Reports: Manchester City set to beat Chelsea with stunning offer for Real Madrid star

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Antonio Conte will not be a happy man

What’s the story?

Manchester City have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer window so far and it appears they don't plan to stop anytime soon. According to reliable English outlet the Guardian, the Citizens have beaten reigning Premier League champions Chelsea to the signing of Real Madrid star Danilo.

The Etihad outfit have agreed a deal in the region of €30 million for the Brazilian and will have to pay another €5 million in add-ons. Chelsea had been heavily linked with the 26-year-old, who played second fiddle to Dani Carvajal at the Santiago Bernabeu last term.

Speaking to the reporters ahead of their game against Manchester United, Guardiola had said that they were monitoring three or four players to choose from. He said: "They are young players, with the next three, four, five years in mind. Mendy is the same case as Danilo, we have targets and we see what happens. He's a Monaco player so I'm quiet in my comments."

In case you didn’t know…

Danilo saw limited game time under Zinedine Zidane last season, starting only 17 games in La Liga for the Santiago Bernabeu outfit. During the crunch games, he often found himself benched for teammate Dani Carvajal.

The 26-year-old was reportedly a target for Chelsea, with Antonio Conte inclined to improve the right side of his defence, where he currently only has Victor Moses as an option. However, according to the report, it is the Etihad outfit who have managed to win the race for his signature.

The heart of the matter

Manchester City are determined to improve in the full-back position - which was a weakness for Pep Guardiola's side last term and have already secured the signing of Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur in a world record deal for the defender.

The Citizens are also interested in the services of Monaco's Benjamin Mendy, however, first, they will look to complete the signing of Danilo, who Guardiola sees as capable of playing in both the full-back positions along with in midfield.

It will be another blow for Chelsea, who were earlier beaten to the signing of Romelu Lukaku by Manchester United. But Antonio Conte has been prompt in bouncing back from the snub by the former Belgian forward to recruit Alvaro Morata.

Also Read: Reports: Chelsea ready to sell £44m star

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Author's Take

Danilo will be a key addition to the Manchester City line-up as he is a useful player and knows how to hold his own in defence. Guardiola prefers his full-backs to be more attack minded and the Brazilian brings exactly that to the table. He still has to work on his defending but he has years on his side and under Guardiola, he will only get better.

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Edited by Shaurya Vineet