Manchester City close in on cut-price agreement for La Liga defender due to contract emergence | OneFootball

The emergence of a contractual format has meant that Manchester City could secure a third centre-back this month in a significantly cut-price deal, according to reports.

Txiki Begiristain and his transfer colleagues within the Etihad Stadium, including the incoming Hugo Viana, have been hard at work this month pulling together agreements that will form the next generation of Manchester City’s playing squad.

After successive years of unprecedented triumphs across competitions, including four consecutive Premier League titles and a maiden UEFA Champions League success, the time has seemingly come to refresh Pep Guardiola’s options for the final two years of his contract.

That rebuild has started at the back of the team as Manchester City secured the signings of two new central defenders in Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis from RC Lens and Palmeiras respectively.

But it appears as though they are not done yet, with a third central defender expected to come into the club’s picture, but a different developmental pathway being discussed for the teenager upon arrival as a Manchester City player.

According to the information of journalist Alan Nixon, Manchester City are now hopeful of signing highly-rated central defensive talent, Juma Bah for just a £5 million total fee from La Liga side Real Valladolid.

It is explained that the Premier League champions are currently close to an agreement for a player that has been previously valued at £12 million, and the cut-price fee is due to the fact that the teenager is on a ‘youth player contract’ at his existing club.

As such, the player’s camp claim that the Sierra Leone talent can therefore move to Manchester City on the cheap, with the English top-flight giants paying a ‘small fee’ now and then compensation – with the whole package likely to be in the region of £5 million.

Since the emergence of the aforementioned report and details surrounding an imminent transfer, a source close to Global Soccer Management – the representative agency of Juma Bah – have issued comment providing an overall look at the current situation.

Speaking to Africa Foot, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, the source explained on the situation, “Manchester City’s interest in Bah is not new, as I already mentioned to you a few weeks ago.

“Inter Milan and Barcelona were also interested, but Barcelona’s offer was never formal. So, we had to think about what would be best for Bah.”

The source continued by issuing a significant update, “Yes, there is now an agreement with Manchester City, with a six-year contract and an amount of around €13 million which will be paid to Real Valladolid and his training club AIK Freetong.”

In a heated statement issued on the Real Valladolid club website on Wednesday afternoon, the Spanish club confirmed that Juma Bah and his agent had informed the club this week of their intention to unilaterally break his contract.

In turn, Manchester City are confirmed to have sent a statement asking Valladolid to open negotiations over a permanent transfer, and the defender himself has decided not to show up for training.

The club have also announced that the Royal Spanish Football Federation have confirmed Bah has paid for the unilateral termination of his contract, while the club state that they “reserve the right to resort to the appropriate legal and sporting jurisdictions to exercise its rights and defend its interests”.

It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming days.