up at.
This Is Futbol rating: 4/10
Likely to happen?
Not really, if a loan deal was possible it’d be a whole different story.
While Man City are capable of being able to splash the cash, including a figure in the region of £35million, given that Rudy was meant to be a fix until the end of the season, they are not going to invest heavily in him.
However it’s clear Man City are desperately in need of signing a player to be cover for Fernandinho, so maybe their hands may be forced if Guardiola really forces the issue.
This Is Futbol rating: 3/10