Manchester City eye move for Juventus star

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Bengaluru, July 2: Italian international defender Leonardo Bonucci has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester City, who could face competition from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Cityzens are looking to add a central defender after the exit of veteran Vincent Kompany and Bonucci could prove to be an ideal replacement for the former City skipper thanks to his immense experience at the top level.

Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is their top choice, but they face fierce competition from neighbours Manchester United for his signature.

The Foxes have quoted the two Manchester clubs £100million for the 26-year-old England international.

But if they decide not to shell out a world record fee for a defender to bag Maguire, a much cheaper option will be Bonucci.

The future of the 32-year-old is unclear after the imminent arrival of Ajax skipper Matthijs de Ligt at the Juventus Stadium.

New Juventus boss Maurizio sari will have five central defenders at his disposal and could be asked to balance the books after another huge outlay.

French champions Paris Saint-Germain have enquired about the experienced stopper and are prepared to offer him over £6million-a-year in wages to move to France, according to reports in Italy.

However, interest from Manchester City could cost PSG their target thanks to the presence of Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola has said several times before that he considers Bonucci one of the best players in the world, not just for his defending, but the ability to play out from the back.

The defender spent seven years at Juventus before a controversial switch to AC Milan two years ago.

But returned to the Allianz Arena last year as part the deal that saw Mattia Caldara head to the San Siro.

However, it again looks like he could be on his way out and the Etihad could be his destination.