Manchester City are willing to offer up to £43m for Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci and will meet with his agent next week, according to Sky Sports.
City had an initial £38m bid rejected on Wednesday and are facing fierce competition from Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to sign the Italian defender, who has played under the new Chelsea boss for the last five years.
Bonucci was integral in Italy’s Euro 2016 campaign, which saw them reach the quarter-finals before falling to a defeat on penalties to Germany.
Pep Guardiola turned his attentions to 29-year-old Bonucci after the Sky Blues failed in their bid to sign Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte.
John Stones has also been named as a defensive target, but Everton are holding firm over their £50m valuation of the promising Englishman.
Bonucci is seen as a direct replacement for Martin Demichelis, who was released at the start of July after his contract expired at the club, and is likely to challenge skipper Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi for a place in Guardiola’s starting line-up.
