Exclusive: Man City told Hugo Larsson’s asking price after transfer mission
Manchester City will have to pay up to £50million for Hugo Larsson this summer after inadvertedly driving up his asking price, sources have told Football Insider.
Larsson has scored six goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season with the German side in the running for Champions League qualification and the Europa League title, altering City to his potential availability.
Pep Guardiola’s scouts have already identified and signed Omar Marmoush from the Bundesliga side this season, and see 20-year-old Larsson as a player who could adapt to the Premier League just as quickly.
However, sources have told Football Insider that having already received £59m from City for Marmoush in January, Frankfurt won’t be an easy club to deal with this summer and are set to be tough negotiators.
Larsson is under contract at the Waldstadion until 2029 and Eintracht have no need to sell him, with a £45m–£50m bid from City required in order for a transfer to even be considered by the German club.
Hugo Larsson transfer a test of Man City’s capacity
City will be keen to seen Larsson against Tottenham in next week’s Europe League quarter-final clash, as the Sweden international comes up against Premier League opposition for the first time in his career.
Kevin De Bruyne’s departure from the Etihad Stadium has already been confirmed, and that leaves Guardiola with a huge hole to fill as he leads arguably the biggest rebuild of his nine seasons at City.
Marmoush, having hit the ground running with six goals in 12 games since his arrival, will be at the heart of a new-look City side, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be joined by his recent Eintracht team-mate.
Man City ready for multi-faceted midfield refresh
With De Bruyne already heading for the exit door, the floodgates could be set to open in east Manchester this summer, as Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva both look likely to depart City for pastures new.
The experienced trio leaving could facilitate a move for AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, but Football Insider revealed on 30 March that the Blues face difficulty following the Dutchman’s signing of a new contract.
Larsson certainly won’t come cheap either, but given Marmoush’s seamless transition to life at the Etihad, it remains to be seen if City will stump up Frankfurt’s asking price for the Swede or promote the likes of JAmes McAtee and Nico O’Reilly from within.