Manchester City are willing to pay Ajax a fee of €70m to sign Frenkie de Jong, who has been linked with a host of clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
De Jong, a full Netherlands international, has progressed rapidly at Ajax and is widely considered to be one of the most exciting young midfield talents in Europe.
Manchester City have been doing their homework on De Jong and have had him extensively watched by scouts, with detailed reports being compiled for Pep Guardiola.
And, according to Dutch daily the Algemeen Dagblad, the Citizens are now ready to pay Ajax a total of €70m to land the 21-year-old.
The Premier League champions view De Jong as the ideal successor to the ageing Fernandinho.
Manchester City are claimed not to want to rush a swoop for De Jong, but could well make a move for the midfielder in the January transfer window due to the growing interest in the player from other clubs.
Guardiola sees De Jong as a deep-lying playmaker for the Citizens and is keen to make sure he moves to the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City missed out on Jorginho to Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
