Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly made preliminary moves to sign Real Madrid youngster Marcos Llorente this summer.
Spanish outlet Don Balon claims that the Spaniard has been keeping tabs on numerous Madrid players this summer such as Karim Benzema, Isco and Toni Kroos but he has decided to pursue 22-year-old Spaniard Llorente.
The report claims that the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss has already contacted the player’s representatives about a potential move and he has assured the defensive midfielder of playing regular football in Manchester next season.
His compatriot currently has one year remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This could potentially turn out to be a very good move by City as they wouldn’t be expected to pay big money on a player who is on the fringes of the Madrid first-team.
With both Yaya Toure and Fernandinho entering the final stages of their careers, the Spaniard could potentially be deployed as the new anchor man who could add more solidity to the City midfield.
He enjoyed a fine season in La Liga last season when he was sent out on a season long loan to newly-promoted Alaves and he played in 38 matches across all competitions.
He’s impressed with his performances as the holding midfielder as he helped Alaves to secure a ninth-place finish and boast a better defensive record than Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao who all finished above them.
The midfielder also played a massive role in guiding the club to its first ever Copa del Rey final against Barcelona last season.
Llorente also proved to be an important part of the Under-21 Spain national team who reached the final of the European Championships this summer, starting in four out of the five matches.
Under Guardiola’s tutelage, the youngster could further develop his game and also prove to be a very important player in the Premier League for years to come.
He also played a big role in guiding Los Blancos to its first ever Copa del Rey final against Barcelona last season.
Llorente also showed to be an important part of the Under-21 Spain national team who reached the final of the European Championship this summer, stating in four out of the five matches.
With Real Madrid currently dominating European football, Llorente will surely find it very difficult to slot into the first-team fold this season with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro the preferred choices in the midfield.
The fact that the report states that Guardiola has already assured him regular first-team football this season indicates that Man City are serious about their pursuit.
Although he is currently part of the best team in Europe at the moment, it will be very difficult for him to reject an offer to play under Guardiola especially when he’ll have the opportunity to be part of a team who are the strong favourites to lift the Premier League.