City Eye January Move for Betis Defender Natan
Manchester City are weighing up a January approach for Real Betis centre-back Natan, with head coach Enzo Maresca pushing the move.
Reports suggest Maresca has already made his feelings clear to the club hierarchy, requesting they pursue the 25-year-old Brazilian.
Natan's first impression on Maresca is said to date back to the Italian's time in charge of Chelsea in the Conference League. The two sides met in the final, where Maresca's Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners. Despite the scoreline, Natan's display apparently left a mark on the coach.
Left-footed and physically imposing, Natan excels in individual duels—qualities that could earn him minutes in City's backline. His contract at Betis still has over three and a half years to run, meaning any deal won't come cheap. City would need to meet his €40m (£34m) valuation, a figure that isn't astronomical in today's market for a centre-half.
Ficherio reports that while Natan appreciates interest from the Premier League club, his preference is to remain in La Liga, with Barcelona also monitoring him. The Catalan giants enquired about the defender last summer but stopped short of a formal offer. That could change in January, but for now City appear the likeliest to make a move.