Manchester City are readying a bid for West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell to frustrate Chelsea who are also vying for his signature in the summer.
The left-back has caught the eye in his debut Premier League season, and is expected to spark a transfer battle at the end of the campaign, as Chelsea and City aim to strengthen ahead of the next campaign.
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Cresswell Chelsea: West Ham set £25m transfer fee for Blues target
According to the Metro, the Citizens are prepared to compete with an offer of £15m, which Jose Mourinho is rumoured to be considering, so that they can add to the dismal number of home-grown players at the Etihad.
Manchester City’s chief issue to address in the summer is the lack of home-grown talent in the first-team, as they currently have 17 overseas players – which is the maximum number allow in the proposed new FA rules that chairman Greg Dyke wants to implement from 2016, Sky Sports reported.
Though Chelsea also need more home-grown talent in their ranks – with 15 overseas stars currently in their squad.
The 25-year-old has started all 35 of the Hammers’ league fixtures, and played every minute, since making the switch to Upton Park in July 2014 for an undisclosed fee from Championship outfit Ipswich Town.