As per a report from Todofichajes, Manchester City are in the fray to sign Valencia’s Carlos Soler.
The Spaniard’s current contract with Los Che runs out in the summer of 2023 and he could be on his way out this coming summer. Soler, 25, found his way into the Valencia XI, after climbing up the ladder, starting from their academy. Having spent his entire footballing career at Valencia, he could leave this summer if he fails to renew.
The source understands that Soler is looking for a better paycheck than the one he currently receives. He has been an integral part of Jose Bordalas’ midfield, scoring nine goals from 18 appearances this season. He has also assisted twice.
It is understood that Soler rejected Valencia’s first attempt at renewing his stay in a bid to land better figures. The player, however, wants to stay at Valencia.
Manchester City and Arsenal are apparently keeping tabs on the 25-year-old’s contract situation and could look to disrupt the negotiations. With that said, the two Premier League rivals can afford the numbers that Soler is said to be seeking.
Is Soler a good option for Manchester City?
Pep Guardiola could perhaps use Soler in a partnership with Rodri. Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne have become injury-prone off-late and Guardiola has regularly rotated his players this season for this reason.
Soler could be a welcome addition for the Cityzens, especially with club veteran Fernandinho tipped to bid goodbye to the Etihad at the end of this term.
Last season, he scored 11 goals and assisted eight times. These are impressive numbers for someone who plays most of his football in the middle of the park. There is no doubt that he would relish being in Guardiola’s system, which is practically run by the midfield. In other words, Soler would flourish under Pep at the Etihad.
Arsenal could offer resistance though….
Arsenal are having midfield troubles of their own. City can still win the Premier League without Carlos Soler but the Gunners’ midfield is an area of concern for them. The likes of Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka, and Thomas Partey have been largely inconsistent and underperforming this season. This could prompt Arteta to look at Soler as a potential option.
Arsenal could want Soler more than City would. However, if there is a trend that Pep has established during his reign at City, it is that he likes making additions to his squad to improve the overall bench depth. In fact, City’s last season’s triumph was largely because of their bench depth.
It remains to be seen which team manages to sign Soler. Also, Valencia are likely to convince the player to continue with them and an agreement can be expected in the next few weeks.