Manchester City are reportedly scouting Real Madrid full-back Achraf Hakimi, who has been exceptional on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
According to a report from The Sun, Manchester City are monitoring Real Madrid star Achraf Hakimi, who is currently out on loan at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
Hakimi, 21, came through the youth ranks at Madrid, before making his first-team debut in 2017 under Zinedine Zidane. However, with Dani Carvajal the undisputed first-choice at right-back, Los Blancos sent him out on a two-year loan deal to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2018.
Since arriving in Germany, the Moroccan international has thrived, establishing himself as one of the most sought-after full-backs in Europe. Hakimi had a decent 2018/19 campaign, but the full-back has stepped it up a notch this term. So far in 43 appearances across all competitions, he has a highly impressive return of 9 goals and 10 assists.
Only Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Erling Haaland have scored more than the 21-year-old for Dortmund this term, while he is also the fourth-highest assist contributor behind Sancho, Thorgan Hazard and Dortmund. This sort of form has seen Hakimi attract serious interest from a number of clubs across Europe as his loan deal nears its expiry.
Chelsea had emerged as one of the suitors for the 21-year-old Moroccan. And now, defending Premier League champions Manchester City seem to have entered the race for the Real Madrid star. The Cityzens have invested heavily in the full-back positions since 2017, but not all signings have paid off.
Danilo was shipped off last summer after having failed to make the desired impact, while Benjamin Mendy has had to cope with injuries throughout his time at the club. Joao Cancelo, who came to the club as part of the deal that saw Danilo join Juventus, has struggled to settle in England, may already be on his way out this summer.
So, Manchester City’s interest Hakimi makes a lot of sense. The 21-year-old has produced great attacking output over the last two seasons, while his ability to slot in on both and right and left sides with equal comfort makes him an enticing option.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side will have to stave off competition from a number of clubs, including Dortmund themselves, who want to make the Moroccan’s transfer permanent. In addition, there is the interest from Chelsea as well as Tottenham Hotspur, while Real Madrid may want to keep hold of their starlet, given Dani Carvajal’s up and down performances this season.
The report adds that Manchester City will have to fork out at least £50 million if they want to land Hakimi this summer, although that is unlikely to be a problem for the Sky Blues even in these times when finances have been affected. It will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming weeks as a key decision on his future awaits Hakimi in the summer.
