Manchester City face Tottenham transfer battle of Red Bull Salzburg defender

Three of the Premier League’s leading clubs in terms of sporting projects are gearing up for a direct battle over one of Europe’s emerging central defensive talents.

Manchester City are certainly no strangers when it comes to attempting to lead the race for the game’s next big names, having endured so much previous success in recruiting up and coming prospects for their own Academy system.

The wider City Football Group is also seen as an excellent development path for young footballers now, who are granted the opportunity to ultimately reach Manchester City by starring for one of their many sister clubs.

The latest player to have successfully achieved that exact pathway is Brazil international winger Savinho, who first joined ESTAC Troyes from Atlético Mineiro in a €6.5 million agreement in 2022, joining Manchester City for a package worth £33.6 million this summer.

That success story is likely to inspire a longer line of aspiring young footballers to attempt the route, should Manchester City and the City Football Group come calling, and their attentions have now been drawn to the Austrian game.

According to the information of HITC journalist Graeme Bailey, Premier League champions Manchester City have been ‘impressed with the progress’ of Red Bull Salzburg defender, Samson Baidoo.

The 20-year-old is described as ‘a ball-playing centre-half who loves to carry the ball into midfield’, with Manchester City having been keeping tabs on the player’s progression over the last 18 months.

However, given the progress made by Baidoo, the report also reveals that Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have also watched the player in action this year, with all of Barcelona, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund described as ‘admirers’.

Manchester City’s last defensive recruit in the central role came in 2023 as the club won the race to sign Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig in a £78 million agreement, nurturing the Croatian into their mainstay left-back position.

City remain well-stocked in the central defensive roles at present, and any further recruitment in the position would likely see players developed elsewhere within the City Football Group, or within the club’s Elite Development Squad.

The most likely destination for big-money project signings would be La Liga club Girona, who are currently blocked from transferring players to and from the Etihad Stadium due to the two clubs competing in this season’s UEFA Champions League.