Man City plot €65m bid for Kyle Walker replacement | OneFootball

Manchester City have reportedly lined up a bid in the region of €65m (£54.7m) for Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso.

The reigning Premier League champions have been unusually active in the winter transfer window. January has typically been a period used by City to snap up young gems, often from South America, before immediately sending them out on loan. Not since the arrival of Aymeric Laporte in 2018 has a winter addition been instantly imbedded into City's first team.

Desperate times have called for drastic action. Pep Guardiola's fallen giants are on the back foot domestically and on the continent. After a mini-post-Christmas revival, City's newfound fragility exposed itself once again as they gave up two goals in the final eight minutes of a 2-2 draw away to Brentford on Tuesday.

This crisis has prompted the club to plough into unknown transfer market territory. City have already lined up three deals worth considerably more than a combined £100m this month, with Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush expected to follow the centre-back duo of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis through the door at the Etihad.

But the spending spree does not stop there.

Andrea Cambiaso can play as a right or left-back / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages

City are readying an initial offer of €60-65m (£50-55m) for Juventus' versatile defender Andrea Cambiaso, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. The Serie A giants, however, will supposedly demand as much as €80m (£67m) if the Italy international is to leave Turin in January.

That lofty figure - which is more than City are expected to pay for Khusanov and Reis combined - is to scare away any interest in a mid-season switch and may be lowered next summer.

The Telegraph claim that City view Cambiaso as a long-term replacement for Kyle Walker, even though the 24-year-old predominantly plays on the left side of defence. City's veteran right-back could be on his way to Italy this month after Guardiola revealed the defender's desire to leave. The English publication reports that the Sky Blues would be willing to wait until next summer to sign Cambiaso, who may only cost around £50m by then.

No bid has been made just yet, according to Fabrizio Romano, and a deal for Marmoush is described as the clear "priority" before any further discussions for Cambiaso can commence.