Pep requests Man City sign "special" star, £105m opening bid now being prepared
da luck： Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has now personally requested the board sign a “special” star, with a £105m opening offer now in the works.
Man City looking to sign successor to Rodri
da fazobetai： After spending the majority of the 2024-25 campaign sidelined due to an ACL injury, 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is starting to show signs he is getting back to his best, most notably impressing in the 2-0 Champions League victory over Napoli.
The Spaniard received an 8.3 SofaScore match rating against the Italian side, the second-highest of any City player, after making a number of key contributions and touching the ball 109 times, more than anyone else on the pitch.
Statistic
Number completed
Duels won
6
Accurate passes
87/95 (92%)
Key passes
3
Defensive actions
6
Esteemed Kompany’s Steven McInerney also sung the central midfielder’s praises after his display against the Serie A champions, but it has since emerged that Guardiola is now running the rule over potential long-term successors.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Pep is keen on Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic as an heir to Rodri, and the manager has now set his sights on a different young midfielder.
That is according to a report from Spain, which states Pep has personally requested the Man City board sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves, with the manager said to be a keen admirer of the midfielder.
Such is City’s level of interest, they are already preparing a massive initial offer of €120m (£105m) for Neves, but it could be difficult to tempt the French club into a sale.
The 20-year-old is regarded as an essential part of PSG’s project, given that the youngster has already established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position, so his current employers are extremely hesitant to sanction a departure.
"Special" Neves would be statement signing for Man City
It seems like it will be very difficult to get a deal done, but the Portuguese maestro could be a statement signing for the Blues, with scout Ben Mattinson suggesting he is destined for the very top.
Much like Rodri, the PSG star is an incredibly well-rounded midfielder, placing in the 96th percentile for tackles per 90, the 97th percentile for pass-completion rate, and the 92nd percentile for non-penalty goals over the past year, compared to other midfielders.
Despite his age, the starlet is already vastly experienced at the highest level, making 17 Champions League appearances en-route to PSG’s maiden triumph last season, which suggests he could be a top signing for Man City.
That said, given that Neves remains under contract until 2029, PSG should be in a strong negotiating position, and it remains to be seen whether he would even be willing to leave the reigning European champions.