Blues want to seal Fred deal as soon as possible
CITY are trying to fast track their move for Fred as the January transfer window enters its final week.
Pep Guardiola still wants to complete deals for the Brazilian international and a centre-back before the end of the month.
The City manager intends to secure a long-term successor for Fernandinho, with Fred his top target.
While the Premier League leaders are trying to wrap up the deal – which could cost in excess of £45m – in the next seven days, his move will potentially be delayed until the summer.
M.E.N. Sport exclusively revealed Guardiola’s determination to land Fred this month.
And Wikipedia appears to have confirmed his move ahead of time – with the website already describing the 24-year-old as an “attacking midfielder for Manchester City.”
While that appears to be mischief making, Guardiola has made a dominant midfielder one of his prime targets, despite handing Fernandinho a new two-year contract this month.
With Yaya Toure expected to leave at the end of the season, City will be left with little cover in that department. NINETY-FIVE minutes in, and Bristol City were pressing hard in a bid to force extra time.
City broke and suddenly it was five on three. But the man who put on the extra sprint, to ensure he got on the end of Leroy Sane’s cross and secured a 3-2 win, had no right to be there.
Kevin de Bruyne had already led several City counter-attacks, brilliantly feeding Sergio Aguero to score their second goal on one of them.
But he had been everywhere, clearing from his own six-yard box one moment, masterminding the attack the next.
He had more shots than anyone else apart from Aguero, more shots on targets, and more interceptions, in a game which booked City’s place in the Carabao Cup final next month.
It didn’t end there. After the game, he was in the tunnel happily chatting to the opponents and swapping shirts, before doing a round of radio and TV interviews.
On the way out, he stopped to sign autographs and have an eightminute chat with the press, as other players breezed past, anxious to get on the coach.
It would be no surprise to find out the Belgian ace had swept out the Ashton Gate dressing rooms and washed the kit as well!
And this was all in the Carabao Cup, a competition for which some professional footballers can barely be bothered to roll out of bed.
Pep Guardiola recently called Nicolas Otamendi ‘Superman’ for making 30 starts so far this season, and only being substituted once.
De Bruyne has started 31 games in total, just past the halfway mark of the season, and shows no signs of flagging – even though he started seven games in 23 days over the Christmas period.
Plans to rotate him with David Silva had to be shelved when the Spaniard’s son was born prematurely in Valencia and he spent much of the period at his bedside.
But De Bruyne was happy to cover for his team-mate, and feels he can keep going, having learned how to