Manchester City make first moves to re-sign Bundesliga star defender – Manchester United and Arsenal also interested | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City have reportedly made their first moves towards re-signing one name that has been excelling in the Bundesliga this season.

There are expected to be a number of big-name changes at the Etihad Stadium this summer, both in the way of arrivals and departures, as Pep Guardiola looks to equip himself strongly for what could be his final season at the club.

The Catalan’s tenure is currently set to come to an end at the end of next season, with his existing contract running until the summer of 2025. However, Manchester City are expected to push hard to secure a renewal of his deal.

In the meantime, club officials will continue recruiting as normal, and insisting on strong forward planning in the transfer market that has been a key reason behind their maintained success over the last decade.

That policy is now likely to take them into the right-back position this summer, with club captain Kyle Walker approaching the final years of his top-level playing career and Manchester City looking towards a long-term successor.

According to the information of HITC’s Graeme Bailey, Manchester City have now ‘spoken to’ Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong about a potential return to the Etihad Stadium, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa all said to be engaged in the race for the player.

It is detailed that Frimpong has opened discussions with Manchester City via his representatives, with the Etihad club currently ‘doing their checks’ on the player’s availability as they look to ‘discover the overall cost of a potential deal’.

Perhaps of greatest interest to potential suitors is the 23-year-old’s release clause in his existing Bayer Leverkusen contract, understood to be worth just £34 million.

Away from the aforementioned quartet of English clubs interested in Frimpong, HITC also report that Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are both on the trail of the defender, who could be destined for the pinnacle of European football through his next move.

Manchester City have the future of existing right-back talents to deal with this summer too, as the club looks to open themselves up to offers for highly-rated duo Yan Couto and Issa Kabore, following their respective loan spells in the European game.

Couto was part of the hugely successful and continuously ambitious Girona side that secured themselves a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, despite intense pressure from the likes of FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid around them.

As for Kabore, the Burkina Faso international spent the ongoing campaign in the Premier League working under Rob Edwards’ Luton Town side, who could yet maintain their position in the top-flight on the final day of the campaign, albeit hugely against the odds.