Fabrizio Romano reveals rejected Manchester City approach for Atletico Madrid defender

Prior to Sergio Gomez’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium this summer, Manchester City had been tested to the limit in their bid to find suitable reinforcements to bolster the left-back department.

Back in May, it had been revealed that the club had a plan in place to secure the services of the then Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella, with Oleksandr Zinchenko’s exit to Arsenal looking imminent.

It was believed that Pep Guardiola was keen on working alongside his fellow countryman, who considered a switch to Manchester City as a dream move.

However, the Sky Blues’ succession plan in mind was easier said than done.

Reports had suggested that Brighton were unwilling to negotiate any sale involving Cucurella, unless an offer worth in excess of £50 million was placed on the table.

Simultaneously, Oleksandr Zinchenko had joined Arsenal, meaning Manchester City had no senior options that could deputise in the position, other than Joao Cancelo - who is known to be a natural right-back.

Pep Guardiola’s side clearly did not see eye to eye with the Seagulls’ valuation, as they put in an initial £30 million bid to test the waters.

Unsurprisingly, the offer was rejected by Graham Potter’s side, prompting Manchester City to agree to increase their bid to £40 million.

However, Brighton’s tactic of sticking to their guns worked out in their favour, as Chelsea decided to pay a whopping £62 million to secure his services.

Apart from Marc Cucurella, Manchester City were reportedly working on a number of potential deals to bring in other alternatives, with names such as Raphael Guerreiro, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Borna Sosa and Alex Grimaldo linked.

However, the details around the Sky Blues’ pursuit for another high-profile name at left-back have now surfaced.

As per the latest information provided by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Atletico Madrid had rejected Manchester City’s approach to sign Renan Lodi back in July.

Despite the €120 million release clause in the Brazilian’s current contract, it was claimed that he was a part of the club’s five-man shortlist to strengthen the position this summer.

However, it was reported that much like in the case of Brighton’s valuation for Marc Cucurella, Diego Simeone’s men had also valued the 24-year-old as a £62 million player.

It would be natural to assume that City were put off by the price tag from their side as well, aside from the Rojiblancos’ unwillingness to sell Lodi.

Ultimately, Manchester City’s refusal to budge could work out in their favour, as an initial £11 million deal to sign Sergio Gomez seems like a bargain in every sense.