Pep Guardiola reportedly risks upsetting his former club FC Barcelona, with it said that Manchester City are set to hijack the Blaugrana's priority deal involving a 2024 UEFA European Championship star.
The Catalan giants are believed to have earmarked RB Leipzig and Spain star Dani Olmo as one of their top targets for this window in order to bolster their attack.
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With the arrival of newly-appointed manager Hansi Flick, the qualities possessed by the 26-year-old has made him a desired figure at Barcelona, who were previously linked with the player prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, the Citizens are now believed to feel the same way about the midfielder, and they are now in the best position to sign the player after accelerating the negotiation process, according to The Athletic.
It has been suggested that the 2022/23 treble winners see Olmo as the ideal candidate to replace Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, who have both been influential in the Manchester side's success over the past few seasons.
Reports suggest that the Belgian playmaker has attracted interest from various Saudi Pro Leagues clubs with his contract set to expire in June next year, while the Portugal star is also said to have attracted the interest of other teams, including, perhaps ironically, Barcelona.
The Olmo deal could reportedly be wrapped up soon too, with it believed that City are aiming to secure his services by the end of next week.
As such, this is considered a big blow to the transfer plans of Guardiola's former team.
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Despite picking up a knee injury as well as an acromioclavicular joint dislocation in the 2023/24 campaign, Olmo managed to make 25 appearances across all competitions for RB Leipzig, and contributed with eight goals and five assists.
He has also made two appearances for Spain at EURO 2024 so far, providing one assist to help the team reach the round of 16.
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