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Sources: Talks planned as Arsenal alerted to surprise potential Manchester City transfer raid

✇CaughtOffside
By:Mark Brus

Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is attracting transfer interest from Arsenal and other clubs, as first reported here for the Daily Briefing.

It could be a big summer of change at the Etihad Stadium with doubts over the future of manager Pep Guardiola, while we also already know that experienced big names like Bernardo Silva and John Stones are leaving as free agents.

As well as that, I’ve been given information on another possible story to watch, with Premier League clubs on alert for a possible opportunity to raid Man City for Reijnders.

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I can confirm that there is some truth to the transfer rumours doing the rounds in recent days, even if City and Reijnders still need to finalise a decision, which will come at the end of the season.

Clubs ready to move if Tijjani Reijnders leaves Manchester City

Reijnders has clearly fallen out of favour as this season has gone on, but it remains to be seen if City will definitely be prepared to let the Netherlands international go after just one season.

Some sources have played down the idea of both sides parting ways just yet, even if there is obviously a list of clubs keeping an eye on his situation.

“Reijnders and City will most likely meet at the end of the season to clarify the situation,” one source said. “There’s not currently any push from the player to move, and the club won’t necessarily want to let him go so soon.”

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Still, numerous other sources named Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and his former club AC Milan as clubs monitoring Reijnders’ situation.

I’m not yet sure if Reijnders is a top priority for any of these teams, but it’s normal if a player like him becomes available that a long list of suitors could pop up to consider the opportunity if the terms are right.

It’s a bit early for that now, though, even if I suspect this is going to be one to watch in the weeks and months ahead.

No final decision on Pep Guardiola yet

Despite some talk that an agreement is more or less already in place for Guardiola to step down as City manager this summer, with Enzo Maresca coming in to replace him, I’m still told that there hasn’t been a final decision yet.

It may well be that Guardiola has confided in some people close to him that he’s leaning towards leaving, but that’s not the same as an official message directly to the club.

For now, I suspect the Spanish tactician is simply focusing on the end of the season and will decide from there, perhaps depending on results, or perhaps not. There’s no hurry from either party to resolve this now, and it’s not thought to be a distraction for any of the staff or players.

The post Sources: Talks planned as Arsenal alerted to surprise potential Manchester City transfer raid appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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