Chelsea submit transfer enquiry to Manchester City over potential midfield signing | OneFootball

Manchester City have been subjected to yet another transfer enquiry from Premier League rivals Chelsea, it has been revealed.

The 19-year-old is viewed within the Etihad Stadium as a player capable of operating in a number of attacking positions, while the ongoing season has seen Pep Guardiola reveal his availability as a defensive midfield talent, too.

Nico O’Reilly is the latest in a long line of Manchester City Academy talents to progress right through the club’s development system and settle into the role of becoming a regular first-team feature at the Etihad Stadium.

The Manchester-born talent first arrived at City at the age of just eight, starring as an England youth international and regularly featuring at Under-18 and Under-21 level for Manchester City prior to his call-up into the first-team squad from the start of this season.

Having attended City’s pre-season tour of the United States and scoring his first senior goal for the Club against Barcelona, Nico O’Reilly went on to make his professional senior debut in the Community Shield win over Manchester United.

However, it appears as though those talents have now been targeted by one of Manchester City’s primary Premier League rivals, who will be looking to follow a hugely successful trend set through the signing of Cole Palmer in the summer of 2023.

According to the information of transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, Premier League rivals Chelsea, as part of their ongoing work towards signing a new midfielder, have made an enquiry to Manchester City over Academy graduate, Nico O’Reilly.

It is explained that the Premier League champions certainly do not want to lose ‘future control’ of the player, with the deal described as ‘not easy’ for the Stamford Bridge club, although it is not pointed out what City’s stance is on a potential move.

Pep Guardiola has spoken publicly and often on his admiration for Nico O’Reilly as a player for Manchester City’s present and future, praising the teenager’s versatility across a number of positions for his side.

“He can play in the middle, outside, both sides,” Guardiola pointed out earlier this month.

“Nico played for the first time in his life at left back. He has the conditions to play holding midfielder but maybe he doesn’t believe he can play this. He’s another talent the club trust a lot.”

Manchester City themselves remain in the market for a new central midfielder and are actively working on a deal to sign FC Porto’s Nico Gonzalez, who has a €60 million release clause in his contract with the Portuguese side.