Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze is on Manchester City’s shortlist of midfield targets, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.
However, speaking to TBRFootball, Bailey said that the 26-year-old is not regarded as a high priority, while six other Premier League sides are also interested in the player:
“Tottenham love the player, we know that – but they are not alone – Manchester City like him a lot, I am told that Pep Guardiola is an admirer.”
“City are looking at bolstering their attacking midfield ranks but Florian Wirtz is ahead of him in that regard, and I believe so are Lucas Paqueta, Charles De Ketelaere and Francisco Trincao but I would not dismiss it totally.”
“Newcastle and Aston Villa also admire him, and if he does go – it will be a team playing in Europe. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all fully aware of him and are fans of his talents, but I don’t believe he is a priority for them as it stands.”
Eze has asked to leave Palace
Bailey also confirmed that the England international is keen on leaving his current club at the end of the season.
A lot will depend on who is willing to pay Eze’s release clause. The fee required is said to be £60m up front, with another £8m in performance-related add-ons.
What about City’s other options?
Wirtz will cost considerably more than Eze. Reports in Germany suggest a fee in excess of £100m will be needed to tempt Bayer Leverkusen into selling. There will be competition from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid as well.
Any approach for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta will be dependent on the outcome of the Brazilian’s trial for spot fixing – a verdict is expected this summer. De Ketelaere and Trincao, meanwhile, are likely to be cheaper to acquire than Eze.
De Ketelaere has had a good season with Atalanta, having scored 11 times and contributed 11 assists in 46 appearances. Trincao has been even more prolific for Sporting Lisbon, with 9 goals and 18 assists in 50 games.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
