Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has earmarked Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke as one of his next transfer targets, reports Marca.
Koke, 24, has previously been linked with a move to the Premier League after emerging as a key player in Atletico’s recent success although any interest was stopped once he signed a new five-year deal in 2014.
Atletico will have no interest in selling one of their star assets and will tell City they have to match his staggering €150m (£m) release clause in order to prize the Spaniard away from the club.
However, with Diego Simeone set to leave the club at the end of next season, Koke’s long-term future at the club is less clear cut than it seemed when he signed a new deal two years ago.
In the last four La Liga campaigns only Lionel Messi (48) has registered more assists than Koke (40).
For more stats on Koke, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
