Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is entirely focused on signing Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci this summer ahead of his first year in charge.
The 29-year-old is seen as the centre-piece of the new project at the Etihad, with the Spanish tactician requiring a new defender to lead the backline and build play from the back.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, there is an air of confidence in Manchester that a deal can be done, with an offer of €60m tempting Juve into considering the proposal.
Furthermore, the Premier League giants are able to offer a significant wage package which will dwarf anything that the Bianconeri can offer the Italian international, which all points to the possibility of a move happening this summer.
With his agent reportedly in Manchester according to Gazzetta, developments are expected on either Tuesday or Wednesday, with Juve in the process of bringing in another defender too.
The Serie A champions are expected to complete the signing of Mehdi Benatia from Bayern Munich, which in turn could be construed as a plan to replace Bonucci.
However, the official line coming out of the club is that the Italian is non-transferable and they don’t wish to lose such an influential figure in their recent success.
Nevertheless, with €60m transfer fees and contracts of €8m-per-season over five years being touted, it is difficult for those in Turin to ignore the advances of City who have made it clear that they want the former Bari star to lead Guardiola’s revolution.
In contrast, according to Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, as noted by Football Italia, it is claimed that the defender is simply not available for a transfer whatever the price, and despite talks between his agent and City, Juve have no intention of selling him ahead of the upcoming campaign.