Manchester Metropolis are getting ready to promote a participant Pep Guardiola lately hailed as “vital” this summer time, with talks over a transfer to Atletico Madrid already underway, based on a brand new report.
Manchester Metropolis drop factors once more in opposition to Brighton
Manchester Metropolis are struggling once more, with Guardiola’s males now having gained simply two of their final six video games within the Premier League.
Their most up-to-date setback got here by the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend, with the 2 sides taking part in out a 2-2 draw at The Etihad.
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Following Man Metropolis’s underwhelming 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday, Pep faces one other conundrum with a full-back in comparison with Zinchenko.
The slip up means Metropolis, who’re fifth, now simply 9 video games left to attempt to qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League. Miss out, and it’ll mark the primary time the Sky Blues have not certified for European soccer’s elite competitors for the primary time for the reason that 2009/10 season.
“9 video games, 9 finals. It seems to be prefer it [will go down to the last day],” Guardiola mentioned after his aspect’s draw with Brighton. “9 video games nonetheless till the top of the season. We now have robust video games.”
Guardiola additionally expressed his sympathies for plenty of his gamers who weren’t concerned within the sport.
“All of the managers around the globe, they make the choice,” he defined. “They choose the XI it’s as a result of they imagine it’s going to win the sport. I by no means discovered a supervisor, by no means ever, that selects 11 gamers and thinks they’ll lose.”
“Subsequent sport we are going to see who will play, the best way we’re going to play and with who we’re going to play. I really feel so sorry for all of the gamers that don’t play. What can I say?”
Man Metropolis getting ready to promote Kovacic
One participant who wasn’t concerned in opposition to Brighton was midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
The Croatian has usually been used as a stand-in for the injured Rodri this time period, with Guardiola lately hailing his position within the squad as “vital,” however has been dropped to the bench in current weeks, with January signing Nico González taking his place.
In accordance with TEAMtalk, Man Metropolis have now cleared the best way for Kovacic to go away the membership on the finish of the season, with talks a couple of return to Spain already underway.
The publication experiences that the previous Actual Madrid man has been attracting curiosity from Atletico Madrid, with the membership having already established contact with the participant and initiated preliminary discussions with Metropolis by way of oblique channels.
Mateo Kovacic Premier League Stats 2024/25 | |
Video games | 24 |
Begins | 19 |
Targets | 4 |
Assists | 1 |
Probabilities Created | 26 |
Move Accuracy | 93.1% |
Stats through FotMob. (Right as of 17/3/25) |
The report states that Metropolis are open to promoting Kovacic, who turns 31 in Could, and can be keen to simply accept a price of round €30 million (£25.2 million) for his providers.
Atletico, in the meantime, are prone to must half methods with some gamers of their very own to facilitate Kovacic’s arrival in the summertime.