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Champions City aim to capture Algerian attacker Brahimi

| 13.02.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Manchester City will attempt to land Porto playmaker and 2014 African Player of the Year Yacine Brahimi next summer, with the reigning Premier League champions reportedly prepared to meet the Algerian’s £40m buy-out clause.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side, 7/1 with Coral to win the title, are aiming to secure the 25-year-old’s signature for next season, after the talented midfielder has attracted interest from all around Europe with his dominant displays in Portugal.

The attacking Algerian was crowned African player of last year, following a superb season, beating the likes of City’s Yaya Toure, Gervinho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the coveted title.

Title hopefuls City have been heavily linked with a summer swoop for Porto’s prolific attacking midfielder, with Brahimi having also been tipped for a switch to England before leaving Granada last summer.

The Portuguese Primeira star, who began his senior career at French club Rennes, has been sensational this term for the Dragons, striking eight times this campaign, including a clinical Champions League hat-trick in his side’s 6-0 demolishing of BATE Borisov last September.

In this year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Brahimi’s native Algeria crashed out in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Ivory Coast, with the astute attacker unable to prevent his country’s knock-out.

Pellegrini’s Etihad outfit could benefit massively from Brahimi’s brave attacking attributes, and a link-up with fellow African and AFCON champion Toure potentially a potent pairing for next season.

With Toure’s international teammate and recent new City arrival Wilfried Bony now set to lead the champions’ strikeforce, brilliant Brahimi would complete a possibly devastating attacking African trio in the blue half of Manchester.

However, City must contend with Financial Fair Play restrictions which could spell the end of Stevan Jovetic or Eden Dzeko’s career at the Etihad, with both strikers currently experiencing a poor run of goalscoring form.

Chelsea are the runaway Premier League leaders this term, but Pellegrini’s men are pushing hard to catch Jose Mourinho’s Blues and regain their title.

Amazing African Brahimi could shift the balance of next season’s title race in City’s favour, after falling behind this campaign. The champions are also aiming for European glory and are 14/1 to lift their first ever Champions League trophy.

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Author

Lee Gormley

Lee joined the Coral team in 2014 after studying at Leeds Trinity University, having moved across the water from Ireland, and has plenty of industry experience from his time with various news outlets in both England and Northern Ireland. After graduating with a BA Honours degree in Sports Journalism, he has since become an important member of the talented sports desk, passionately covering boxing, football and snooker, among many other sports. Lee is also a massive Manchester United and Republic of Ireland fan, but curbs any bias during his work, and outside of his job can be found regularly taking part in sport himself, such as boxing, GAA and football.