Manchester City are considering moves for Southampton’s Mario Lemina or Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic as potential alternatives to Jorginho, Sky Sports News understands.
Sky sources have indicated City boss Pep Guardiola has identified other midfield options if a deal cannot be reached for the Napoli star, despite advanced talks still continuing.
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Manchester City denied making a second bid for Jorginho on Wednesday, with Sky in Italy reporting they had made a fresh offer that could total more than £50million.
Sky in Italy also reported that City are unwilling to wait more than a week for a response to their latest offer, and they may already have an alternative target ready should the deal fall through.
Mateo Kovacic made 37 appearances for Real Madrid last season
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said on Sunday that they had rejected a bid just shy of £44m (£39.5m + £4.4m add-on) from City for the player.
Jorginho remains City’s primary target, with talks ongoing
He scored four goals in 39 appearances last season, and has scored six goals in 160 games for Napoli since signing from Verona in 2013.
