Manchester City have been heavily linked with a move for Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala, but now the truth has been revealed about the status of the proposed transfer.
Indeed, in recent weeks and months Manchester City have been described as the reported frontrunners in negotiations for Musiala's signature, with the midfielder rightly attracting attention as one of the best young players in the world.
But links to Manchester City might not necessarily be true, with a bid far from imminent and a summer deal certainly not close to be finalised.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, no concrete talks between Manchester City and Musiala have actually taken place, with the European champions waiting to see the conclusion between Musiala and Bayern's contract talks.
Musiala's contract with Bayern Munich is set to expire in June 2026, meaning the German side will want to act swiftly in tying the 21-year-old down to a long-term deal, or risk losing him for a fraction of his worth next summer.
Romano suggests that Bayern will push to extend Musiala's deal on an increased salary, though there's of course no guarantee that the midfielder will accept. It would only be then that Manchester City's interest would become serious, with Pep Guardiola's side opting to assess the situation from afar at the moment.
"I’m aware that there have been reports of Manchester City being in a strong position for Jamal Musiala this summer, but I’m told that at the moment there’s zero concrete [evidence] into any Musiala story or deal," Romano said. "Bayern will push to extend his contract, there will be talks, they will make an important proposal and we will see how discussions will go. Until that moment, nothing will be serious.
"Of course top clubs are interested in Musiala, that’s absolutely normal, but no one has started concrete talks yet as it depends on Bayern."
In FourFourTwo's view, this clarification from Romano highlights that, while any club in the world would happily take Musiala, realising that Bayern still hold the power in the situation at the moment is of paramount importance. Musiala still has more than two years on his current deal, could feasibly sign for longer at Bayern, and will cost £100m-plus irrespective of his contract situation anyway.
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