As per reports, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to sign forward Amine Gouiri from Nice. The Spanish manager wants the forward to play for the Etihad in the Premier League.
The Frenchman is in top form this season for Nice. On the other hand, the departure of Sergio Aguero from Man City over the summer has left Pep with just one no.9, Gabriel Jesus.
Even though Guardiola’s system doesn’t require a dedicated striker, having one at his disposal would make his selection process easy. Meanwhile, Jesus has found his spot as a winger with Ferran Torres out for long with a metatarsal injury.
Pep could transform Amine Gouiri into a mega star forward
The 21-yrs-old is rocking Ligue 1 this season with his goal involvements for Nice. Under the supervision of manager Christophe Galtier, Amine has six goals and three assists from 11 matches in league action this term.
Gouiri is a product of the Olympique Lyon academy. Having joined Les Gones’ youth setup in 2013, the striker rose through the ranks. Making rapid strides to break into the first-team in 2017, at the tender age of 17, he however made just 15 senior appearances for the club, before signing for OGC Nice in the summer of 2020.
He has also won 14 Caps for the France U-21 international team and is now under the radar of Europe’s top clubs including City, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Even though Amine is in high demand, Pep however, seems to be most eager for the French international’s signature, facing striker problems himself.
Aguero’s exit, Raheem Sterling’s dip in form, Torres’ injury and Jesus’ promotion to winger has left no striker in the team’s lineup. Due to lack of availability, Phil Foden is the team’s no.9 with Ilkay Gundogan playing as false 9 occasionally.
The introduction of Gouiri can relieve some pressure off the Spanish manager, but the club will have to pay a good amount for the striker. With his contract expiring in 2024, it could take a fee of £42.2m to prise him away from Les Aiglons now.
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