Guardiola masterplan hits obstacle with Prem foe ‘very keen’ to stop Man City signing midfielder
Man City manager Pep Guardiola
Manchester City might miss out on the signing of Eberechi Eze if Crystal Palace are able to tie him down to a new contract as they wish, according to a report.
Eze is a target for Man City, as reports have confirmed in recent days. Pep Guardiola is judged to be a major admirer of the England international, as is Txiki Begiristain. Together, Man City’s head coach and sporting director could be pushing for a deal.
However, Football Insider has now revealed that Crystal Palace are ‘very keen’ for Eze to sign a new contract, which would decrease Man City’s chances of signing him – or at least getting a good deal when doing so.
As things stand, Eze is due to become a free agent after the end of next season. Therefore, it ought to be one of Crystal Palace’s priorities to tie him down for longer.
After all, Man City might not be his only admirers, since the report refers to a range of interest from higher-ranking clubs in the Premier League than his current side.
Eze is a key player for Crystal Palace, for whom he scored 10 goals and added four assists last season, a campaign in which he featured in all 38 of their league matches.
The Eagles signed him in 2020 from Queens Park Rangers and he has coped admirably with the step up from the Championship to the Premier League, to the extent that he earned his international debut for England earlier this year.
Where will Eze spend his peak years?
At the age of 25, Eze is approaching the prime of his career, which would make it even better for Crystal Palace if they were able to renew his deal.
As a player who has never played in the Champions League, though, he might want to think carefully about the chance to join the current holders of that trophy.
Considerations about his playing time will have to be made too, since he is more likely to play week in, week out at Selhurst Park than the Etihad Stadium, where Guardiola has a squad full of talent that he can comfortably rotate as he pleases.
As an attacking midfielder, Eze’s main competition at Man City would likely be Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian playmaker is currently injured, which is perhaps why the Premier League champions are in the market for more depth in that position.
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