Why Man City should go back in the market for Jose Cifuentes

According to the Manchester Evening News, Man City were interested in signing Ecuadorian wonder kid Jose Cifuentes before the Premier League transfer deadline. A move to the Etihad never really materialized for the 20-year-old, however. 

Cifuentes has revealed that he had an offer on the table from the reigning Premier League champions, as well as FC Porto, but he wasn’t allowed to depart his current club CD America, who hold his sporting rights. (h/t Manchester Evening News)

Celtic, though, are still hot on trail of the defensive midfielder, who was one of the cornerstones of Ecuador’s success at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Poland a couple of months back. (h/t Scottish Sun)

The talented youngster, who caught the eye of several scouts from Europe at the global stage in Poland, has admitted that a move to Man City fell through in the summer because of America’s reluctance to cash in on him.

A current U20 and U23 international for Ecuador, Cifuentes has featured on 11 occasions for his club in all competitions till date. 

Cifuentes’ stellar run of form in Poland guided Ecuador to their best-ever finish at a U20 World Cup, as the South American nation beat Italy in extra-time to secure a third-place finish.

The 20-year-old’s stocks have soared sky-high ever since and he has grabbed the headlines in the British tabloids over the entirety of the summer transfer window. 

Meanwhile, Man City spent big this summer to enrich their star-studded line-up with the acquisition of Joao Cancelo and Rodri from Juventus and Atletico Madrid respectively.

As well as bolstering their senior ranks, the Citizens also brought in a number of burgeoning young talents to add more depth and competition to their youth ranks. 

The likes of Morgan Rodgers and Liam Delap have made their mark at the youth level for the Citizens, while Pedro Porro and Ryotaro Meshino have been shipped out on loans after joining in the summer. And, as per the report, City were interested in signing Cifuentes as well.

To put things into perspective, it should be a no-brainer for Man City to reignite their interest in the promising Ecuadorian midfielder and bring him to the Etihad in January as a part of their long-term plans moving forward. 

He would probably only arrive as a project player, certainly not with a view to making an immediate breakthrough in the senior team, but largely as one to watch out for in the future.

Cifuentes has emerged as a sought-after property in South America and City’s low-cost gamble on the youngster could pay rich dividends in the years to come. 

As evident from Man City’s transfer strategy, the Citizens are always on the lookout to unearth bright emerging prospects from different corners of the globe and Cifuentes certainly fits the bill in that regard. 

The champions are probably aware of the fact that they would need to polish a few gems of their own in order to maintain their dominance in English football and it is easy to see that bringing in the 20-year-old would be a step in the right direction for them.

Replicating the rise of Phil Foden from the academy to the first-team at City is easier said than done but Cifuentes might have what it takes to accomplish a similar feat.

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With that in mind, City should go back in the market for the highly-rated Ecuadorian in January.

They have the pulling power and the financial muscle to bring in world-class stars, so tempting the South American club into selling the 20-year-old shouldn’t be a big task for the Citizens.