According to news in the paper edition of Tuttosport via Sport Witness, Man City are considering a swoop for Juventus left-back Alex Sandro – with director of football Txiki Begiristain and co maintaining a ‘growing interest’ in the Brazilian.
As part of our rumoured summer overhaul, manager Pep Guardiola has pinpointed the left-back position as an area which may need reinforcement.
Should City sign Alex Sandro?
Yes, world class left-back
No, definitely not the answer
Benjamin Mendy, prone to injury and inconsistency, doesn’t appear to be a reliable option – meanwhile Oleksandr Zinchenko has suffered through a drop in form when compared to his 2018/2019 campaign.
Angelino is also unlikely to be given the nod, with £60 million signing Joao Cancelo forced to deputise on the left-side as opposed to right-back over the last few matches.
To solve the conundrum, Tuttosport claim that City are ‘thinking’ about Sandro again – having been linked with the defender sporadically over the last few seasons.
Is Alex Sandro the answer?
The 29-year-old, who has put in some ‘horrific‘ displays for the Old Lady over 2019/2020, isn’t getting any younger and could cost City €40 million (£36.1 million) – arguably a high price to pay for an experienced but out-of-form and ageing star.
Andrea Pirlo’s appointment at Juve has caused speculation that the Italian football icon may be plotting an overhaul of his own, with Sandro allegedly making way alongside fellow surplus-to-requirement figures Aaron Ramsey, Daniele Rugani and Mattia Di Sciglio (Corriere dello Sport).
Bearing that in mind, do we really want to snap up our Champions League counterparts’ unwanted talents?
What the pundits say…
Former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop once claimed he would be a ‘perfect fit‘ for any club and the second best full-back in the world – only behind international teammate Marcelo in 2017.
When asked if Premier League rivals Chelsea should sign the player, Hislop explained to ESPN FC via The Sportsman it is ‘without question’.
“Alex Sandro is a perfect fit for anybody,” said the pundit.
“I’ll say this unapologetically, for my money he’s the second-best left-back in world football. Second only behind Brazilian team-mate Marcelo.”
Final verdict…
Even though he has received high praise in the past, Sandro’s recent dip in form means City should debatably avoid a swoop – with David Alaba looking like a much better option despite the links recently dying down.