Manchester City are in the market for a new left-back and Marc Cucurella is the main target, but there has been no significant progress over a potential deal to sign the Brighton player.
Pep Guardiola is keen to have a specialist in the position this season, after Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko shared the role last term. Both impressed but Guardiola wants to freshen things up on the left flank.
City's interest in Cucurella has been a poorly kept secret for a few weeks now. After the Blues wrapped up the signings of Erling Haaland, Stefan Ortega and Kalvin Phillips, they were expected to waste no time in bringing Cucurella to the Etihad Stadium.
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However, things have not turned out that way, and Brighton chairman Tony Bloom revealed last week that the Seagulls have not received any offers for Cucurella this summer.
Brighton have started talks with the player about a possible contract extension, so keen they are to keep hold of the man who won the club's player of the season award in his debut campaign.
Now fresh evidence has emerged to suggest City are no closer in signing the Spanish left-back after Cucurella is among travelled to Portugal for Brighton's pre-season training camp.
Players who are close to leaving clubs, or who are the focus of intense transfer speculation, tend not to be involved in pre-season training or tours. That has been the case with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, Raheem Sterling at City and a host of transfer-listed players at Tottenham.
That Cucurella has travelled to Portugal with Brighton does not mean that City will not get their man by 11pm on 1 September, but it does suggest that at the moment a move is not imminent.
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