Manchester City are set to once again lower their asking price for centre-back Nicolas Otamendi following the arrival of Dutchman Nathan Aké from Bournemouth.
Pep Guardiola moved quickly after the Cherries’ relegation to land Ake in a £41m deal, pushing Otamendi further down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium. The Argentine has started 18 Premier League games this season and is set for a reduced role if he stays.
We are excited to announce the signing of @NathanAke from Bournemouth on a five-year contract ✍️
? #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/6tyYQ2OVwv
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 5, 2020
City are still on the hunt for another centre-back, with all signs suggesting Otamendi’s time at the club is coming to an end, and The Sun say City will now listen to offers of around £8m for the 32-year-old. .
That’s almost half of the £15m Napoli were quoted earlier this summer, with City now desperate to get his £100,000-a-week wages off the books to reinvest in other signings.
Valencia are understood to be leading the race to re-sign Otamendi, who spent a year at the club before moving to City for £32m in 2017.
Otamendi tumbles down the pecking order at the Etihad/Lawrence Griffiths/Getty Images
There could be some centre-back exodus at the Etihad Stadium this summer. As well as Otamendi, John Stones could be shown the exit door, while youngster Eric Garcia looks set to attempt a move of his own to Barcelona after rejecting a new contract.
ESPN state that Barcelona have decided they will not pay more than £13.4m to sign Garcia this summer, despite City valuing the 19-year-old at around double that figure. Barça know he will be available for free next summer when his contract expires and they are not ready to be bullied.
Selling the trio would require City to find a whole host of new defenders as Guardiola would be left with just Ake and Emerick Laporte, with midfielder Fernandinho also capable of filling in if needed.
Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly have both been linked with expensive moves to the Etihad this summer, while Benfica’s Ruben Dias and Villarreal’s Pau Torres are both on the club’s radar.
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