90min

Manchester City Ready to Make £40m Bid for Harry Winks

By Charlie Stewart

Winks has made 143 appearances for Spurs in all competitions
Winks has made 143 appearances for Spurs in all competitions / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
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Manchester City are preparing to make a surprise bid of £40m for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks.

City manager Pep Guardiola is believed to be an admirer of the 24-year old, who has made 143 appearances in all competitions for the north London club, scoring twice since his 2014 debut.

The Sun report that Guardiola has nudged City in the direction of an approach for the Gen Z Scott Parker, looking to deepen his midfield options ahead of another battle on many fronts next season.

Winks' performances for the Lilywhites have earned him six caps for the English national team, and he was named in the starting lineup for Spurs' Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019.

However, despite being named in the starting XI 36 times this season, Winks is expected to fall down the pecking order at the north London club, especially after the acquisition of Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The signing of Hojbjerg could see Winks fall down the pecking order
The signing of Hojbjerg could see Winks fall down the pecking order / Robin Jones/Getty Images

Tottenham already have Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Moussa Sissoko, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Gedson Fernandes, and Oliver Skipp competing for the central midfield spots and, with owner Daniel Levy being notoriously tight with his money, Winks could be sold to raise funds for new signings.

While Man City are already stocked full of top-class central midfielders, Pep Guardiola is said to be intrigued by the possibility of unlocking the Englishman's full potential.

The England international has proven to be tidy, good on the ball, and good in tight spaces, which will suit Guardiola's philosophy.

Winks is the type of midfielder that would suit Guardiola's style
Winks is the type of midfielder that would suit Guardiola's style / Visionhaus/Getty Images

One thing that could prove difficult in negotiations is Winks' current Spurs contract. The 24-year old penned a new five-year contract in 2019, meaning that City will have to pay a premium for the midfielder.

Another stumbling block could be the Premier League's home-grown quota.

The Premier League allows a maximum of 17 non-home grown players in a club's squad. With Danny Rose and Ryan Sessegnon rumoured to be on their way out of north London this summer, it could force Spurs to keep Winks at the club in order to adhere to the rules.