Manchester City have been utterly dominating in the Premier League this season as they have bulldozed past almost every opponent in the league with relative ease. They outclassed Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium yesterday as they clinched a 3-1 win over the Magpies to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League table.
However, Pep Guardiola might be looking to make one or two additions to beef up his arsenal further to continue their domestic superiority as well as to engineer a stronger Champions League campaign and as per one of the latest reports by The Daily Mail, Guardiola’s camp is plotting a £50million move to sign Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder, Frederico Rodrigues Santos, this month.
Fred emerged through the youth ranks of Atletico Mineiro, Porto Alegre and Sport Club Internacional and was eventually promoted to the senior side of Internacional. After creating ripples in Brazilian football, he was signed by the Ukrainian outfit, Shakhtar Donetsk, in the summer of 2013 and he has played an instrumental role for his side ever since his move to the ranks of the Moles.
His current employers are understandably reluctant to let him leave owing to their Champions League commitments but considering that the blue half of Manchester are lining up such an audacious bid, they might not be able to resist the temptation. The Brazilian international, given the calibre he has, would be a resounding acquisition for Guardiola as he should be able to inject more resilience in the middle of the park.
But with City in a comfortable position in the league and the likes of Yaya Toure still in the ranks to provide backup to Fernandinho, City might settle for a scenario where the player, although signed, will join the team in the summer.
The 24-year-old is an astute passer of the ball and reads the game intelligently. He not only cushions the back line in a formidable fashion but also gallops forward to test the defence of the opposition and no wonder his stocks are so highly rated. He shoots the ball fiercely, knits the side together with his vision, has garnered a decent amount of experience under his belt and loves to dictate the tempo of the game from the middle.
Apart from the Citizens, their arch-rivals, Manchester United and two other big clubs in Arsenal and Chelsea are also believed to be interested to sign him and thus, Manchester City should wrap up the deal quickly in order to avoid losing out on securing his signature. Yaya Toure’s deal expires at the end of the season and a replacement for him would be needed and to cater to the need, Fred could be a vital acquisition for the club.