Manchester City face heavy Premier League competition to sign ‘world-class’ left-back: report

Manchester City are facing heavy competition from fellow Premier League sides in their pursuit of a new left-back.

Pep Guardiola’s side has lost four back-to-back matches in all competitions for the first time in 18 years, prompting question marks over the Sky Blues’ form without star midfielder Rodri: ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best players in the world right now.

But in defence, there are also wholesale question marks, with Kyle Walker’s and Rico Lewis’ respective form causing concerns. News has suggested they are in the market for a new addition in the coming months, but the 27-year-old won’t come cheap.

Manchester City keeping tabs on Antonee Robinson

Antonee Robinson Fulham defender in the Premier League wanted by Manchester City — Antonee Robinson (Image credit: Getty Images)

Information from GiveMeSport suggests Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all want to sign Antonee Robinson in the ‘coming months’, with Fulham reluctant to let him go.

Robinson, 27, is a fully-fledged USMNT international, having been capped 47 times and joined the Cottagers from Wigan Athletic back in 2020.

Antonee Robinson of Fulham during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Sheffield United at Craven Cottage on October 7, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) Manchester City — Antonee Robinson in action for Fulham (Image credit: Getty Images)

The report states how Manchester City are most likely to try and recruit him in January, but the Cottagers do not want to do business with the reigning Premier League champions halfway through the season.

The left-back is soon set to enter the final three-and-a-half years of his contract, with his current salary estimated to be in the region of £50,000-a-week in London.

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Josko Gvardiol in a Puma Manchester City shirt, 2024 — Gvardiol regularly plays left-back for City (Image credit: Alamy)

Marco Silva has started the Milton Keynes-born star in every game so far this season, with Robinson having amassed three assists in 11 Premier League appearances.

“I want to keep on developing. I’m very settled here, I love the club. It wasn’t a difficult decision to sign,” said Robinson in an interview with The Athletic back in 2023.

“I signed the deal because I was very happy at Fulham. Interest from other [teams] is great. Obviously, it comes down to, if someone wanted me enough to pay what Fulham would want, and if Fulham saw that as a good idea, then I’d leave.”

In FourFourTwo’s view, Fulham’s reluctancy to sell means they hold the power if a club like Manchester City were to come in with a huge offer for Robinson.

Valued by Transfermarkt at €25m (£20.7m), he would likely cost more than that fee given the bumper contract he would need to be bought out of.

Fulham are back in Premier League action later this month, as they take on Wolves looking to build on their impressive start to the new campaign.