Manchester City 'hold further talks for Hajduk Split midfielder Ante Palaversa'

Manchester City are reportedly ready to push ahead with a £5.5m offer for Ante Palaversa after holding further talks with Hajduk Split.

The 18-year-old was recently touted as a surprise target for the English champions, who have already missed out on three holding midfielders over the past six months.

Jorginho opted for Chelsea and Fred went to rivals Manchester United, while Barcelona recently struck a deal to sign Frenkie de Jong from Ajax in the summer.

According to the Daily Mail, City will now look to provide some long-term cover for Fernandinho by recruiting Palaversa from Split.

However, the Citizens may also consider loaning the Croatia Under-19s captain straight back to his current club for another season so that he can continue his development, before providing competition at the Etihad Stadium from 2020-21 onwards.