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‘Man City In Best Position’ to Strike Dani Olmo Deal – Transfer Guru
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‘Man City in best position’ to strike Dani Olmo deal – Transfer guru
By Mick Brown
Pep Guardiola will play a key role in any deal for Man City to sign Barcelona star Dani Olmo amid speculation over his future at the Nou Camp.
This is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that City have retained strong links with Barcelona which they could exploit in any deal.
Olmo’s future with the Spanish giants is uncertain after the club were forced to remove his name from their list of registered players to comply with La Liga’s wage cap restrictions.
That is despite him having arrived at Barcelona from RB Leipzig in the summer in a deal worth £51million, as a court has twice rejected the club’s appeal to register him on a temporary basis.
It was a special exemption which allowed Olmo to play in the first half of the season, where he made 15 appearances, scored six goals and picked up one assist.
As a result, Premier League clubs including Man City and Man United are keeping a close eye on the 26-year-old’s situation with a potential move in mind.
Brown has insisted City are best placed to secure a deal as things stand, although the lingering uncertainty about the situation will not make an agreement easy.
Man City lead race to sign Dani Olmo after Barcelona twist
Former City financial adviser Stefan Borson told Football Insider on 5 January that City are likely to enter talks with Olmo’s agent, as he has the option to terminate his contract at the Nou Camp.
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Now, Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after spending over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted Guardiola’s connections to Barcelona will provide a boost to their chances.
“Man City are in the best position of any team in the world to reach a deal with Barcelona,” he told Football Insider.
“Guardiola still has a number of close contacts at the club and that will, no doubt, help them to reach an agreement if they decide to make a move.
“He’s got a very good reputation and clubs were interested before his move to Spain.
“So City have been keeping tabs on his situation, they’ll know all about him and the qualities he can bring to the team.
“Whether or not they made a move will depend on his situation because there is a lot of uncertainty there, but they’re in the running.”
In other news, Man City make Kevin De Bruyne transfer decision.