According to Tuttosport newspaper, Manchester City have joined the race to sign Canadian talent Tajon Buchanan and Inter fear the Premier League giants will start a bidding war for the 24-year-old in January.
With Juan Cuadrado expected to remain out of action for at least three months following Achilles surgery, the Nerazzurri have targeted Buchanan to bolster Simone Inzaghi’s options down the right flank.
However, according to Friday’s printed edition of Tuttospor (page 17), Manchester City have also set their sights on the talented 24-year-old winger, who Inter see as the ‘next Ivan Perisic.’
Buchanan plays on the right wing rather than on the left, but just like Perisic, he started his career as an attacking winger and is now covering more defensive positions, so Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio feel he would be a perfect fit for a right wing-back role.
Buchanan’s contract expires in June 2025 and according to the report, he has already informed Club Brugge that he’s unwilling to pen a new deal.
The Belgian side requested €18m for Buchanan last summer and his price tag has now slightly decreased to €12m. The Nerazzurri are on a tight transfer budget, so they are reportedly preparing a loan offer with an obligation to buy in June for circa €8m.
The Serie A giants hope Man City won’t make a bid in January because they won’t be able to compete with the Premier League giants financially.
For this reason, they are also monitoring Lille defender Tiago Djalò and have already reached a principle of agreement with his entourage ahead of a potential free summer transfer. Juventus and Barcelona are also interested in the Portuguese defender, whose contract with Lille runs out in June 2024.