Man City make contact with Serie A maestro but one obstacle stands in the way of January transfer

Manchester City hold a concrete interest in Atalanta star Ederson and a January swoop is being considered for the defensive midfielder, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Pep Guardiola is keen to bring in a new midfielder this winter to cover for superstar Rodri, who is set to be sidelined until at least the start of next season with a serious knee injury.

Sources have exclusively told TEAMtalk that Man City have made contact with Ederson’s agents in the last few days to gauge his interest in a move to the Etihad.

We understand that Ederson is flattered by the Cityzens’ interest and the idea of playing for one of the world’s best teams excites him, but a transfer won’t be straightforward.

Atalanta represent the biggest obstacle to a deal as they are not willing to sell Ederson for anything less than €50million (£41.8m / $42.9m) – sources close to the Serie A club say there is zero chance of negotiating this figure.

Atalanta do not want to lose important players as they look to mount an unlikely title charge, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side currently in second place, just one point behind leaders Napoli.

Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman is also generating serious interest around Europe and Gasperini doesn’t want to lose Ederson or him this winter.

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Man City have a host of midfield targets – sources

Sources close to Man City say Pep Guardiola is a big admirer of Ederson, but the Cityzens must match his €50m valuation to have any chance of landing him in January.

He isn’t the only midfielder being tracked by Man City’s recruitment chiefs, however. As we exclusively revealed back in September, they are also keeping tabs on Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella.

Wharton has been superb for the Eagles since joining from Blackburn Rovers in January. The 20-year-old is a key player for Oliver Glasner’s side and his fine performances have seen him rewarded with a spot in the England squad.

TEAMtalk understands that Wharton has caught the eye of Man City. His age and profile are attractive for the club and he is seen as a player who could not only fill in for Rodri but become his replacement over time.

Zubimendi and Barella could be difficult to move in January, due to the fact that Zubimendi maintains he is happy with Sociedad and it will take £70m to sign Barella.

What’s clear, is that Guardiola believes his team needs more options in midfield following the injury to Rodri.

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Meanwhile, Man City reportedly hold the advantage over rivals Manchester United in the pursuit of Sporting CP ace Maxi Araujo, despite Ruben Amorim’s influence.

Araujo is a 24-year-old wide man who can operate anywhere down the left flank, from full-back all the way up to left wing. He played in his native Uruguay and in Mexico before joining Sporting for a reported €13.6million in August 2024.

So far this term, Araujo has managed three goals and one assist in 14 games while mainly operating as a left winger or left midfielder.

Eduardo Espinel, who played a role in Araujo’s development back in Uruguay, has now backed the Montevideo-born player to reach huge heights and namechecked City as one potential destination.

“He has much more power, much more speed and more tactical ability. I have no doubt that he hasn’t reached its limit yet,” Espinel said in a recent interview.

“He is ready to play for any of the best teams in the world, because after all, today the characteristics he has are those that the teams of the moment ask for – speed in processes, speed, one-on-one ability and solidarity.

“If not Manchester City, he will certainly have a place at another big club.”

In other news, sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Man City are interested in re-signing Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong as they look to replace Kyle Walker.

Frimpong, 23, has been superb for Leverkusen since joining the club in 2021, playing a vital role in their unbeaten Bundesliga-winning 2023/24 campaign.

The Dutch international has been of interest to Premier League sides since his time at Celtic. He initially came through Man City’s academy, before they sold him to the Scottish giants for just £350,000 in 2019.

Guardiola’s side are now considering bringing Frimpong back to the Etihad after he has developed into one of the most potent wing-backs in European football.

Frimpong has notched a total of 26 goals and 38 assists in 158 appearances so far for Leverkusen, and can play as a right-winger as well as a full-back.

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