Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly hopeful of completing a £30m deal to sign Roma defender Antonio Rudiger this summer.
The Spanish tactician has identified that he needs to rebuild his defence, as statistics and common sense both point towards that being a major problem area for him in his first season in charge at the Etihad.
Having conceded 29 goals in 27 Premier League games, nine more than title rivals Chelsea and Tottenham, coupled with shipping six in their two legs against Monaco in the Champions League last 16, things are simply not tight enough at the back for City.
According to The Mirror, Guardiola wants to bring in Rudiger who has continued to impress in the Italian capital and has established himself as a key player for the Giallorossi.
The 24-year-old suffered a devastating knee injury just prior to Euro 2016, but he has recovered and returned to play an important role for Luciano Spalletti this season.
While the report adds that Chelsea are also still in the hunt for the German international having almost signed him last summer, it’s claimed that City are confident that they can beat their domestic rivals to the signing of Rudiger who has also impressed with his versatility as he is capable of playing at right back too.
With question marks over Vincent Kompany who has continued to struggle with injuries this season, Guardiola knows he needs an experienced and reliable central defensive partner for John Stones.
Coupled with the fact that the likes of Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta are expected to move on this summer, the defence will likely be getting a major rebuild with the Mirror also noting that Bayern ace Joshua Kimmich, Valencia’s Jose Gaya and Juventus rock Leonardo Bonucci are also all on Guardiola’s list of possible targets this summer.