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Manchester Evening News
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Anil Kandola

Man City 'set to rival' Real Madrid for Ajax star as Edin Dzeko reveals why he left the Etihad

Welcome to the latest edition of the City Is Ours daily round-up, where we take a look at some of the Manchester City stories you might have missed.

City have been linked with a teenager from Ajax but face serious competition from some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Former City favourite Edin Dzeko has revealed why he decided to leave the Blues, and James McAtee could be set to miss out on a loan move away from the Etihad Stadium after Swansea suffered a blow in their pursuit of the youngster.

City vs Europe for Ajax star

Ajax's academy is renowned for producing brilliant players and one of their latest graduates has caught the eye of Pep Guardiola.

Mundo Deportivo report that City are interested in pursuing a deal for Ryan Gravenberch, though the Premier League champions face stiff competition for his signature with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund also keen to speak to the 19-year-old.

Our view : Gravenberch is a wonderful player with plenty of potential.

It feels as though City are linked with a new midfielder every day but there's no doubt the Netherlands international would be a great addition.

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag has a similar philosophy to Guardiola and so this could be a clever move as City look to bolster their midfield options.

Could Ryan Gravenberch move to City? (Geert van Erven/BSR Agency/Getty Images.)

Dzeko lifts the lid on City exit

A lot of City fans were sad to see Dzeko call time on his City career back in 2016 when he made his temporary switch to Roma permanent.

The striker will always be fondly remembered at City and he's now revealed why he decided to cut ties with the club.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport (via the Daily Mail ), Dzeko said: "I was at the best moment of my career [at City] and I didn't want to be on the bench, so I chose Roma. I do not regret it at all, on the contrary.

"I left England with a three-year contract, I did not agree with coach Manuel Pellegrini in City."

Our view : It's a shame to hear how sour things turned for Dzeko at City.

He'll forever have a place in the hearts of City fans and it's nice to see him still scoring goals in Serie A.

McAtee staying put?

McAtee has been heavily linked with a move away from City this month as he looks to play regular first-team football.

The 19-year-old certainly hasn't been short of options with a host of Championship clubs desperate to take him on loan for the remainder of the season, though it now looks like he could be set to remain at City.

Swansea were one of the sides pushing hard for a loan deal but Wales Online now report that the Swans expect to miss out on the youngster despite having held talks with his representatives.

Our view : I can absolutely see why McAtee would want to be playing regular first-team football, but he only has to look at the likes of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer to see that going out on loan is necessarily the greatest route to take to aid his development.

Both Foden and Palmer have come on leaps and bounds having stayed at City and trained alongside some of the best players in the world and McAtee could look back on this failed move as a blessing in disguise.

Do you think McAtee is better off staying at City this season? Follow our City Is Ours trends writer Anil Kandola on Twitter to join in on the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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