Manchester City may be about to make their first signing of the summer. And it’s a big one.
Aston Villa captain Fabian Delph is closing in on a deal to the Citizens as BBC West Midlands are reporting that he failed to travel with Villa on their preseason training camp in Portugal and will sign for City in the next 24 hours.
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Delph, 25, only signed a new long-term contract with Villa in January which was supposed to keep him at the club until 2019, but it has been reported that the England international has a release clause of just $13 million in that new deal.
If the move goes through then Delph will not only add steel to City’s central midfield but he is also a homegrown player under Premier League rules, which is a huge boost for Manuel Pellegrini’s side who struggling with that quota.
Delph’s potential move to City would be a hammer blow to Villa boss Tim Sherwood as the skipper was a key component in the Midlands club staving off relegation last season. The Leeds United academy product joined Villa in 2009 for an initial fee of $12 million and has scored eight goals in 128 games.