Here are your Manchester City evening headlines for Sunday August 23.
Nagelsmann provides Angelino transfer update
RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann has claimed that Manchester City left-back Angelino wants to join the Bundesliga side on a permanent deal.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a successful loan spell with Leipzig last season and there appears to be interest from a number of parties about a possible transfer.
Leipzig had the option to make that loan permanent for around £27m, but have previously spoken about being unable to meet that price. However, according to Nagelsmann, the Bundesliga outfit boast a strong position in negotiating a lower price.
He told Bild: “I am very confident that we can reach an agreement with Manchester City, now that both clubs are out of the Champions League and the focus is no longer on the tournament.
"Angel is a very interesting player for us and he wants to stay with us too.”
Zinchenko questions Guardiola’s Champions League tactics
Aleks Zinchenko has opened up on the dressing room’s reaction to Pep Guardiola’s tactics in the Champions League knockout stages.
City switched to an unlikely back three against Lyon and subsequently fell to a shock 3-1 loss. Zinchenko was an unused substitute in the game.
Speaking on his fiancee Vlada Sedan’s Youtube vlog, Zinchenko was asked about Guardiola’s tactics, after an uncharacteristic set-up ultimately cost them a place in the semi-final.
He said: “There are many footballers with great experience. They are well aware that with such tactics there will always be a lack of one player in front.
“In the first half, Lyon played very organised at the back. They were almost all behind the ball line.
“And we have three central defenders in static position with the ball - they start all attacks, and two central midfielders go down to them to take the ball, because there are no zones to find a pass line. We have five people just off the game.”
City told to ignore Messi in favour of Kompany replacement
Former City midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes that the club should ignore the possibility of signing Lionel Messi and instead prioritise a replacement for Vincent Kompany.
The Belgian defender retired from football earlier this week after leaving the Etihad Stadium last summer and his absence was sorely felt during a disappointing 2019/20 campaign.
And, according to Hargreaves, finding his long-term replacement should be the club’s number one priority.
"I'm sure Pep would take Messi if he could, but he will have seen the impact [Virgil] van Dijk had at Liverpool and realise he needs that kind of player more than anything," Hargreaves told BT Sport.
“He needs the new Vincent Kompany, a leader who can make or break a game in the tight moments.
"City were probably close to being the best team in the world when they had Vincent Kompany. Pep – along with Klopp – is the best. But if you can’t deal with pressure at certain moments in the game you are going to be found out.
“If you don’t have a Van Dijk or a Kompany then it’s hard and that’s probably why Pep picked the team he did.”
