Brighton submit £20 million bid for Manchester City right-back target | OneFootball

Manchester City face added competition from within the Premier League for one of their right-back targets for the ongoing summer transfer window.

Hugo Viana and Manchester City officials remain in the process of reshaping their first-team squad having already made five major changes to Pep Guardiola’s roster prior to the start of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Off the back of a hugely difficult campaign across competitions, the first major casualty saw Kevin De Bruyne snubbed over fresh contractual terms, and subsequently permitting arguably the club’s greatest-ever player to leave on a free transfer to Napoli.

Then came the arrivals as Manchester City welcomed four new faces into their squad in time for the United States-based competition, with Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki joining the club alongside a new third-choice goalkeeper in Marcus Bettinelli.

But with Pep Guardiola consistently making his feelings known over slimming down his options to balance out the game time and opportunities available to his players, further exits are expected after the conclusion of the summer tournament.

One name that is almost certain to leave, but also likely to be replaced, is long-standing mainstay right-back Kyle Walker, who has failed to convince AC Milan that he is worth a €5 million investment off the back of his short-term loan at the San Siro last season.

And as City go in search of a long-term replacement for the England international, with Matheus Nunes and Rico Lewis operating in the role at the Club World Cup, they may find themselves competing with Premier League rivals for one particular player of interest.

That is according to the information of The Telegraph’s Jason Burt, who reveals that Brighton have now made a bid in the region of £20 million for Flamengo right-back and reported Manchester City transfer target, Wesley França.

From the side of the Brazilian club, it is detailed that they are prepared to sell the 21-year-old, and are aware of his ambitions to move to Europe and play in the Premier League, but will not contemplate a sale until after their FIFA Club World Cup campaign ends.

For now, it also remains to be seen whether the offer from the south coast of England will be accepted, or whether Manchester City will also make an offer themselves and intensify their own pursuit of a player that would come into arguably a problem position in their squad.

Aside from the highly-rated Brazilian talent, there is also believed to be an interest from Manchester City in Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento, who himself is currently focussed on the on-field activities he has on his plate this summer.

It is widely believed that talks between the two clubs over a possible deal for the England Under-21 international were placed on hold after differences in valuations meant a transfer could not be possible in time for the Club World Cup.

Speaking during a recent interview, and when asked about his future amid City interest, Livramento told reporters, “I’m in constant contact with him [Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe]. He’s just said to keep focusing on what you’re doing now and you’re doing so well.”

He continued, “Having that relationship with someone that is such a big figure in what I’ve done so far is amazing for me. I’m very much focused on what I’m doing here now. I don’t know anything about that [transfer speculation].

“Being away with the [England] U21s is my main priority. I like to stay in the moment and just focus on what I can do to help the team.”