Manchester City made a late, big-money approach for Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, but they were unable to get the deal over the line, a report has revealed.
Who did Man City sign in the summer?
Man City had a moderately busy summer transfer window, with Pep Guardiola being forced to freshen up his squad after a number of first-team players moved on, including captain Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte.
Josko Gvardiol's arrival paved the way for Laporte's departure, with the Spaniard joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, while Gundogan was replaced by Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, with the central midfielder joining in a deal worth an initial £25m.
Guardiola also had to bring in reinforcements in wide areas, owing to Mahrez and Cole Palmer leaving the club, with Jeremy Doku being brought in as a replacement for the former, however the manager was unable to conclude a deal for another winger.
Palmer completed a move to Chelsea for £40m on deadline day, with the deal taking the Blues' spending over the £1bn mark since Todd Boehly took over as owner, and there was not enough time for City to find a suitable replacement for the 21-year-old.
However, the Sky Blues did make an attempt to bring in a new player on deadline day, with The Mirror revealing they made an 11th hour £60m bid for Eze, with talks reaching an advanced stage, but they were unable to get a deal over the line.
The Premier League champions were left frustrated after failing to push through the deal, with Palace refusing to budge from their £80m asking price, £20m more than City were willing to offer.
The player himself may have also been left frustrated by the move not going through, as he would have loved the opportunity of linking up with Guardiola. After remaining at Selhurst Park, the winger may now be offered a new contract, with Michael Olise also electing to commit his future to the Eagles after a bid for him was turned down earlier in the transfer window.
How good is Eberechi Eze?
Although City were unable to get a deal done on deadline day, they should definitely keep the England international on their shortlist of future targets, as he has put in some top-quality performances for Palace over the past few seasons.
Last season was by far the Palace star's best campaign since arriving at Selhurst Park, weighing in with ten goals and four assists in the Premier League, bouncing back well after suffering a serious Achilles injury back in May 2021.
Crystal Palace reporter Matt Woosnam was full of praise for the attacking midfielder after he put in an impressive display against Leicester City last season, saying on X:
"Thought Eberechi Eze was brilliant today. Exploited the space offered to him by Leicester's defence / midfield going missing.
"Played with verve and confidence. His best performance in ages. Way he moves his body to deceive players v good again today."
Having proven himself at Palace, Eze could be ready to make the step-up to City in the near future, so it could be wise for Guardiola and co to keep him on his shortlist ahead of the January transfer window.