Manchester City sources issue comment on transfer links to Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso | OneFootball

Sources at Manchester City have issued a comment on links between the club and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, first emerging from Italian media this week.

It was first suggested by Gianluca Di Marzio that the Premier League champions had issued a concrete demonstration of interest to the Old Lady over their highly-rated full-back talent but were yet to make any formal bid to the club.

Links between Manchester City and one of Italy’s best defenders at present in the wider rearguard roles have also come in light of the club becoming aware of their club captain’s intent to leave this month.

Long-standing mainstay right-back Kyle Walker approached the club’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain last week to inform the 60-year-old of his desire to explore options abroad in the game, with both Milan clubs subsequently becoming interested.

And while there was a feeling that Manchester City would likely target a replacement for Walker come the end of the season, their hunt for that profile has started much earlier in the eyes of some, while sources at the club have been keen to play down recent developments.

According to the information of BBC Sport’s Simon Stone, it is confirmed that the Premier League champions are indeed interested in signing Juventus and Italy international full-back, Andrea Cambiaso.

However, the report states that City sources have said that talks over the player are not as advanced as some reports in Italy are suggesting this week, and there is certainly no guarantee that a transfer will be completed this month.

Additional reporting from The Telegraph’s Sam Wallace and Mike McGrath confirms City’s interest in the £50 million-plus defender as the club looks at long-term replacements for want-away captain, Kyle Walker.

Once again, it is stated that City are willing to wait until the summer before pushing forward with a deal having watched the 24-year-old and placing him among players on a shortlist for a rebuild of their first-team squad this year.

For now, it remains to be seen just how many names Manchester City are considering for the full-back role in the summer or even in the ongoing market, with central midfield still in place as a position to invest in this month.

There have been tenuous links between the club and Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina for the summer, while in midfield, Cambiaso’s Juventus teammate Douglas Luiz is understood to have some admirers within the Etihad Stadium.

Given the proactive nature of Manchester City’s business so far this month, the club have allowed themselves a fortnight to address the midfield role and work with more precision and time to get the right deal over the line.