Manchester City's hopes of luring Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella to the Etihad Stadium appear to have hit a stumbling block.
Pep Guadiola has identified the 24-year-old as his top target to replace Oleksandr Zinchenko following his move to Arsenal.
The Citizens are understood to have seen two bids for the Spaniard worth £30m and £40m rejected by Brighton, who are unwilling to entertain offers below their £50m asking price.
Cucurella has since handed in a transfer request to try to force through a move to City, but negotiations between Brighton and the Premier League champions have allegedly ended, with the Citizens required to increase their offer if they wish to re-open talks with the Seagulls.
City are now believed to be exploring potential alternatives to Cucurella, and here, Sports Mole takes a look at three left-backs who they could target before the September 1 deadline.
Borna Sosa (Stuttgart)
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Stuttgart left-back Borna Sosa has been in demand throughout this summer, with Man City believed to be one of a host of European clubs monitoring his situation.
The 24-year-old, who has spent the last four seasons with the German outfit, struggled with injuries in his first two years at the club, but he has since enjoyed two impressive Bundesliga campaigns as a creative outlet down the left flank, registering 18 assists in 54 league appearances.
Sosa still has three years remaining on his contract, but Stuttgart are thought to be open to selling the 6ft 2in left-back if they receive an offer between €20m (£17m) and €25m (£21.2m).
The Croatia international would be a significantly cheaper alternative to Cucurella for Man City, although the Citizens could face competition from the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich for his services.
Alex Grimaldo (Benfica)
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Another left-back believed to be on City's radar is Benfica's Alex Grimaldo, who had been linked with Arsenal before they opted to sign Zinchenko.
The 26-year-old has been with the Portuguese giants since 2016, but his long-term future at the club is uncertain as he has now entered the final 12 months of his contract.
Grimaldo was a standout performer for Benfica last season, recording six goals and nine assists in 47 appearances across all competitions.
The Spaniard is used to winning silverware, having won eight trophies during his six-year spell with the Eagles, and he has also gained Champions League experience in five of the last six seasons.
Grimaldo represents an even cheaper alternative to both Cucurella and Sosa for the Citizens, as the former Barcelona youngster is said to be available for as little as £6m this summer.
Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund)
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Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro has become the latest name to emerge as a potential target for Man City, although the 28-year-old may not come cheap.
Both The Athletic and The Sun claim that the Citizens have kept a close eye on the Portugal international in the past, but the Bundesliga giants are not prepared to let the defender leave unless they receive a sufficient offer.
Guerreiro began his career in France with Caen before spending three years with Lorient between 2013 and 2016. Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund then recruited the attack-minded left-back, who has gone on to make 187 appearances in six seasons for the German club across all tournaments.
Guerreiro, who only has a year remaining on his contract at Westfalenstadion, suffered with a few injuries last season but he still managed to score five goals and provide four assists in 28 games for BVB.
Oliver Thomas
