Manchester City have won the battle for Columbian striker Marlos Moreno who they are prepared to pay around £8 million for, reports The Mirror.
The 19-year-old will sign for the Blues immediately, before allegedly being loaned out to Spanish outfit Deportivo La Coruña. He was one of the stars for Atletico Nacional in their Copa Libertadores run this season and is highly thought of in footballing circles.
The youngster had also garnered interest from local rivals Manchester United and also from Benfica, both of whom had sent scouts to watch his progress in the Copa America – yet it is City who are said to have secured him on a 5-year deal.
The South American scouting network the Blues run from their base in Buenos Aires, headed by Joan Patsy, was a key facet in the deal and enabled Guardiola’s men to secure a ‘structured’ £8.23 million pound deal for Moreno.
Guardiola is said to be keen to continue his management and moulding of young talents and this singing is in line with that notion. Though Moreno is an attacker, Guardiola’s real targets lie further back down the pitch in defence, where an injury-prone Vincent Kompany and an inconsistent Eliaquim Mangala mean a new central defender is a key priority for Pep this summer.
