Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Darijo Srna and Steven N'Zonzi

Manchester City are reportedly ready to rival Barcelona in the pursuit of veteran Shakhtar Donetsk right-back Darijo Srna.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t James Robson of the Manchester Evening News), the Croatia international is on City's radar as manager Pep Guardiola seeks to strengthen his options in this facet of the field. City director of football Txiki Begiristain is said to be keeping tabs on Barca's interest in the 34-year-old, too.

Srna may be coming towards the end of his career, during which he's enjoyed plenty of success with the Ukrainian giants. However, as we can see here, he's still an extremely effective operator on the right flank:

It's noted by Robson that Srna has already advised his current employers he would like to make the switch to the Camp Nou if possible, although "interest from Guardiola could prompt a rethink."

In the short term, the Croatian would be an intriguing option for the Etihad Stadium club. Srna is technically sound, energetic and can still make an impression in the final third of the field. ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan thinks the veteran would be a savvy acquisition for the Blaugrana:

Despite no clear signs of deterioration in form, at 34, the main concern for City and Barcelona would be Srna's longevity. However, given both sides need to bolster their options at right-back, the defender could be viewed as an ideal stop-gap.

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It's a move that would make less sense for City than Barca, though. After all, their current options in the role are Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna, who are 31 and 33 respectively, while on the left side of the defence, Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy are 31; the team needs an injection of youthfulness in these spots, especially in a Guardiola side.

The manager demands his full-backs are capable of tearing up the flank but also dropping infield to create midfield overloads, too. While Srna could do that job for now, he's not a solution for a position that needs to be assessed with a long-term view.

Steven N'Zonzi Undecided on Future

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According to Estadio Deportivo (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness), Sevilla midfielder Steven N'Zonzi is undecided over his future, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Juventus said to be keen on securing him.

The trio of aforementioned teams are said to be happy to pay the €30 million (£25 million) that would trigger the Frenchman's release clause. That interest is said to be tempting N'Zonzi, despite the fact he's currently thriving with the Liga side.

N'Zonzi joined Sevilla from Stoke City in the summer of 2015 and, after a solid start to life in Andalusia, has kicked on again under new manager Jorge Sampaoli.

As these numbers from Squawka Football illustrate, the 28-year-old has shown he can boss matches at the highest level this season, too:

His ability to dictate the tempo of the game is something that would no doubt appeal to Guardiola, but N'Zonzi has evolved into a tremendous multifaceted player.

At Stoke, he proved he has the physicality to cope with the Premier League, as he would regularly win headers in midfield, ease opponents out of possession and win crucial tackles for his team. But his passing and awareness have developed since his move to Spain, and it's easy to see why some elite sides are said to be taking notice.

City don't possess a player of N'Zonzi's style, and given the recent serious injury suffered by Ilkay Gundogan, Guardiola may be looking for another body in midfield. However, given how well Sevilla are playing and how key the player is to their side, it's understandable why he may be reluctant to leave his current side.