Revealed: The Germany star Pep Guardiola wanted as an alternative to Sanchez and Mahrez

Manchester City continue to negotiate a deal with Leicester City for Riyad Mahrez and will be hopeful the deal doesn’t collapse again like the last attempt did in January.

City missed out on long-term target Alexis Sanchez in the winter transfer window after he was lured by Manchester United’s offer to make him English football’s best-paid player. And that led to Pep Guardiola going for Mahrez late in the window, with a proposed deal falling through over Leicester’s valuation.

According to SPORT BILD in Germany, after the failure to secure Alexis and Mahrez in January, Pep Guardiola looked to the place from whence he came, Germany’s Bundesliga, and showed a serious interest in experienced Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus.

Reus, who was persistently linked with City in 2014, has struggled with injuries but his talent is undoubted. In 11 Bundesliga appearances last season, he scored 7 goals, leading to him earning a call-up to Germany’s World Cup squad.

According to the German newspaper, Guardiola wanted to convince Txiki Begiristain to sanction a bid for Reus in the summer, but before plans could become concrete, Reus decided to remain at “his” BVB and signed a new deal that will keep him at the Westfalenstadion until 2023.

In his late 20s and capable of playing as a forward or on the flanks, Reus had a similar profile and level of experience to Alexis and Mahrez, so it sounds plausible that Guardiola may have shown an interest.

City are now trying again for Mahrez and working hard to get a deal over the line, but it could have been Marco Reus holding up the sky blue shirt this summer had things gone a little differently.

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