Manchester City are tracking one of the season's breakout stars, it has emerged, with the defender seemingly set to move this summer.
Man City eyeing fifth straight Premier League title
Having made history as the first side to win four consecutive Premier League titles, Pep Guardiola's side now know that they will kick off their bid for a fifth with a tricky trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea, now managed by former City assistant Enzo Maresca. There is plenty of work to be done in the transfer market before that though, with uncertainty throughout the Manchester City squad.
In goal, Stefan Ortega has signed a new contract until 2026 but Ederson's future remains unclear amid interest from Saudi Arabia in the Brazilian.
There is also interest from the Gulf region in Kevin de Bruyne, who admitted that he would consider a departure from the Etihad as his contract enters its final year. Elsewhere, fringe duo Kalvin Phillips and Sergio Gomez are primed to depart, while there has been speculation surrounding the likes of John Stones, Jack Grealish and even 2023 signing Matheus Nunes.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona for several seasons, and has a reported £50m release clause in his contract for such a deal to be set up this summer. With all that in mind, it promises to be a summer of change in Manchester, and they are keeping an eye on future talents just in case.
City's Calafiori Curiosity
Now, it has been claimed by The Athletic that City are "curious" about Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who starred for Italy in their EURO 2024 opening game win over Albania. The defender, who has enjoyed a stunning season under Thiago Motta at Bologna, was asked to play on the left side of defence alongside Alessandro Bastoni, and stole the headlines.
Man City hit gold with 9/10 Euros star who's now worth more than De Bruyne
He was superb in his nation’s first game of the tournament
ByJoe NuttallJun 18, 2024
Azzurri icon Gianluca Zambrotta hailed his "extraordinary" performance after the win: “He played an extraordinary game, like the whole team in the first 60 minutes.
"He played with personality, without fear, perhaps the only flaw was on the long ball where we took a risk with Donnarumma’s exit. But he showed some beautiful things yesterday.”
Calafiori's EURO 2024 opener
Minutes played
90
Passes
106
Pass accuracy
93%
Chances created
2
Successful dribbles
2
Tackles and interceptions
4
Stats courtesy of FotMob
After one particular game for Bologna, teammate Riccardo Orsolini shouted that "He was like Maldini!”, but if you ask Calafiori himself, it is another defender he is trying to emulate.
“Stones is my reference. His style of play is closest to mine.”
With that in mind, the defender could well be an option for Guardiola's side in the unlikely event that Stones departs, though his left-footed nature would more than likely see him competing with the ever-dependable Nathan Ake for a spot in the Cityzens' backline.
Either way, he seems set to leave Bologna this summer despite still having three years left on his £12k per week deal with the club. The in-form Italian is wanted by a whole host of clubs, including his former coach, who now heads Juventus, while Tottenham are also said to be chasing him. Should City be anything more than curious, they will have to move fast to land their man.