Crystal Palace set Eberechi Eze asking price as Manchester City consider opening bid

Manchester City are considering making an opening offer for Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, according to reports.

City transfer chiefs are currently working through a refined shortlist of alternative midfield targets during the final few days of the summer transfer window, after their pursuit of Lucas Paqueta collapsed due to the emergence of an ongoing FIFA and FA investigation in betting allegations.

The Premier League champions are understood to have held interest in RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo, however the Bundesliga club are unwilling to do business over the Spaniard whatsoever this summer.

Elsewhere and Manchester City have already launched an opening bid for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Nunes, with a £47 million proposal having been rejected by Molineux chiefs on Wednesday night.

Now, a new report has detailed the Premier League champions’ view on another high-profile name in the Premier League, and one that has impressed club scouts significantly over the past few months.

According to a new report from the Evening Standard on Thursday, Manchester City are currently considering making their opening proposal to Selhurst Park officials for 25-year-old Eberechi Eze.

However, and perhaps unsurprisingly given the stage in the window that this interest has emerged at, Crystal Palace are reportedly expected to tell any club who enquire about Eze’s availability that £70 million is the lowest they would consider selling him for.

It is understood to Manchester City scouts have been left impressed by Eze’s ability to control games in the middle of the park for Roy Hodgson’s squad, and believe he has the capabilities to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s system adequately for the ongoing season.

City have been left limited in the centre of the pitch this season already, having seen club captain Ilkay Gundogan depart for FC Barcelona on a free transfer, and Kevin De Bruyne ruled out for the remainder of the calendar year following hamstring surgery.

Mateo Kovacic has adapted swiftly to Pep Guardiola’s system since joining the club from Chelsea in a £25 million deal, however there is a feeling that City still require an additional element of creativity in midfield in order to cope without De Bruyne and compete on all fronts this season.