Manchester City are now favourites to sign Matija Popovic ahead of AC Milan after making an offer to the Serbian.
That is according to Calciomercato.
So, what is the latest on Matija Popovic and Manchester City? Let us take a look…
Matija Popovic update
Fabrizio Romano revealed on Wednesday that Manchester City made a late attempt to hijack AC Milan’s negotiations to sign the 17-year-old wonderkid after he traveled to watch the recent 3-2 win over Red Star Belgrade.
The treble winners appear to have made solid progress with this hijack, as Calciomercato in Italy now believe Pep Guardiola’s side are favourites to sign Popovic.
AC Milan reportedly thought they had a deal in place for the teenager, who is set to leave Partizan on a free transfer at the start of January.
Manchester City, on the other hand, is said to have ‘forcefully’ entered the discussion and made an official offer to Popovic, putting AC Milan in serious jeopardy.
According to Calciomercato, the Citizens are still in talks with Popovic, and it remains to be seen whether AC Milan will make a last-ditch effort to save the deal.
Manchester City fans should be excited by Matija Popovic
It can often be tough to get enthused by young signings, as fans know it may be a while until we see them in the first team – especially at Manchester City, where there is world class talent in every position.
Popovic’s supporters, on the other hand, should be quite excited if a deal is completed in January – he has the quality to become a senior option very fast.
The Serbia Under-17 international impressively scored 20 goals and provided five assists in just 24 appearances in the 2022/23 campaign, which is a stunning return for the physical 6ft 4in wonder.
Popovic was expected to hook up with the Partizan first squad this season, but the contract conflict which means he is departing for nothing in January changed that position.
Popovic’s stature may lead fans to believe he is more akin to an Andy Carroll-type striker than anything else.
However, his dribbling and first touch are excellent, according to the Guardian, which named him to their coveted Next Generation list, and his profile is exceptionally unique. He is also known to have a lot of speed.
Keep an eye on this situation as Manchester City tries to push AC Milan aside.
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