Manchester City are moving to motion RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol - but the German nine privation astatine slightest 100m euros (£85.77m) for the Croatia defender.
City brag Pep Guardiola is simply a large admirer of the 21-year-old centre-back, who starred astatine the World Cup past year.
BBC Sport has been told interaction has been made betwixt City and Gvardiol's camp.
Gvardiol has a merchandise clause successful excess of 110m euros (£94.35m), which tin beryllium triggered adjacent summer.
It means Leipzig are not consenting to fto him permission 12 months aboriginal for a importantly smaller amount.
Gvardiol made 41 appearances for Leipzig past play and scored against City successful the archetypal limb of their Champions League last-16 tie, which they went connected to suffer 8-1 connected aggregate.
He has won 21 caps for Croatia and scored successful their third-place play-off triumph implicit Morocco successful Qatar.
It is thought the erstwhile Dinamo Zagreb player's quality successful the near cardinal antiaircraft position, either successful a three- oregon four-man defence, makes him cleanable for the occupation Guardiola wants astatine a clip erstwhile helium is facing the nonaccomplishment of Spain planetary Aymeric Laporte.
A woody for Gvardiol could spot him eclipse Harry Maguire arsenic the world's astir costly defender aft Manchester United paid £80m for him successful 2019.
City skipper Ilkay Gundogan joined Barcelona connected Monday, portion the nine person agreed a woody worthy up to £30m with Chelsea to motion Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic.