Real Madrid make Manchester City transfer enquires during pre-match event – 83-goal star excluded from talks | OneFootball

Manchester City officials faced transfer enquires from Real Madrid executives at a luncheon prior to Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

Pep Guardiola’s side crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in midweek, suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium to dramatically quell hopes of retaining last season’s European trophy at Wembley Stadium in June.

The current holders were knocked-out of the competition by 14-time winners Real Madrid, as both Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic saw their penalties saved by Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin during the shoot-out.

Manchester City had dominated the second-leg in east Manchester, with Kevin De Bruyne levelling the tie in the 76th minute from close range, after Rodrygo tapped the La Liga club into an early first-half lead at the Etihad.

The 1-1 draw came following an enthralling 3-3 draw first-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabéu, where emphatic efforts from both Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol had smashed Manchester City into a 2-3 second-half lead.

City and Real Madrid were meeting for the third successive year in the Champions League, having met in the semi-finals of the competition in both 2022 and 2023.

Guardiola’s side battered Real Madrid in the second-leg last season, racing to a 5-1 aggregate win over the Spanish heavyweights with an empathic 4-0 win at the Etihad.

Wednesday’s exit from the Champions League came following an executive luncheon between officials of both Manchester City and Real Madrid, with transfer businesses reportedly on the agenda of both clubs pre-match.

According to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ on X, Real Madrid officials used the event to ask their Manchester City counterparts about the potential availability this summer of some of Guardiola’s players.

Additionally, Erling Haaland, who has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid since signing for Manchester City in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund, was not discussed during talks between the two parties, the insider revealed.

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has previously been linked with a move to La Liga, although the Portugal international has been of significant interest to Real Madrid’s rivals Barcelona during the past three years.

The 29-year-old could leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, with a £50 million release clause becoming active in the contract of the Manchester City star.