Man City transfer target to be available for sale

Manchester City’s bid to win a record fifth consecutive Premier League title was dealt a further blow on Saturday as they lost 4-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur. 

Ange Postecoglu’s side found themselves 2-0 up at the break courtesy of a James Maddison brace, before Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson netted in the second half.

The loss is City’s fifth consecutive defeat across all competitions and allowed Premier League leaders Liverpool to open up a nine-point gap over the Citizens.

Off the pitch, though, it appears that the reigning champions have been handed a transfer boost.

As per Football Insider, Bournemouth could be willing to sell Man City target Ilya Zabarnyi.

The 22-year-old centre-back has been in fine form for the Cherries so far this season, and his impressive displays have attracted interest from City.

Guardiola’s side have now lost five consecutive games across all competitions

Despite Bournemouth only signing the defender from Dynamo Kyiv for a fee of around £24 million last year, the report suggests that the south coast club could be willing to sell Zabarnyi next summer if a ‘huge offer’ is made.

It is claimed that Zabarnyi, who has started all 12 of Bournemouth league games so far this term, is viewed by Guardiola and those in charge of City’s recruitment as a player that ‘ticks a lot of boxes’.

The Ukraine international – capped 45 times by his country at senior level – is currently contracted to the Cherries until the summer of 2029, and Bournemouth could therefore demand a significant fee to allow the player to leave next summer.

It is also claimed that Bournemouth are open to the prospect of selling the centre-back for the right price, in order to then reinvest the funds back into the squad.