Manchester City are chasing a defensive midfielder to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season, and will look to beat Liverpool to the player's signature.
With Kalvin Phillips completing a loan move to West Ham United until the end of the season, Manchester City are now light in defensive midfield. While Rodri will invariably continue to start the majority of games, Pep Guardiola is still keen on reinforcing that area of his team.
In doing so, Manchester City could ruin Liverpool's plans in this transfer window, as they look to beat their Premier League rivals to the signing of a highly-rated young star.
According to South American outlet Bolavip, Manchester City are keen on bringing Porto midfielder Alan Varela to the Etihad Stadium, a player Liverpool have also identified as an ideal option to sit at the base of their midfield.
Despite only moving to Liga Portugal in August 2023 for less than £10m from Boca Juniors, Varela has impressed in his short time in Europe. The 22-year-old shone in the Champions League group stages, starting all six of Porto's matches as they reached the knockout round, while his 14 league appearances have been met with plenty of praise, too.
Comfortable on the ball, Varela's passing stats certainly mirror those of Rodri, too. The Spaniard is arguably the best in his position in world football, allowing Varela to continue his development by learning from the best.
Though he's valued at just £12m by Transfermarkt, the report suggests that Manchester City will have to match his £60m release clause to stand a chance of signing him. His contract still has over four years remaining on it, while a potential bidding war with Liverpool will inevitably raise the fee.
Liverpool certainly won't back down, though, with Wataro Endo the club's only recognised defensive midfielder at the moment. While Alexis Mac Allister has proven he is capable of playing there, Varela would allow his fellow countryman to play higher up the field in areas he's more comfortable in.
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