Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied that the club
Reports in the Spanish media had suggested that the Citizens were preparing to trigger the 23-year-old’s €150m (£135m) release clause in the January transfer window.
However, speaking ahead of City’s Champions League clash against Hoffenheim this evening, Guardiola denied that the Manchester club are interested in Niguez, although he admitted the Spanish international is a great player:
“Man City have interest in 125 players in the last day so it is just one more. Sometimes I read Pep Guardiola has interest in this player but I don’t know him.”
“He is a fantastic player but we are not interested in him. He is an Atletico player and will stay there for a long time. But he is an exceptional player.”
City have been linked with a number of midfielders in recent weeks including Ajax’s Frenkie De Jong and Lyon pair Tanguy Ndombele and Houssem Aouar.
With Kevin De Bruyne having been sidelined with knee problems for the majority of the season, and David Silva now out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, there could be a case for City to strengthen their squad in January, but a move for Niguez has now been emphatically ruled out.
Manchester United and Chelsea have also been interested in the Spaniard in the past.
