Manchester City a leading candidate to strike €50m-€60m January deal

Manchester City have been named as a likely destination for Juventus left-back Alex Sandro in January, with Turin newspaper Tuttosport claiming that the 27-year-old could end his stay in Italy this winter.

According to the report, Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has told the Spanish club’s president Florentino Perez that he wants to move, possibly in January, and reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, after the two were teammates at the European champions.

The arrival of Marcelo would almost certainly mean the departure of Alex Sandro, who has yet to agree to extend his contract which runs until 2020. It is expected he would cost any buyer between €50 million and €60 million.

And it is suggested by Tuttosport that City could be at the front of the pack, with possible competition from French giants Paris Saint-Germain, who were interested in snapping up the experienced Brazilian in the summer.

Although City are not in urgent need of a left-back, the injury records of Benjamin Mendy and Fabian Delph – who is out again and missed City’s trip to the Ukraine – are a concern, with young Oleksandr Zinchenko having to be called upon again.

It does seem doubtful however, that Pep Guardiola would want to spend €50 million or more on a player who could find himself as Mendy’s back-up if the Frenchman can stay fit.

Sandro is a former target of City’s who attempted to sign him from FC Porto, where he was a teammate of City’s Danilo, before Juventus won the race in 2015.