Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly requested that the club sign Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente in the summer.
According to Don Balon, the Spanish tactician is a keen admirer of his compatriot, and believes that he can offer a different dynamic to the City attack off the bench if they are in need of a more direct approach in games.
It remains to be seen whether or not the 32-year-old would be keen on a reserve role at the Etihad, but with the opportunity to work with Guardiola and to win trophies, perhaps it’s something that he wouldn’t be able to turn down.
The former Juventus and Athletic Bilbao star has scored 11 goals in 25 Premier League appearances so far this season, as he continues to prove to be crucial to Swansea’s hopes of avoiding relegation this season.
Naturally, they would have been delighted to keep him in the January transfer window, but if they manage to protect their top-flight status, they could be in a more relaxed position to let Llorente leave and to sign another top striker for next season.
Llorente isn’t anything close to a typical Guardiola signing, but given the nature of the Premier League and City arguably being a little one-dimensional without a Plan B, he would certainly be a smart addition to add a different dynamic to their attack if the situation calls for it.
Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and others will all be ahead of him in the pecking order in Guardiola’s preferred system, but Llorente would undoubtedly be an important asset to have.