Account
Pep Guardiola Praises 'Incredible Player' Dani Olmo Amid Transfer Rumours
December 12, 2019
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hailed Dinamo Zagreb star Dani Olmo following the UEFA Champions League clash between the sides on Wednesday.
Olmo opened the scoring for his team on the night, only for City to respond in emphatic fashion, with Gabriel Jesus netting a hat-trick in a 4-1 success.
Following the game, there was plenty of talk about Olmo, who has impressed throughout the Champions League campaign. Guardiola said he expects the Spain youth international to make a move to a high-profile outfit, per Nicholas McGee of Goal:
"He's a top player—he has a bright future, of course.
"is performance today shows it. About the transfer and the money he deserves, that is not the point. The point is he is an incredible player and I am pretty sure he is able to play in the strong leagues in Europe. Hopefully if Dinamo wants and he wants, it can happen."
Here are the highlights from the encounter at Stadion Maksimir, as City rubber-stamped their progression to the next round with a stylish win:
Even before Wednesday's clash, Olmo had been frequently mentioned in regard to a possible transfer. Per McGee, he has been linked with City and Barcelona, as well as Serie A sides AC Milan and Roma.
Per Sport, before Wednesday's game Guardiola spoke directly about the reported interest in the Spaniard: "According to the press we want to sign 100 players a month and, of course, Olmo is one of them. We will see what happens."
Olmo was previously on the books of Barcelona, joining the academy aged nine in 2007 and then leaving for Zagreb in 2014. Since then, he's played regularly and has started to develop his reputation in European football.
Per the Champions League Twitter account, the Zagreb starlet has already shown he can be productive at the highest level:
Football writer Chris Winterburn thinks the player may be on the move in the January transfer window:
While Olmo has benefitted from playing frequently for the Croatian club, he does look ready to make the step up to a team with a higher profile.
City and Barcelona would be exciting opportunities for Olmo, although it's questionable as to whether he would get the playing time needed to continue developing. As such, a switch to a club like Roma or Milan would feel like the more sensible move.