Man City’s alleged interest in signing Lyon star Houssem Aouar to succeed club legend David Silva has been resurfacing over the past few days, with a report from L’Equipe via GFFN claiming that we are in a transfer battle alongside Juventus and Arsenal – but there could be a far less expensive alternative.
The Frenchman, who has impressed this season, starting 23 league games whilst averaging an 85.7% pass accuracy as per WhoScored, will come up against the Sky Blues during our Champions League quarter-final clash in Lisbon on Saturday.
Should Man City sign Ceballos?
Yes, sound cheaper alternative
No, not close to the level of Silva, Aouar or Foden
Indeed, we face off against the Ligue 1 outfit after our Last 16 victory over Real Madrid, and the encounter could prove to be our most important match of the season.
City supporters will soon see Aouar in action, but a potentially viable alternative to avoid paying his €60 million (£53.9 million) fee could be Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos.
Silva 2.0?
Of course, right now, you arguably cannot compare Ceballos to Sky Blue icon Silva in terms of ability – but the two players possess similar attributes and styles which could mark him out as a potential successor and cheaper alternative to Aouar.
The 24-year-old averaged an 87.9% pass success rate in the Premier League, superior to our reported target and close to Silva, all the while proving himself as a capable standout in England’s top flight.
Critics may also argue that Phil Foden’s presence takes the pressure off needing to break the bank for Aouar anyway, and Ceballos could be another reason to avoid investing over £50m, with the Spaniard’s valuation estimated to be around nearly half that price at £28.8 million (Transfermarkt).
A race with Arteta…
Ex-City assistant boss Mikel Arteta is a huge admirer of Ceballos and ‘really’ likes him after an impressive loan stint at the Emirates, where he made 37 appearances in all competitions whilst establishing himself as key under Guardiola’s former pupil.
The Gunners are reportedly waiting for Madrid’s answer as to their stance on Ceballos signing for them on a permanent deal, with City having only a matter of time to potentially muddy the waters and lodge their own interest.
A past report from the Daily Express claims that we have been ‘eyeing up’ a shock move, and it should be interesting to see if we do enter the race for his signature.