Man City to make Eberechi Eze bid Crystal Palace wants £70m

Manchester City are weighing up a move for Eberechi Eze after a deal to land Lucas Paqueta collapsed.

The Crystal Palace midfielder has been on City’s radar for the last six months after senior scouts were left heavily impressed by his control of games for the Eagles.

The Treble winners are still looking for a midfielder given the dramatic betting allegations levelled at Paqueta, who had been ready to leave West Ham United for around £85million.

Eze, handed a first England cap by Gareth Southgate in June, has been attracting interest from across the Premier League following a stellar couple of years at Selhurst Park.

City sources have insisted all summer that they have merely retained a watching brief of the 25-year-old, but it remains to be seen whether the Paqueta developments see them formalise interest.

Palace are expected to demand north of £70m from any potential suitors with the transfer window set to shut next week.

Eze does, however, only have two years remaining on his current contract and any possible bid will likely test Palace’s resolve.

Pep Guardiola – recuperating in Barcelona after back surgery - is without Kevin De Bruyne until the new year through injury and is keen for another body.

Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez, and James McAtee can all play in the two spots behind Erling Haaland. City had primarily been searching for an Ilkay Gundogan replacement even before De Bruyne’s setback.

Riyad Mahrez also departed and City had looked at Palace winger Michael Olise earlier in the window but opted for Rennes winger Jeremy Doku instead.

Doku, 21, is at the City Football Academy completing medical checks ahead of a £55m switch from France in a transfer that will offer Guardiola additional pace and trickery in attacking areas.