Manchester City could be forced to admit defeat in pursuit of top defensive target

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Manchester City are reportedly falling short of Juventus’ demands for target Leonardo Bonucci and are unwilling to pay their valuation of the defender.

La Gazzetta dello Sport noted on Sunday that City were ready to sign the Italian international ‘at all costs’ this summer, as ultimately he would be the ideal fit for Pep Guardiola.

However, according to ESPN FC, the Premier League giants are unwilling to pay the huge fee that the Serie A champions are requesting, and will therefore likely miss out.

Bonucci has been an integral part of Juve’s success over the last five years, winning five consecutive Scudetti and guiding them to the Champions League final in 2015.

Further, he impressed and showed his class again this summer with the Azzurri in France at Euro 2016, and continued to attract Guardiola’s attention.

The Spaniard is gearing up for his first year in charge in the Premier League, and has made a point of strengthening his defence.

With captain Vincent Kompany missing large parts of the last two campaigns through injury, it is evident that Guardiola needs reinforcements at the heart of his defence and Bonucci seemed like the ideal candidate.

The 29-year-old’s defensive solidity coupled with his class on the ball and ability to play out from the back make him an ideal Guardiola type of defender, but it looks as though the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss will be left disappointed.

Juve are naturally desperate to keep hold of their leader, and they will hope that their hefty price-tag will be enough to avoid losing him and fend off interest from City who will have money to spend this summer.

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