Barcelona join race for €30m Angelino

Barcelona have expressed an interest in Manchester City full-back Angelino, with the Premier League club setting a €30million (£27.7m) asking price.

Angelino re-joined City from PSV last year when a £5.3million buyback option was exercised but he struggled to establish himself under Pep Guardiola.

The 23-year-old made 12 appearance in all competitions, starting the Premier League defeats against Liverpool and Manchester United before signing for RB Leipzig on loan in January.

He impressed as Julian Nagelsmann’s side reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, with those displays attracting the attention of Barcelona and their newly installed head coach Ronald Koeman.

Stats Perform News understands City are holding firm on their valuation of Angelino, which could prove prohibitive to Leipzig.

The Bundesliga side have an option on the player but it is non-exclusive.

“I’m very confident that we can reach an agreement with Manchester City, now that both clubs are out of the Champions League and the focus is no longer on the tournament,” Nagelsmann told Bild.

“‘Angel’ is a very interesting player for us and he wants to stay with us.”

ngeliño ur number @angel_tasende69  #RBLeipzig pic.twitter.com/A8GMyUtE0a

— RB Leipzig (@DieRotenBullen) March 18, 2020

It remains a possibility that Angelino could contest a first-team place at the Etihad Stadium next season, with left-back remaining a problem position for Guardiola.

Benjamin Mendy is still rebuilding form and confidence having undergone two bouts of knee surgery since his £52million move from Monaco in 2017, while Oleksandr Zinchenko fell out of favour last term.

Mendy and Zinchenko were both on the bench as Joao Cancelo started at left wing-back during last weekend’s 3-1 Champions League quarter-final loss to Lyon.

Angelino is not the only City defender to have won admiring glances from Catalonia.

Eric Garcia has been widely linked with a return to his boyhood club, with Guardiola stating earlier this month the teenage centre-back had opted against a renewed deal in Manchester.

“He announced to us that he doesn’t want to extend his contract with Manchester City,” Guardiola said.

“He has one more year and after that, he doesn’t want to extend. We want it but he doesn’t want to, so I imagine he wants to play in another place.”