Aston Villa working to close deal for Manchester City central midfield transfer target | OneFootball

Manchester City could be heading for defeat in the hotly-contested race to sign exciting Norwegian central midfield talent, Sverre Nypan.

The Premier League champions were first tied to interest in the rising midfield talent mid-way through the most-recent January transfer window, when national media suggested that ‘Team Nypan’ had been talking to several top clubs and Rosenborg demanding around £10 million.

The teenager, alongside representatives and his family, then made a trip to England just days later and attended the Etihad Stadium’s contest of Manchester City against Chelsea in the Premier League, taking a seat in compatriot Erling Haaland’s corporate box.

Reporting around the attendance of Nypan stated that the 18-year-old was being viewed more as a signing for the City Football Group, before the player and those with him in England travelled south to hold similar discussions with Arsenal.

Ultimately, it now seems as though both Premier League giants could be heading towards defeat in the race to sign Norway’s next top prospect, as a direct rival within the English top-flight intensifies its own drive for the player’s signature.

That is according to the information of The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who reveals that Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are now working to close a deal to sign one of Europe’s most in-demand operators in the centre of the park.

It is revealed that there is optimism within Villa Park that Sverre Nypan is enthusiastic about a move to the club, although the Premier League side must still agree personal terms and a fee with Rosenborg.

Much of Manchester City’s summer transfer window plans are likely to centre around the same position too, particularly given the confirmed exit of Kevin De Bruyne come the end of the season after a decade at the club.

Etihad Stadium officials are believed to have already identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz as the ideal successor to one of the Premier League’s all-time greatest-ever players, although a deal will not be easy to conclude.

There could also be further support for Rodri sought out in the market, particularly given Nico Gonzalez’s ability to play throughout the midfield and certainly further forward, as explained by Pep Guardiola earlier this year.