Tottenham hold firm stance on Manchester City transfer interest in Destiny Udogie | OneFootball

Manchester City face an uphill challenge when it comes to their hopes of recruiting Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie this summer.

The Italian full-back emerged recently as a player of interest to Etihad Stadium recruitment officials as work begins on plotting the club’s next steps ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Udogie’s profile landing on the desks of those within the City Football Academy comes as Pep Guardiola and those at the club eye investment for the full-back roles within Manchester City’s squad for next season.

The Catalan coach himself even labelled the need for a new left-back as ‘obvious’ during a recent press conference, further backing-up the idea that Manchester City are assessing the market for possible solutions in the role.

But, when it comes to the club’s admiration for the talents and progress seen by Destiny Udogie in English football, it appears as though they may face an expected battle with Tottenham’s Daniel Levy over the player.

According to the information of Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Spurs ‘definitely’ want to keep Destiny Udogie for the upcoming season, with the left-back considered a ‘key player’ in the club’s squad planning for the forthcoming campaign.

As such, there has currently has been no price tag put on the 22-year-old’s services despite reported interest from Manchester City. In fact, it is claimed that Spurs are more likely to consider signing a back-up for Udogie, who is contracted until 2030.

It remains to be seen just how intensely City officials pursue any sort of agreement for Udogie during the coming summer window, particularly given the fact that there is a belief in some quarters that the Italian may not be their first choice for the role.

Following on from reports first emerging in January, the four-in-a-row Premier League champions could reignite interest in Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso, who is believed to be open to the idea of a switch to the Etihad Stadium.

How much the player is likely to cost remains to be seen, but the mere fact that negotiations with the Old Lady are due to be far less problematic than those with Tottenham would be more appealing to those at Manchester City.

For now, Pep Guardiola will have to continue with his existing left-back options as he puts faith in both Academy graduate Nico O’Reilly, as well as versatile defender Josko Gvardiol for the remaining matches of the season.