Manchester City have been rumoured to be keeping tabs on Napoli sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia this season, but it looks like their pursuit of the player could end up in disappointment.
Kvaratskhelia has been one of the best players in European football this season, unexpectedly so. Napoli only signed him in the summer for around £10m but already the Georgian winger has more than justified his transfer fee.
The 21-year-old has been at the heart of Napoli's impressive form in both Serie A and the Champions League, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists in just 17 appearances. It's no surprise that rival clubs have sat up and taken notice, with City reportedly one of them.
However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli are set to offer Kvaratskhelia a 'lucrative' new contract that would reportedly double his current salary.
Of course, neither City nor any other Premier League club would have found it easy to prize the talented youngster away from Naples, but the task could be even harder now.
Elsewhere, the future of Ilkay Gundogan might have taken another twist.
The City skipper's contract is up at the end of the current season, and so far he and the club have yet to agree to new terms. City are believed to be keen on keeping Gundogan around, but the 32-year-old appears to be in no rush to make a final decision.
Numerous reports have linked Barcelona and Juventus with Gundogan, but Sport are now reporting that the former are no longer interested in the German international.
Barca boss Xavi was reportedly keen to bring Gundogan in as a replacement for Sergio Busquets, who at the start of next season will be 35. Xavi believed that Gundogan could adapt to a deeper holding role thanks to his technical quality, but the latest reports suggest that Barca would rather sign someone with a younger age profile.
While the latest report does not mean Gundogan will extend his stay at City, it does suggest that one potentially lucrative option for him is now off the table. That could certainly play in City's favour when trying to convince him to stay at the Etihad Stadium.
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