Manchester City report: "Mini Puskas" on the brink of signing for Pep Guardiola's champions
Pep Guardiola has identified the Hungarian prodigy as a future Ballon d'Or winner
Manchester City are "on the brink" of signing highly-rated youngster Zalan Vancsa from MTK Budapest, with an announcement expected in the coming days.
That is according to the Telegraph, who claim the 17-year-old will become City's first signing of the winter window if and when a deal is reached between the two clubs. Vancsa has attracted interest across Europe and England after a breakthrough season, and has compared to countryman Ferenc Puskas due to his intelligence, dribbling ability and composure.
Pep Guardiola has made no secret of his desire to add recruits to his squad this month, particularly following the loss of Ferran Torres to Barcelona and the lack of a deadly no.9 in his ranks. However, the Manchester City coach is only interested in finding the right candidates and doesn't want to throw money at big stars who could disrupt squad harmony at this stage of the season.
Manchester City are top of the Premier League and remain in the FA Cup and Champions League too. Vancsa would not be a starter upon his arrival in England, and is considered more a star of the future. The left-winger could expect substitute appearances and cup cameos between now and the summer.
Vancsa rose through the youth ranks at MTK Budapest and has made 10 appearances in the Hungarian top flight this season, scoring one goal. He has four U16 caps and one goal for his nation.
Subscribe to FourFourTwo today and get three issues for £3.
Restock your kit bag with the best deals for footballers on Amazon right now
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
ALSO READ
LIST Football Manager 2022: All the FM22 wonderkids you'll need to sign
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.