wicked.football

Manchester City have identified Andre Silva as a potential replacement for Sergio Aguero and have been in touch with his entourage, according to reports.

Silva finished as the second highest scorer in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, below Robert Lewandowski and above Erling Haaland. He has been revitalised since ending a difficult spell with AC Milan to join Eintracht Frankfurt, initially on loan, in 2019. Now, interest in his signature is growing again.

The Portugal international has been linked with a move to Manchester United. At the age of 25, he could act as a ready made successor to Edinson Cavani, who is under contract for another year.

But now, it has emerged that he could end up on the other side of the Manchester divide with City.

They have a more pressing need for a striker, having just lost Sergio Aguero to Barcelona as a free agent. Their all-time top scorer will be almost impossible to replace, but they need someone to step into the centre-forward role.

According to Sport Bild, Silva has been outlined as someone who could help fill the void. His form with Frankfurt makes him appealing and he would be cheaper than someone like Haaland or Harry Kane.

Precisely, it is claimed that his asking price is around €40m. While not a cheap investment, that is certainly within City’s grasp.

Their chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has promised they will spend this summer to make a statement of intent. They may have won the Premier League and EFL Cup, as well as reaching the Champions League final, but know they can never afford to sit still.

Therefore, it seems likely a striker will arrive at the Etihad Stadium this summer, and it could be Silva.

Bild claim they have been in touch with his agents to lodge their interest. There has already been communication between his representatives and his current club to determine his valuation of €40m.

They could even seek to increase that further to ensure they receive a fair share, as his agents will take a quarter of the transfer fee they receive.

Even so, City will still see Silva as an accessible target and the fact that Frankfurt missed out on Champions League qualification may increase their hopes.

City to make Ramos offer

Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos has emerged as a surprise target for Manchester City as he approaches the end of his Real Madrid contract, according to reports.

Ramos is a Real Madrid legend, having captained the club to a huge number of trophies. He has been in the Spanish capital since 2005, but now may finally be moving on. At the age of 35, he still has something to offer, but Madrid have been unable to convince him to sign up again.

The 2020-21 season was the first of his Real career in which he made fewer than 20 appearances in La Liga. Injuries limited what he could contribute and now Madrid may be moving on. They have been unable to meet his financial demands as they feel the affects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Give our social media channels a follow – we’re on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

With David Alaba having signed up at the Bernabeu, Real have already replaced Ramos, who will be a free agent this time next month.

The 2010 World Cup winner will still be in demand and there have been links with the Premier League. Chelsea and Manchester United would be among the suitors who could pay his wages.

But so could Manchester City.

READ MORE: Man City to table two-year offer to transformative transfer target

The post Man City make contact for Bundesliga striker who outscored Haaland appeared first on TEAMtalk.