Man City lock onto Borussia Dortmund star as increased Marc Cucurella offer fails to achieve Brighton sale

Manchester City are reportedly setting their sights on a Borussia Dortmund player as Brighton continue to hold firm over Marc Cucurella.

Having sold Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal, Pep Guardiola needs a new left-back to provide competition and cover for Joao Cancelo. The reigning Premier League champions have resultantly made Cucurella a top target.

He won both of Brighton’s player of the season awards after a top debut campaign at the Amex. The Spaniard joined from Getafe  in 2021 and slotted seamlessly into Graham Potter’s system.

He made 35 league appearances, helping the Seagulls to achieve their highest ever finish in the top flight.

Manchester City officials think Cucurella would shine under Guardiola. He is technically excellent and works tirelessly down the left flank. Plus, he spent time in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, which Guardiola will love.

As such, City made a £30million bid for Cucurella recently. Brighton immediately pushed this back and told the Citizens to cough up £50m.

Cucurella isn’t happy with Brighton’s valuation as he feels it is unrealistic. And City are adamant they will not be paying this much.

As per Fabrizio Romano, City have put a new offer worth £40m on the table. But according to the Manchester Evening News, this still won’t be enough.

Man City find Marc Cucurella alternative

Brighton have no plans to accept the second bid and due to this there is a ‘stand-off’ between the two clubs.

Brighton will not back down, while City will not up their price. As such, it is increasingly unlikely Cucurella will leave the south coast this summer.

This will sadden the player as he might feel it is the right time to take the next step in his career. But his Brighton contract runs for another four years, meaning the Seagulls don’t have to listen to his demands.

City know it will be tough to get their top target at left-back and are now looking at alternatives. According to The Athletic, they are preparing to reignite their interest in Raphael Guerreiro of Dortmund.

The report claims City have sent scouts to watch the Portuguese in the past. And they could now make a move for him.

However, Guardiola and City could face a similar problem as with Cucurella. Dortmund are keen to retain Guerreiro and will not let him go on the cheap. That is despite his contract running out next summer.

City are facing double disappointment in their search for Zinchenko’s replacement. Clubs know they have plenty of money to spend and up their price accordingly.

Perhaps the Manchester outfit should target a less experienced player to fill the void. They will cost less and can learn from Cancelo over the next few years.

This will mean they might not be immediately successful. But if City can get a young player with high potential in then they can reap the rewards further down the line.

Meanwhile, Roy Keane has given his verdict on City new boy Erling Haaland, who was outdone by Julian Alvarez and Darwin Nunez in the Community Shield.