Manchester City are on the brink of signing Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred in a deal worth between €30m-40m (£26.4m-35.1m), claims Gianluca Di Marzio.
Pep Guardiola has accelerated his summer transfer plans in the wake of missing out on Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United and wants to get deals for at least two players completed in January.
City, aware of United’s interest in Fred, have moved quickly to get ahead of their Premier League rivals and are now closing in on the Brazilian midfielder, who they have identified as a long-term replacement for 32-year-old Fernandinho.
Fred revealed over the Christmas period that it is his dream to play under Guardiola and Shakhtar are poised, albeit reluctantly, to allow the midfielder to make the switch to the Etihad.
Talks between the two sides will continue in the coming days as City enter a defining period in the transfer but they are determined to land the 24-year-old despite the fact he is ineligible to play in the knockout phase of the Champions League.
Of the 105 players that have attempted at least 10 dribbles in the Champions League this season, Fred has the best success rate (95.2%).
