Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella has reportedly handed in a transfer request amid interest from Manchester City.
Following the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal for £32m, the Citizens are on the lookout for a replacement and have identified Cucurella as their top target.
The 23-year-old, who only joined Brighton from Getafe last summer for around £15.4m, made 39 appearances across all competitions in an impressive first season on the South coast, and was named the club's Player of the Year.
Man City are understood to have stepped up their interest in Cucurella over the last week and tabled an opening offer worth £30m, a similar fee that they received from the sale of Zinchenko.
However, Brighton have rejected this bid as they value the Spanish left-back closer to £50m, a similar fee that they received from the sale of Ben White to Arsenal 12 months ago.
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While City are lining up a fresh offer, they are also prepared to walk away from the deal this summer if the Seagulls refuse to lower their valuation.
Cucurella, who still has four years remaining on his contract, is thought to be disappointed with the valuation placed on his head by Brighton and is desperate to join fellow Catalan Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Cucurella has now handed in a transfer request at Brighton in the hope that they will accept his wish to leave the Amex Stadium and move to the Premier League champions.
Romano adds that talks between both clubs are 'difficult' but still ongoing, and although there is still no agreement over a fee for the left-back, a final decision is expected to be made soon.
Earlier this week, Brighton's technical director David Weir admitted that the club's recruitment strategy allows players to use them as a stepping stone to join a bigger club.
"It's an important part of the recruitment that players know they can leave the club for teams bigger than Brighton," Weir told the club's official website.
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"I think what we do is most important and if at some stage it is right for the club and the individual wants to leave, then I think that will have to be a part of the process as well."
Meanwhile, Brighton chairman Tony Bloom suggested earlier this month that the club will not stand in Cucurella's way if they received a suitable offer from an interested team.
"Marc is a tremendous player, a tremendous person. He's brilliant for the dressing room," Bloom told reporters, via The Athletic. "He was unbelievably good last season, his first season in the Premier League. We're hoping for more to come and we haven't had a bid for him.
"We've got to be realistic if a certain bid comes in and the player wants to move, the player will move, but we are not anticipating, we're not looking for our best players to move on.
"If it happens and we get a bid then we have to consider it, but until that point, we carry on."
Although Guardiola has suggested that City already have 'alternatives' at the club in the form of Joao Cancelo, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Nathan Ake who can play at left-back, it is understood that the Citizens have identified Stuttgart's Borna Sosa and Benfica's Alex Grimaldo as potential targets if they fail in their pursuit of Cucurella.
Oliver Thomas
