Manchester City interested in €35 million-rated defensive midfielder named league’s Player of the Season | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City have now added one of Belgian football’s stars to their transfer shortlist for the forthcoming summer window, according to new reports.

It is the latest in a long list of developments concerning the Etihad Stadium’s proposed transfer business for the forthcoming summer window, as incoming sporting director Hugo Viana continues to work alongside Txiki Begiristain on plans for the squad.

After a hugely disappointing campaign, saved by UEFA Champions League qualification on the final day of the season, the plan from within the club is to strengthen in numerous roles, whilst also keeping the door open to a number of outgoings, should they be desired.

One of the positions that is expected to undergo most work is central midfield, in part due to a perceived lack of energy and youthfulness throughout the last season, and also as a direct result of departures including Kevin De Bruyne.

Amid links to the likes of AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, and Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, the latest name to find themselves at the centre of supposed Manchester City interest has been starring in the Belgian game.

According to the information of Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Manchester City have now added Club Brugge defensive midfielder, Ardon Jashari to their shortlist for the upcoming summer transfer window.

It is detailed that contact has already taken place with City over the 22-year-old, who is fresh off the back of a stellar season in Belgium and was recently named as the Jupiler Pro League’s Player of the Season.

Contracted with Brugge until the summer of 2029, it is revealed that the midfielder is currently valued at more than €35 million, while Manchester City could face competition from the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

Across 52 appearances in all competitions during the last campaign, Jashari recorded four goals and six assists from his defensive midfield role, having only joined the Belgian club in April 2024.

Having developed through the Academy of FC Luzern in his native Switzerland, Jashari made the switch to Belgium for a reported fee of €6 million – a club record for the Swiss club in the transfer market.

For now, it remains to be seen whether Manchester City’s interest in the player stems any further into anything more concrete, and whether he is viewed as a player immediately ready for Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.