Manchester City locked in battle for €15M Portugal star amid Bernardo Silva doubts | OneFootball

Manchester City are fighting with Juventus to sign Famalicão and Portugal U21 midfielder Gustavo Sa, as per a new report.

City overhauled their midfielder department in the recent transfer window, with Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki brought in to mitigate the notable exits of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan to Napoli and Galatasaray respectively.

Hugo Viana’s appointment as Manchester City’s director of football sparked a major revamp of the first-team squad as the Blues made seven new signings and moved on a series of senior players beyond their prime.

Rodri has struggled to maintain fitness since his brief return to action at the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer, having spent nearly the entirety of the 2024-25 season out injured after sustaining an ACL rupture in September 2024.

The £50 million January signing of Nico Gonzalez has allowed Manchester City to ease Rodri back to action since May, with Mateo Kovacic also recently returning to full fitness after undergoing Achilles surgery in the summer.

City have allowed club captain Bernardo Silva to enter the final year of his contract as doubts remain on the future of the 31-year-old Portugal international, who has publicly stated that he has made up his mind on where he sees himself beyond the end of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s side are in a rich vein of form and have slowly turned a corner since their early season slump, having risen to second place in the Premier League table and fifth place in the UEFA Champions League group-stage – having avoided defeat since the end of August.

The Blues are not expected to be nearly as active in the 2026 January transfer window as they were this summer but Viana and co will be scouting the market for opportunities the club can look to pounce upon next summer.

According to Calciomercato, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are competing with Juventus for the signing of Famalicão and Portugal U21 midfielder Gustavo Sa, who has caught the eye of several elite European clubs with his stellar displays for club and country this term.

City are building a new-look side to challenge for major trophies in the seasons to come and amidst regrets over a dormant 2024 summer transfer window held by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, club officials will be keen to go from strength to strength next summer and recruit as needed.

Manchester City are yet to begin identifying long-term replacements for Silva, who could be leaving next summer, as they assess the former AS Monaco man’s performances and fitness in the months to come amid considerations of a contract proposal.

Sa could be available for as little as €15 million and Viana will be looking to cash in on his strong network in Portugal should Manchester City decide to progress their interest in the young midfielder in the coming transfer windows.