Report: Manchester City Make £62 Million Offer for Jose Gimenez

A report in Italy has emerged that Manchester City have made a bid of £62 million for Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez. Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport made the report claiming that Diego Simeone’s side has turned down the offer.

Gimenez reportedly has a £109m release clause with three years remaining on his current deal with the Spanish outfit. Although City have a good relationship with Los Rojiblancos having signed Sergio Aguero from the side in 2011 and Rodrigo last summer, it is understood the club is not interested in selling another prized asset this time around.

City and Pep Guardiola are looking at other options as Napoli continues to play hard ball over a deal for Kalidou Koulibaly. The Italian club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis is unwilling to back down from his high demands for the player. City also does not want to overpay for the player having already offered €60 million. That is especially the case as his best days may be behind him at 29.

On the contrary, Gimenez still has room for improvement at 25 and could save the club much longer. The Uruguayan has distinguished himself as one of the best central defenders out there in the last few years. He has also accumulated adequate experience playing at the highest level both for club and country.

With City’s first game of the season away at Wolves now under two weeks, the club will do well to seal a deal for a central defender as the position remains the biggest area of need. Signing Nathan Ake was important. But the team still needs a top class centre-back in the mold of Koulibaly, Gimenez or Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar.

Both John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi have failed to rise to the occasion leaving Aymeric Larporte with a need for a solid partner.

Hopefully, the club can convince the Spanish side to lower its demands or force Napoli’s hand to cash in on a player that could see his value drop further by next season.