Manchester City and Chelsea are lining up a bidding war for Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi, and the Belgian side have already put a €50m starting price on him.
According to La Stampa, both Premier League clubs have sent requests for information to Brugge about the 23-year-old forward. The Italian newspaper says the two English sides are now ahead of Juventus and AC Milan in the chase.
That matters for Manchester City, because the price looks set to rise from here. Brugge value him at €50m right now, but that figure is only where the bidding starts, and it should climb if he keeps scoring the way he has.
Why are Man City chasing Nicolo Tresoldi?
Tresoldi has turned into a potent striker over the last two seasons. He recently scored a historic hat-trick against Inter Milan to give Brugge a 4-3 win, and nights like that change a player’s value very quickly.
Physically he is a specimen, and he has a real nose for goal. That combination is exactly what Premier League clubs look for in a centre-forward, and it explains why City and Chelsea have both moved early.
It also fits a wider pattern at the Etihad this autumn. City have already been linked with a £5m Villarreal right-back for January, so the recruitment work clearly isn’t limited to one position.
Will Club Brugge sell in January?
Not if they can help it. Brugge have no plans to sell mid-season and intend to cash in with a club-record sale in the summer instead.
Arsenal have also been one of the English clubs keen on him, even though sources in Germany have rejected the idea of a January sale. Brugge’s stance is the key to all of it: they hold the cards and they know it.
The Belgian club have form here too. Their progress in the Champions League over the last two years has put them in a strong position to ask for big fees, which is how they sold Christos Tzolis for a major sum. Tresoldi could follow the same path, and a record fee is a real possibility.
A tug of war at international level too
The battle for Tresoldi isn’t only happening between clubs. Both Italy and Germany are still in the hunt for him at international level, and nothing has been decided yet. A player with two national teams and a queue of big clubs chasing him is not going to come cheap.
Is Tresoldi worth €50m to Man City?
It is too early to call this one. A €50m opening price for a 23-year-old who has only recently exploded is a big ask, and once Chelsea are involved, the number only goes one way.
There is a selection angle too. Maresca’s use of players out of position, such as Ayyoub Bouaddi in an unfamiliar role, has already drawn criticism. A striker with Tresoldi’s build and finishing would give Maresca a different option up front.
My view: City should keep the door open, keep asking questions and wait for the summer, when Brugge are ready to sell. Getting dragged into a January auction with Chelsea for a player Brugge don’t want to sell would be the worst of both worlds.
