City plan swoop for De Jong
Amsterdam for at least another year. But City have not ruled out testing Ajax’s resolve again in January.
De Jong has earned rave reviews for Ajax and his performances have caught the eye of Europe’s top clubs.
Guardiola has identified defensive midfield as a weak point in the City squad, and the Premier League champions are still relying on 33-year-old Fernandinho as their destructive midfield force this season.
The Brazilian plays such a crucial role that it has left City just one injury away from a crisis.
Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara and Paris Saintgermain’s Adrien Rabiot are also on City’s list.
Guardiola gave 27-year-old Alcantara his Barcelona debut when he was a teenager and then signed him for Bayern in an £18million deal in 2013.
Rabiot, 23, spent six months at City’s academy in 2008 before moving back to France.
He is out of contract with Paris Saint-germain at the end of the season.