Manchester City are prepared to loan out either Oscar Bobb or Rico Lewis to Newcastle in a bid to secure the services of Bruno Guimaraes, according to The Daily Star (via The Express).
The Premier League champions are not willing to meet the Magpies’ £100m asking price for the Brazilian international and they are looking at other potential avenues to get the deal over the line.
It is believed that the Cityzens are only prepared to pay £80m for Guimaraes but they are willing to loan Bobb or Lewis in order to sweeten the deal.
The Daily Star claim that they have made it clear that neither player is for sale but Newcastle could be tempted by the prospect of signing one of them on a temporary basis for next season.
What are the chances that City will sign Guimaraes?
Newcastle are reportedly determined to keep hold of the midfielder and, after the expiration of his release clause last month, the chances of a move happening this summer looked rather slim.
Eddie Howe’s side are said to be keen on Bobb and Lewis but it would be a surprise if they were willing to lower their valuation of Guimaraes just so they can get one of these youngsters on loan.
Are City targeting any other midfielders?
The Manchester side have also been heavily linked with Benfica’s Joao Neves, but all the signs point towards the 19-year-old completing a switch to Paris Saint-Germain.
A more realistic alternative is likely to be Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich. The German is not expected to sign a new contract despite his current deal expiring next year. It is believed that he could be sold this summer for a fee in the region of €30m (£25m).
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for 2024/2025 season here
