Manchester City have reportedly failed in a big-money swoop for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.
According to Sky Sports, the Citizens offered £38m for the Italian international – a whopping sum for a player who will be 30 before the end of next season – but were knocked back by the Old Lady.
City have spent £64m on centre-backs in the last two summers, with Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi arriving for £32m each, according to BBC Sport and the Daily Mail respectively.
Yet new City manager Pep Guardiola is seemingly not happy with his defensive options – captain Vincent Kompany is becoming increasingly injury prone – because he is willing to spend big on a 29-year-old.
Bonucci has been one of the most reliable defenders in Europe for several years, helping Juve to five successive Serie A titles, and demonstrated this with his outstanding performance for Italy at Euro 2016.
The 62-cap international has been at Juventus for six years and would stabilise a back line which conceded as many goals as any other team to finish in the top six of the Premier League last term.
This bid also raises questions over City’s interest in John Stones. The Daily Mail claims that the Blues are keen on the £50m-rated Everton defender, but they seem to have moved for Bonucci first.
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