The 2024 European Championship tournament came to a close on Sunday night and one of Manchester City's players ended the day with a trophy in his hand.
Rodri was one of the Spain players to be part of the trophy-lift in Berlin after his side beat England, who had John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Phil Foden in their starting XI, 2-1.
Another player from the champions of the competition has been linked with a move to The Etihad this summer, as the Cityzens are reportedly interested in RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo.
Fabrizio Romano reported that there is a release clause in his current contract that would allow any team to snap him up for €60m (£50m), but it expires on the 20th July and that deadline could spark a race to secure his services.
The Italian reporter added, however, that there have not been any talks with Manchester City and that the other teams are interested in the Spanish star.
This means that the Cityzens could be exploring alternative options to him in an attacking midfield role, despite his impressive form for club and country.
Dani Olmo's impressive form
Firstly, the 26-year-old midfielder enjoyed a solid season in the Bundesliga in Germany with RB Leipzig before joining up with Spain for the Euros.
The right-footed ace produced four goals and five assists in 21 appearances in the division, creating eight 'big chances' along the way, as he showcased his attacking quality at the top end of the pitch.
He ranked within the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.34) and the top 21% for assists per 90 (0.31).
This shows that Olmo consistently created high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net in the Bundesliga across his 21 outings, and could, therefore, provide a fantastic supply to Erling Haaland at City.
The Spanish ace then enjoyed a superb time at the Euros this summer as he helped his country to win the tournament, beating England in the final on Sunday.
Appearances
6
Starts
3
Goals
3
Assists
2
Big chances created
3
Key passes per game
1.8
As you can see in the table above, Olmo stepped up with a staggering five direct goal contributions in just three starts in Germany over the last few weeks.
He scored the winning goal in the semi-final against France and produced a goal and an assist in Spain's 2-1 win over Germany in the quarter-final.
This shows that the attacking midfielder played an integral role in his country's success in the tournament as they may have been knocked out in the previous two rounds before the final without his contributions in the final third.
His statistics at club and international show that City have an unknown level of interest in a player who could add more attacking quality to Pep Guardiola's ranks in the middle of the park.
However, the Cityzens could land a dream alternative to Olmo, given that they are not currently in talks to pursue a deal for him, by swooping for a Premier League star.
Man City's interest in Premier League magician
Earlier this month, The Sun reported that Manchester City are one of the clubs interested in a potential deal to sign attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
The outlet claimed that the Premier League champions and Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur are both eyeing up a swoop for the England international.
It also added that the former Queens Park Rangers magician has a release clause in his current contract with the Eagles that would allow him to move on for a fee of £60m.
The Sun stated that City and Spurs are both willing to pay that price to land the talented whiz before the end of the summer transfer window, but it remains to be seen when they are planning to do that.
It is also unclear as to where Eze sees his immediate future. The English dynamo may want to remain with Palace or may not be interested in a move to The Etihad, which means it remains to be seen how viable a transfer for him is at this stage.
If Guardiola's side can secure a deal for his services, though, then he could be a dream alternative to Olmo to bolster the squad for next season.
Why Man City should sign Eberechi Eze
Firstly, the midfield wizard only turned 26 last month and is now heading into the prime years of his career, which means that the club would be landing a player who could make an immediate impact on the pitch whilst also having plenty of time left ahead of him.
Eze's performances in the Premier League last season also suggest that the quality is there for him to be an excellent addition to the group ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
His displays were not enough to convince Gareth Southgate to hand him regular game time at the Euros, though, as he made three appearances as a substitute and failed to provide a goal or an assist.
A move to Manchester City, where he would be competing for titles and playing Champions League football, could put him in the spotlight and increase his chances of breaking into the England starting XI in the months and years to come.
The 26-year-old star, who was described as an "entertainer" by analyst Ben Mattinson, caught the eye with his ability as a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position.
Appearances
27
21
Goals
11
4
Assists
4
5
Big chances created
7
8
Key passes per game
2.0
1.5
As you can see in the table above, Eze scored more goals and produced more key passes per game than Olmo did in the Bundsliga with Leipzig.
This suggests that he could be a fantastic alternative to the Spaniard as he has already proven himself in the Premier League, whereas the Euros winner has yet to experience English football and there is no telling how he would adapt.
Therefore, City should swoop for the mercurial midfielder to add to their depth in the middle of the park as someone who could hit the ground running and make an instant impact in Manchester next season.
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