Premier League runners-up look to Liverpool target to strengthen central defence…
Manchester City have set their sights on Liverpool’s primary defensive target Kyriakos Papadopolous, reports the Daily Mirror.
Manuel Pellegrini wanted to reunite with Real Madrid’s Pepe, but Los Blancos are refusing to sell, so the Chilean boss has drawn up a list of targets which includes Schalke’s 21-year-old Greek stopper and Napoli’s skipper Paulo Cannavaro.
City want to strengthen at centre-half after the pre-season injury to the promising Matija Nastastic, which wil see the Serb sit six weeks on the sidelines.
The injury could be a major blow to the start of City’s Premier League plans. Nastasic won a starting place alongside club captain Vincent Kompany last term, ousting England international Joleon Lescott in the process. His calmness on the ball and ability to play it out from the back was admired by many pundits, and the centre-half is destined to become one of the leading defenders in the country.
Nastasic joined the club from Fiorentina for £13m plus Stefan Savic, last summer, but his injury could mean Pellegrini steps up his efforts to sign Schalke’s Papadopoulos.
Liverpool have targeted the Greek all summer, but City’s financial clout would no doubt see them win the race for his signature if the two clubs went head to head.
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