Manchester City Launch €89m Offer For This La Liga Defender: What Will He Add To Pep’s Side? | OneFootball

In a recent report, AS has revealed that Manchester City have launched an €89m offer (plus €5m in potential bonus payments) for Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez this summer. It is believed that the Uruguayan defender has a €120m release clause in his contract with the Madrid outfit, but that has not stopped Man City from identifying him as a top target during this ongoing transfer window (via AS).

Gimenez’s Impressive Career At The Spanish Capital

The Toledo-born centre-back has established himself as a fan-favourite at the Wanda Metropolitano for his incredible contributions at the heart of Diego Simeone’s defence over the past few years. Gimenez has featured in a total of 191 matches for the Spanish giants, registering eight goals and eight assists across multiple competitions.

However, it has not been all rosy for the 25-year-old recently as he was sidelined for a significant chunk of the previous campaign due to a serious muscle injury. He only made 27 appearances for Simeone’s side in the last term, picking up one assist and four yellow cards on all fronts.

Despite his injury struggles of late, the 58-time Uruguayan international deserves credit for not giving up in the face of adversity after he averaged 1.0 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 3.6 long balls per game in the 2019-20 La Liga season. He should also get a pat on the back for distributing the ball well and completing 85.7% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spain (stats via whoscored).

What Will The Uruguayan International Add To Pep Guardiola’s Team?

Gimenez is one of the best tacklers in the Spanish top-flight and excels at winning the ball back for his side which makes him such a well-respected defender at Madrid. He is often quick to sense the danger and is always there at the right place to nip the threat in the bud. The Uruguayan sensation can even make some important clearances at the back and is a powerhouse inside his penalty box because of his remarkable strength to overpower the opposition in the air.

Recruiting a centre-half of Gimenez’s qualities will undoubtedly be an astute signing for Pep Guardiola’s team, and will go a long way in helping them bridge the gap to Liverpool at the top of English football. He will be an automatic starter as he will be an upgrade over any of Guardiola’s current options at the Etihad Stadium.

Furthermore, the South American defender could end up forming a dominant defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte at the north-west of England which could make Man City the firm favourites to win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League this season. At 25, Gimenez has his best years ahead of him, so Guardiola can expect to make the most out of his services if he can engineer a move to acquire his signature before the transfer deadline next month.