Blockbuster Man City move goes up in smoke as top source reveals rival deal now close
Milan star Rafael Leao and PSG ace Warren Zaire-Emery
Manchester City will struggle to snare exciting young midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery from Paris Saint-Germain as he is poised to agree a new contract in the French capital, according to a trusted reporter.
Zaire-Emery is a product of the PSG academy who made his senior debut in August 2022, at the age of just 16. He has already made 42 appearances in their first team and looks set to become one of the best midfielders in Europe.
After playing 31 senior games last term, Zaire-Emery looks set for an even bigger impact on PSG this campaign as he has featured in 11 of their 12 matches so far.
The France U21 international starred for PSG as they beat Milan 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Zaire-Emery registered his first assist of the night when he burst through the Milan midfield before playing in Kylian Mbappe, and the deadly forward did the rest.
Zaire-Emery also set up Lee Kang-in for PSG’s third and final goal, as he drove down the right flank before pulling the ball back for Goncalo Ramos. The striker cleverly dummied, confusing the Milan defenders and allowing Lee to finish on his left foot.
While Zaire-Emery looks set to become PSG’s next superstar, there have been rumours he might leave Ligue 1 altogether. On September 8, French football expert Jonathan Johnson revealed the wonderkid to be a target for City, with Pep Guardiola a big fan of him.
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And when PSG expressed an interest in landing Bernardo Silva over the summer, City told them a deal would only be struck if they received big money in addition to Zaire-Emery’s signature. PSG did not agree to this, though Zaire-Emery remains on City’s radar.
However, City’s hopes of bringing him to the Premier League have now been handed a major blow. According to Fabrizio Romano, Zaire-Emery ‘will sign [a] new long-term deal at PSG soon’.
PSG view Man City target as ‘key’ player
Zaire-Emery is viewed as a ‘key part of the club’s project’, which is focused on building a team of quality young players that can eventually end their Champions League woes. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is a big admirer of the player and has been pushing for the contract talks to reach a positive conclusion.
Romano ends his update on X, formerly known as Twitter, by adding that Zaire-Emery picked up the man of the match award against Milan, while also labelling him a ‘top talent’.
PSG manager Luis Enrique also praised the starlet after the game, saying: “What can I say? Look at his level, the way he plays every single match, the way he trains…
“He doesn’t look 17, he looks 34. Unbelievable.”
