It has been reported that Manchester City view £80 million as too “excessive” an asking price for a player in the Premier League they are targeting.
The consensus seems to be that Pep Guardiola’s men have no qualms about paying any fee to sign any player they aim to in the transfer window.
But if that was the case, City would not have pulled out of moves they were interested in on as many occasions.
Case in point, Declan Rice last summer.
It was revealed in June that after Arsenal bid £105 million to sign the former West Ham United midfielder, City decided to walk away from the deal.
The prospect of Rodri and Rice in the same midfield could have made City virtually unbeatable.
The Sky Blues must have been aware of how impregnable they could have been as a pairing in the middle of the park.
City might not sign Premier League star due to excessive £80 million fee
Instead, the club chose not to pay such a staggering fee to sign a player who has admittedly gone on to become world-class.
Some might view the decision by City as a mistake.
The same might have been the mindset when they chose not to sign Virgil van Dijk, who has gone on to become a bargain at £75 million [The Telegraph] for Liverpool.
But a peek at Manchester City’s trophy cabinet in recent years goes to show that such economically driven decisions have left them in good stead.
Even this season, unlike Arsenal and Liverpool, City are in the hunt to win the treble.
That is, despite not signing Declan Rice, for instance, who has been one of the best signings in European football.
Football Transfers have reported that Manchester City are “extremely” unlikely to pay Wolves’ valuation of £80 million to sign Pedro Neto.
The asking price is considered as far too costly to sign Neto by City.
A move is not considered to be impossible now but it seems like the treble-winners will not budge in their thinking that Wolves must cut down their asking price for them to make a move for his signature.
£80 million for Pedro Neto is far too high of an asking price
Considering Manchester City still require a long-term heir to Riyad Mahrez’s throne, their interest in Pedro Neto is logical, especially as he has been one of the league’s best right-wingers.
Neto’s pace, directness and ability to beat his man could make him and Doku one of the league’s most dangerous wing duos if a move is made official in the summer.
But simultaneously, £80 million is far too costly to secure the former Braga speedster for one major reason, in our view.
That is his injury history.
Even this campaign, Neto has just made 18 Premier League starts for Wolves, picking up injuries on two separate occasions.
In the 2022/2023 season, the 24-year-old started 13 league games.
In the campaign before that, Neto started only five.
The availability when it comes to Pedro Neto is a major red flag and as a result, one can understand why Manchester City are unwilling to break the bank to sign him.