Manchester City are reportedly confident of beating bitter rivals Manchester United to the signature of Velez Sarsfield midfielder Thiago Almada.
The 19-year-old enjoyed an impressive campaign with the Argentinian side before the season was abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic, as Almada registered five goals and two assists across all competitions.
A recent report claimed that United had entered negotiations with Velez over a potential deal for the teenager, but City could supposedly pip their local rivals in the race for Almada.
According to The Sun, Pep Guardiola has identified the midfielder as an ideal replacement for David Silva, with the City captain confirmed to be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season.
The report also claims that Almada dreams of following in the footsteps of Argentinian compatriot Carlos Tevez on the blue side of Manchester, and the Citizens would have to fork out £15m to secure Almada's services.
The Argentina Under-20 international will see his current deal at Velez expire at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Ben Knapton
