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Manchester City’s most pressing transfer objective appears to revolve around their endeavour to sign a new defensive midfielder to succeed Fernandinho at the base of their midfield.
But every time Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain identify a dream target they are usurped by a fellow European giant. First Chelsea swooped in to steal Jorginho from under their noses, and Barcelona have become the latest nemesis to frustrate the champions by agreeing a deal for Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong.
The Catalan giants have waved goodbye to Xavi and Iniesta in recent years and Sergio Busquets’ future departure out of the Nou Camp will seal the end of an iconic era in Catalonia. Their decision to add De Jong was clearly designed to smooth the transition process – one which has already been aided by the signing of Arthur – and, barring Ajax, of course, City were the biggest losers from the deal.
Looming on the horizon is another transfer conundrum for City’s bigwigs to dissect: finding a worthy replacement for Sergio Aguero. On the surface that is about as unenviable a task one could be entrusted with, but the rise of Luka Jovic has revealed a talent who has showcased the level of potential you would expect from the Argentine’s heir.
And, while Barcelona had been threatening to haunt City in the transfer market for the second time with a deal for the Eintracht Frankfurt sensation, Mundo Deportivo journalist Francesc Aguilar has claimed that they have cooled their interest due to the enormity of his potential price-tag and the fact they are unwilling to replace Luis Suarez.
According to a report from the Daily Mail published in February, City are keeping tabs on the 21-year-old attacker. Now that Barcelona have cooled their interest, though, it’s the perfect time for City to revive their long-standing desire to bring Jovic to the club.
The Serbia international only turned 21 shortly before the turn of the year, yet his goal scoring record points towards a level of experience which extends well beyond the formative stage he finds himself in. A return of 24 goals from just 38 appearances underlines his prolific ability in the final-third, while the fact he is yet to score from outside the penalty area this season reveals where his dead-eyed expertise predominantly lie.
There is a suggestion that perhaps Jovic is too similar to Gabriel Jesus in that respect but, with the right level of exposure to Guardiola’s methods at an early age, he could blossom into a complete forward on Aguero’s level. The stylistic transformation of Raheem Sterling from conventional winger to goal-hungry attacker attests to Guardiola’s ability to fine-tune the weaker aspects of a budding talent’s repertoire.
Red Star Belgrade’s general director Zvezdan Terzic once claimed “Jovic will become the best striker in Europe”, and his glowing spell in the Bundesliga has added a weight of legitimacy to that sensational verdict.
With Barcelona reportedly out of the running for one of the most coveted signatures in Europe, City have a dream opportunity to bring Aguero’s heir to Manchester.