Manchester City in ‘player evaluation process’ of €70 million midfielder – Previous interest held

Premier League champions Manchester City are currently undertaking a ‘player evaluation process’ of FC Porto midfielder Alan Varela, according to reports.

Manchester City are likely to venture into the summer transfer market in the coming months as they look to further strengthen Pep Guardiola’s options amid uncertainty over a number of players’ futures.

Kalvin Phillips’ loan move to West Ham during the January transfer window makes his long-term future at Manchester City unstable, while Bernardo Silva could yet revive his interest in a new challenge away from the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City may also feel that they require a stronger alternative to Rodrigo in defensive midfield, and a new report emerging from European media is suggesting that the Premier League giants could solve that problem by turning to FC Porto.

That is according to the information of Bruno Andrade for maisfutebol, who reports that Manchester City have been following Alan Varela’s performances ‘very closely’ and have been ‘present’ at some recent FC Porto games to ‘take notes’.

However, this is not the first time that Manchester City have held an interest in the talents and rising development of the 22-year-old versatile midfielder.

Maisfutebol report that Varela was highly-rated by the Etihad club during his time with Boca Juniors. It is however stressed that there are ‘no negotiations in progress’ over the player, despite a ‘profile evaluation process’ currently ongoing.

Varela currently has an active contract with the Portuguese club until June 2028, with a release clause embedded into the deal worth a reported €70 million, according to Bruno Andrade’s piece for Maisfutebol.

Other names linked to Manchester City in the deeper midfield position are few and far between, however there has been talk of interest in Bayern Munich and Germany international Joshua Kimmich being interested in a move to the Premier League.

Kimmich is of course a player that Pep Guardiola knows very well from his time at the Allianz Arena, and given their strong working relationship in Germany, the versatile midfielder would likely be open to a reunion.

City are unlikely to entertain the idea of Kalvin Phillips being granted a further opportunity to revive his Etihad Stadium career however, and could seek permanent offers for the Englishman across the coming months, including from his current employers West Ham.