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What's the story?
Premier League side Manchester City are set to make a €56 million bid for Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, according to Spanish media outlet Don Balon.
The Citizens' manager Pep Guardiola believes he can convince his former team Barcelona to sell their Spanish midfielder for €56 million despite the 29-year-old having a €200 million release clause in his contract.
In case you didn't know...
Busquets was promoted to the Barcelona first team in 2008 just two months after Guardiola was appointed as the Blaugrana manager. The 29-year-old has been a key player for the side and also the Spain national team ever since his senior team debut.
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The defensive midfielder is contracted to Barcelona till the summer of 2021 and has an astronomical release clause of €200 million.
Meanwhile, the Catalan club have been heavily linked with Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho and are believed to be in the process of getting a deal done for the Brazilian in January or, at the very least next summer, leading Guardiola to believe that he can lure Busquets to his Manchester City team.
The heart of the matter
If Don Balon is to be believed, Guardiola wants a reunion with Busquets and is confident that a €56 million bid would convince Barcelona to sell, especially with Coutinho expected to join them in the near future.
Manchester City's current defensive midfielder Fernandinho's contract with the club runs out next summer, but according to reports, the player has already signed a new deal. If the reports are true, the Premier League leaders will have two solid defensive midfielders in their squad.
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Author's take
Even though Guardiola can use his Barcelona connection to try and lure Busquets to England, it is unlikely the Catalan side will sell their key midfielder. Coutinho's arrival will not change the club's stance, as the Brazilian is an attacking midfielder, unlike Busquets.
It also has to be noted that Don Balon have not always been the most trustworthy of sources, so it is better to take this rumour with a pinch of salt.
