Manchester City make ‘attempt to renew’ defender’s contract amid transfer interest from Real Madrid

Real Madrid could have their work cut out if they are to sign Manchester City and Brazil international full-back Yan Couto this summer, a new report has suggested.

The 21-year-old is currently on loan at La Liga high-flyers Girona, where his performances at the City Football Group club earned him his first senior cap for his national team earlier this season.

With Manchester City continuously reviewing their squad, and current club captain Kyle Walker not getting any younger, a door may open for Yan Couto in Pep Guardiola’s side in the not too distant future.

However, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid are looking likely to try and beat Manchester City to the offer of first-team football, holding an interest in signing the player on a permanent basis in the coming summer transfer market.

While Real Madrid may hold an interest in the player, it appears as though Manchester City are not willing to lose the talents of the full-back without retaining his transfer market value, if the information of journalist José Félix Díaz is to be believed this week.

As translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Díaz explains, “He has a contract until 2025 with Manchester City. It seems that there has been an attempt to renew. I like him at Real Madrid.”

Moving specifically onto interest from the La Liga giants, Díaz notes, “At the moment they (Real Madrid) are seeing that he (Yan Couto) is a player who is evolving in a brutal way, and that his contractual situation is favourable to try him out.

“I see a generational change there with (Dani) Carvajal due to the age difference. He is evolving positively, perhaps more as a winger than as a winger. But he has already been called up by Brazil.”

He continued, “At Real Madrid they have to see what happens with Lucas Vázquez and his contractual situation, and a plane is also coming from the reserve team, which is Jesús Fortea.”

Aside from the possibility of bringing Yan Couto into the Manchester City first-team squad from next season, there has been very little in the way of alternative options to replace Kyle Walker in the long-term at the Etihad Stadium.

One name that has been mooted briefly is that of Tottenham Hotspurs defender Pedro Porro, whom Manchester City sold to Sporting CP prior to his move to London having not granted the player a single minute of action in Guardiola’s team.

Rico Lewis could also provide a solid option at right-back, having progressed through Manchester City’s academy ranks in the role, but developing into a range of midfield positions since his breakthrough into the first-team squad one year ago.