Out of all the clubs in the Premier League, Manchester City have the most players competing in the final at Euro 2024. This may not come as much of a surprise, given their prestigiousness when it comes to reaching, and winning, major finals in recent seasons, nor the fact they had the most players in the tournament in the whole of the Premier League.
The Cityzens’ representative for Spain is, of course, one of the world’s best midfielders, Rodri. The Spanish number 16 has been a key feature of the La Roja midfield and has even taken the captain’s armband when Alvrao Morata has not been on the pitch.
City’s three England players are all first-choice for Gareth Southgate; Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden.
The trio have started all of England’s games during the tournament and were particularly impressive against the Netherlands as the Three Lions stormed into their second consecutive European Championship final.
Unsurprisingly, the tournament has created several transfer links for some of the best-performing players to elite clubs across Europe. City themselves have recently been linked with one player who could switch to the Etihad Stadium once the tournament has finished, and it would see one of Rodri’s teammates join him at the Premier League champions.
Man City target Bundesliga midfielder
The player in question here is RB Leipzig’s Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo. The 26-year-old has lit up the European Championships so far this summer and has now been linked with a move away from Leipzig.
According to a report from Sky Germany, City are one of two clubs said to be “specifically interested” in signing Olmo this summer. However, the Premier League champions might find it easier to do a deal given the fact they have “completely different financial circumstances” to their competition.
The other club in for Olmo this summer are one of Europe’s biggest sides, Spanish giants Barcelona. The Catalan club are “still recovering” from the financial hits they have taken in recent years, before explaining that City could be “more comfortable” with the price for Olmo.
Whilst there is no price stated in the report, it explains that Leipzig will not sell their star man for less than his market value.
Why Olmo would be a good signing
Despite a tough season with injury issues, Olmo still had reasonably good output for Leipzig when he did feature. In all competitions for club and country, the Spaniard missed a whopping 29 games last term, the most he has missed in a single campaign.
However, the 26-year-old still featured 25 times in all competitions for his side. It was a season where he scored eight goals and registered five assists, including a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the German Supercup.
However, it is his performances in Euro 2024 that Olmo has really attracted interest this summer. Against France in the semi-final, the Leipzig midfielder started as a replacement for the injured Pedri and was rated an 8/10 by Sky Sports journalist Lewis Jones.
The reporter was full of praise for Olmo and explained his goal against Les Bleus was “a thing of beauty”.
Indeed, his tournament so far has been phenomenal. According to Sofascore, no player has scored more goals than the Spaniard, with countryman Lamine Yamal and Dutch star Xavi Simons the only players to register more assists than Olmo’s two. However, he leads the way when it comes to combined goal involvement, sitting outright top with five.
Games
5
N/A
Goals
3
=1st
Assists
2
=2nd
Goals & assists
5
1st
Should Pep Guardiola add his fellow Spaniard to the Citizens squad, we would see Olmo link up with Rodri for club football as well as together with the national team.
It would no doubt be a similar partnership, with Olmo having a licence to roam all over the final third, knowing he has the security of Rodri behind him.
If there is one thing that can be said about Olmo, it is that he is a fantastic ball-carrier. Last season, as per FBref, in the Bundesliga, the 26-year-old averaged 3.79 progressive carries per 90 minutes but really excelled with those carries into the final third, in which he averaged 3.04 each game, ranking him in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the German top-flight.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
The exciting Spaniard also averaged 4.47 attempted take-ons in the Bundesliga last season, completing an average of 1.93 per game. Olmo has silky footwork, and glides with the ball at his feet, able to slalom in and out of defenders.
The midfielder is also a superb creative passer, as he has shown at the Euros. He averages 4.22 progressive passes each game, and an impressive 3.73 passes into the final third each game, a figure which places him in the top 4% of Bundesliga attacking midfielders and wingers. Not only that, Olmo plays an average of 1.99 key passes per 90, showing his creative spark with the ball at his feet.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
The 26-year-old is clearly a player who Guardiola rates highly. Back in 2019, when the creative maestro scored for Dinamo Zagreb against City in the Champions League, the legendary Spanish manager called the midfielder a “top player”, before explaining he “has a bright future” ahead of him. With that in mind, it is not really a surprise to see City interested in signing him.
Should City sign the Spaniard, it could be a genius acquisition from Guardiola’s side. Imagine how good he and Rodri would be together, reigniting that connection they have at international level. He would be given a license to roam and get forward, looking to link up with City’s stars in the final third and show off his dangerous ball-carrying ability.
Whilst the price is currently unclear, it could be a masterstroke from Guardiola, and Olmo would only add to the quality City have going forward.
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