Manchester City have identified Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez as well as Sevilla defender Diego Carlos as potential alternatives to Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, The Guardian reports.
Pep Guardiola is desperate to sign another centre-back before the transfer window closes and City have been heavily linked with a move for Koulibaly all summer.
The Premier League outfit have reportedly already agreed personal terms with Koulibaly but are yet to engage in any formal discussions with Napoli over a fee.
Those inside Napoli are concerned City are reluctant to move ahead with a deal due to their long-standing feud with the club.
City were left furious with Napoli in 2018 after believing they had a deal to sign Jorginho only for the midfielder to join Chelsea.
Napoli are holding out for £73.2m for Koulibaly and City are reluctant to pay so much for someone that turns 30 next summer.
Guardiola’s side are exploring other options for now, including LaLiga duo Gimenez and Carlos, who have both been heavily linked to the Premier League in the past.
However, both come with high price tags with release clauses of £109.8m and £68.7m for Gimenez and Carlos, repsectively.
