Manchester City have agreed a deal with Barcelona for goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, according to Mundo Deportivo. The goalkeeper has emerged as a target for City in recent days due to Barça being much more open to selling the 33-year-old than The Blues’ first-choice Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
Sporting Clube de Portugal’s Rui Patricio, 28, was also mentioned as an option to replace Joe Hart, who seems set for the exit door at the Etihad after failing to prove to Pep Guardiola that he can fit into the sweeper keeper role in the new-look City side.
However, Bravo seems set to join on a four-year deal once Diego Alves completes his move to the Camp Nou from Valencia as the Chilean’s replacement. Ter Stegen will take over the first-choice spot in Catalonia with Bravo gone, while Alves will take the German’s place on the bench, presumably being used in rotation as has been the system for the last two years.
Barcelona felt they had to make a choice between Bravo and Ter Stegen, and viewed the latter as a more valuable asset and a better prospect, being nine years younger than Bravo. City were pressing to sign one to become the new number one at Eastlands, and it appears they have agreed a deal. Mundo Deportivo say the initial fee will be €16 million (£13.8 million), with another €4 million (£3.5 million) in bonuses, making him much cheaper than the £67 million Ter Stegen.
Willy Caballero has taken over the gloves for City’s opening two games of the season, a 2-1 win at home to Sunderland then a 5-0 thrashing of Steaua Bucuresti in Romania. However, he seems likely to return to his regular place on the bench once Bravo arrives at the club, with some reports suggesting that could happen on Thursday.
