The current holders of the English title, Manchester City are reportedly prepared to offer £50 million ($63m) to secure the services of the Portuguese international, with the club considering him as a replacement for the departing Kalvin Phillips, as per reports from the Daily Star. Despite being granted a rare starting position by Pep Guardiola in the team’s recent Champions League group stage match against Red Star Belgrade, Phillips is highly likely to depart the club during the upcoming transfer window.

At 28 years old, Phillips came close to joining Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window, but the deal fell through just before the deadline. Despite the missed opportunity, the Bundesliga champions maintain their interest in him. Bayern is also being associated with Phillips, and if they successfully acquire the English midfielder, it could pave the way for City to bring in the Fulham standout.

City has identified Andre, the emerging talent from Fluminense, as an alternative option if they fail to secure Palhinha. The Brazilian prodigy is estimated to command a fee of around £30m ($38m) from the Premier League giants.

The Sky Blues find themselves in a difficult situation currently, having only secured victory in one of their last six Premier League fixtures. Their recent match against Crystal Palace at home saw them relinquish a two-goal advantage, dropping crucial points. Should Liverpool triumph over Manchester United on Sunday, they could widen their lead to six points over the reigning champions.