Man City Transfer News: £20 Million Pepe Bid Coming?

by Joseph Dempsey

Daily Mail. New City manager Manuel Pellegrini wanted to add a new centre-back to his squad even before Matija Nastasic was ruled out for the first month of the new Premier League season with an ankle injury. And the Chilean boss has not been impressed with his back-line having seen his side concede eight goals in their last three pre-season friendlies. The injury of Nastasic makes the need to bring in a new centre-back all the greater this summer and Pellegrini has his sights set on Pepe, who has already been the subject of a failed £15 million bid by the Citizens last month. Real insist they want the Portuguese defender to stay at the Bernabeu this summer but City are set to submit a fresh bid before next Monday's league opener against Newcastle. And last season's Premier League runners-up are hoping an offer in excess of £20 million will be enough to tempt Real into selling. Reports in Spanish media have claimed Txiki Begiristain, City's director of football, has flown to Madrid to negotiate a deal, but if one cannot be brokered, he will accept defeat and look elsewhere.

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Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.