Manchester City are reportedly closing in on the signing of an in-demand Euro 2024 star who has been ‘persuaded’ by Pep Guardiola to make a summer switch to the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City are closing in on the signing of RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo, according to a report.
The 26-year-old is understood to have caught the eye of several top European clubs and has greatly enhanced his reputation following an impressive display at Euro 2024 with champions Spain.
Olmo was one of six winners of the Golden Boot after scoring three goals at the tournament in Germany, while he also started in the final as La Roja beat England 2-1 to clinch an unpredicted fourth European Championship title.
At club level, Olmo has established himself as a star player for Leipzig since joining the club in 2020, scoring 29 goals and registering 34 assists in 148 appearances across all competitions.
The versatile attacker experienced an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign, but he still contributed with eight goals and five assists in 25 appearances, helping Die Roten Bullen secure a top-four finish in the Bundesliga and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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In-demand Olmo in ‘advanced talks’ with Man City
Olmo is now the subject of intense speculation and admitted last month that he is ‘motivated’ by rumours linking him with a number of top European clubs.
The Spaniard put interested suitors on red alert prior to the Euro 2024 final when he stated that clubs ‘know what they need to do’ in order to activate his €60m (£51m) release clause, which expires on Monday.
Barcelona are believed to be one club interested in signing Olmo, who spent seven years in the La Masia youth system from 2007 until 2014 before joining Dinamo Zagreb.
Olmo is also said to be on Bayern Munich‘s radar, while the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have all been linked with the attacker, but it now seems that another Premier League club have moved to the front of the queue for his signature.
According to Football Insider, English champions Man City are in advanced talks to sign Olmo, with those discussions based around activating the player’s release clause.
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Olmo ‘persuaded’ by Guardiola to join Man City
The report adds that Olmo has informed his entourage that he is keen to move to the Premier League after ‘being persuaded’ by manager Pep Guardiola.
A deal is now believes to be ‘increasingly likely’ as long as both clubs can reach an agreement over a payment structure, with City either activating Olmo’s release clause or negotiating a different transfer fee that suits Leipzig.
Man City are said to have been closely monitoring Olmo for the last few years, but have decided to step up their pursuit for the attacker this summer amidst uncertainty over the future of a number of first-team stars.
Indeed, star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with the 33-year-old having now entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
The likes of Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Julian Alvarez have also been tipped to potentially seek pastures new, with the former known to want to return to boyhood club Benfica at some stage in his career.