Pep Guardiola targets £68million-rated Crystal Palace star as Kevin De Bruyne's replacement

Manchester City have reignited their interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze and will submit a written bid for him in the coming days, according to a report in the Mirror. Tottenham have also been linked with the star, who was a member of the English team that finished second at the just-ended Euros.

LondonWorld has been told on a number of occasions by sources within Palace that they are willing to keep the midfielder amid strong interest from Premier League rivals. However, the chance to play under Pep Guardiola, who has just led his Manchester City team to five league titles, will test the player's resolve.

City are aware that De Bruyne is tempted by the riches of Saudi Arabia and are covering their tracks in case their 33-year-old midfielder decides to leave for Arabia for what remains of his career.

De Bruyne told Het Laatste Nieuws last month: “I still have one year left on my contract, so I have to think about what could happen. My eldest is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play for City. Once the moment comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way. At my age, you have to be open to everything. You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.”

For Palace, they’ll hope to keep the 26-year-old Eze, who dazzled for them last season, scoring 11 times and providing four assists. He is understood to have a release clause of £60m plus £8m in add-ons and is contracted to the club until the summer of 2027.

Last summer, they lost Wilfried Zaha, but that blow was softened by the presence of Michael Olise, who left for Bayern Munich earlier this summer.