Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Mahmoud Dahoud, Kelechi Iheanacho Rumours
Borussia Monchengladbach are reportedly open to selling starlet Mahmoud Dahoud, who has been linked to Manchester City, Liverpool and Juventus, while City manager Pep Guardiola will not let Kelechi Iheanacho leave the club on loan.
According to Calciomercato.com, Monchengladbach are willing to listen to City and Dahoud's other suitors in light of a special clause in his contract that will allow clubs to buy him for just €10 million this summer.
The midfielder's deal will run out a year later, and per the report, he's unwilling to put pen to paper on a new contract. Per Joe Rimmer of the Liverpool Echo, Guardiola became a fan of the youngster after watching him during the UEFA Champions League.
The 21-year-old is seen as one of the top young talents in German football and already has tons of experience under his belt. He more than held his own in Monchengladbach's midfield last season and has become the team's key player in the centre of the park following the departures of Granit Xhaka and Havard Nordtveit.
Here's a look at some of his highlights:
The Syrian-born midfielder stands out for his tremendous passing range, quick feet and high work rate. He's very adept at getting out of tricky situations and displays a very cool head, which is rare for a player his age.
While Dahoud will likely never register many goals or assists, he's very useful at setting up attacks and creating space for others. In that way, he's similar to City star Ilkay Gundogan or Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
Dahoud can also defend and has shown a willingness to get his hands dirty in midfield—another quality that explains why so many top clubs are interested in his services.
Dahoud is almost certain to move during the summer, and given his low price tag due to the clause, Monchengladbach might struggle convincing clubs to invest a higher fee in January. The Citizens may choose to do just that in order to beat other clubs to his signature, however, and Juventus could do the same, given their need for extra midfielders.
Meanwhile, Guardiola has confirmed players could still leave the Citizens in January, but Iheanacho will not be among them, per Jonathan Smith of ESPN FC: "But of course Kelechi is part of the squad. Jesus [Navas] and Nolito are not-so-young strikers, Gabriel [Jesus], [Raheem Sterling] and Kelechi, they are so, so young strikers, and they will be the future. They have to adapt."
Iheanacho has impressed whenever he has played this season but remains well behind Sergio Aguero in the pecking order, and new arrival Gabriel only further complicates matters.
The 20-year-old needs regular minutes to continue his development, and those minutes could come via loan. As noted by Sam Lee of Goal, Iheanacho didn't even make the squad for the FA Cup match against Crystal Palace when Aguero missed out:
The Nigerian does add depth to the squad, however, and it seems that is more valued than developping his abilities at this time.
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