Blues keep tabs on Feyenoord full-back
Manchester City have added Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read to their watchlist this summer, though Nottingham Forest have already opened talks with the Dutch side over a potential move for the 20-year-old.
Read emerged as one of the more promising young defenders in European football last season. His composure on the ball, athleticism and attacking output have drawn attention from clubs beyond the Eredivisie, with City among those taking note.
The right-back position has proven a stubborn problem for director of football Hugo Viana this window. A move for Chelsea's Malo Gusto stalled over valuation — City were unwilling to meet the £75 million asking price — and alternative options have been explored as a result.
Read's name now features among them, though the interest is understood to be observational at this stage rather than active. He is a player City intend to monitor rather than one they are currently pursuing in earnest.
According to Simon Jones of Mail Sport, Nottingham Forest have spoken to Feyenoord about Read. Forest's involvement adds a competitive edge to the situation, with the City Ground club having already demonstrated a willingness to recruit from the Eredivisie in recent windows.
The timing is notable. Forest received a record £116 million from City for Elliot Anderson this summer, giving George Syrianos and his recruitment team significant financial muscle to move quickly for targets across Europe.
Read fits the profile Enzo Maresca wants at right-back: attacking, energetic, technically capable in possession. Whether City move beyond watchlist status to make a formal approach while Forest are already in conversation with Feyenoord remains to be seen.
His age — 20 — places him in the developmental bracket City have frequently targeted under Viana. But Forest's head start in talks gives them a meaningful advantage. If City's interest turns genuine, they may need to act quickly to avoid being beaten by a Premier League rival for the second time this summer, having already lost out on Sandro Tonali to Tottenham.
Whether the Read watchlist interest develops into something more concrete, or whether City find a way back to Gusto if Chelsea's valuation softens, is set to define the final phase of the right-back search before Maresca's first competitive season begins.