Friday, 31st August, 2012
Manchester City have agreed a fee with Benfica for Spanish midfielder Javi Garcia, according to Portuguese daily A Bola.
Roberto Mancini’s Citizens have been pushing hard to snap up the 25-year-old, but saw their first bid, of between €22M and €25M, rejected by Benfica president Luis Felipe Vieria.
With the termination fee in Garcia’s contract set at €30M, the Benfica supremo was insistent that this is the amount which must be paid by Manchester City to sign the defensive midfielder.
It remains to be seen whether the English champions have relented and activated Garcia’s buy-out clause, but there is believed to be an agreement between the clubs.
The former Real Madrid player has been offered a contract worth €5M at Manchester City and is on the verge of ending his three-year stay in the Portuguese capital.
Benfica snapped Garcia up in 2009 from Real Madrid; the Spaniard is a product of Los Blancos’ youth academy.
He is viewed by Manchester City as the perfect replacement for Nigel de Jong, who was sold to AC Milan last night.
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