Man City have reportedly rejected a swap deal offer from Juventus which would see them offer Douglas Costa for Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus, 23, has been a key figure for City since he arrived at the Etihad in 2017, as he’s scored 63 goals and provided 25 assists in 139 appearances.
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With Sergio Aguero turning 32 this summer, the Brazilian international could be set for a more prominent role as time goes on at City, and so it would be no surprise if they had significant demands to green light an exit.
According to Calciomercato, via the paper edition of La Repubblica, the reigning Premier League champions have informed Juventus that they aren’t interested in a straight swap deal which would see Jesus move to Turin while Douglas Costa would move in the opposite direction as it’s suggested they don’t see that as a fair trade.
That arguably seems like the most sensible decision from Man City, given Costa turns 30 later this year and his injury troubles have continued this season as he has missed 17 games as a result of setbacks.
If that wasn’t enough, the Brazilian winger has managed just two goals and five assists in 18 appearances in this campaign to date, as although his pace, directness and ability to create can make him a threat, he has been all too inconsistent and has struggled to make an impact.
In turn, it’s surely no surprise that City aren’t interested in a straight swap deal, and so it remains to be seen if Juventus return with an improved offer which perhaps includes cash along with Costa to try and prise Jesus away from the Etihad.
In truth, it seems like any deal involving an exit for Jesus would result in a bigger headache for Guardiola, as with a lack of quality depth in attack already, the Spaniard would be forced to have to go out and sign another striker too while he has a number of wingers at his disposal already.
With that in mind, the sense behind any such deal would arguably have to be questioned from a City perspective.