The City Football Group (CFG) is considering signing Liverpool Montevideo starlet Luciano Rodríguez, sources have told ESPN.
Manchester City’s ownership group could offer the Uruguayan club €15 million ($16.3m) for the transfer with a source telling ESPN that they would be willing to pay an extra €3m to the 20-year-old striker to complete the deal.
However, the deal is complicated by the fact that Liverpool Montevideo control 80% of his services with the remaining 20% belonging to the player.
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Rodríguez was linked with Feyenoord and River Plate a few months ago and is in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad for the upcoming game against the Ivory Coast, though he is yet to make his debut for the senior national side.
CFG has been monitoring Rodriguez for some time and, according to sources, could follow the same pathway used to sign other world football talents such as Julián Álvarez or Claudio Echeverri, who is still on loan at River despite being owned by City.
In the event that Rodríguez ends up joining the City Group, sources say that the plan would be for him to be loaned to one of the group’s smaller clubs, such as Girona, before eventually joining Man City in the Premier League.
Girona have been a revelation in LaLiga this season and could be a good first landing spot for Rodríguez in Europe, particularly if they qualify for the Champions League next season.
Sávio, who is proving to be one of Girona’s stars, stands as an example of this policy. The Brazil international was signed by the City Group and, after playing for Troyes in France and now Girona, could end up at City in the near future with sources having told ESPN that the reigning English champions are monitoring his progress.
Information from ESPN’s Rob Dawson contributed to this report.
