According to reports earlier in the week, Serie A champions Juventus rejected a bid of £38million pounds from Manchester City for centre-back Leonardo Bonucci. The Italian defender, who turned 29 in May, impressed for Antonio Conte's side as the Italians got to the quarter-finals of this year's tournament - but were knocked out cruelly to semi-finalists Germany on penalties.
Pep thinking ahead with Bonucci approach
Pep Guardiola was officially unveiled to the City supporters as their new manager at an event on Sunday, took his first training session on Tuesday and he's already looking to influence his ideal style of play upon City players.
Most of the first-team crop are either resting having represented their respective countries at the European Championships, or are injured - which is the case for new signing Ilkay Gundogan and captain Vincent Kompany.
Kompany's injury-prone status something to ponder
It'll be Kompany's eight-year anniversary in August and the towering Belgian is an integral part of the team, but he has had a troublesome spell of various injuries. As a result, supporters and coaching staff alike would be naive not to at least contemplate life without their skipper, considering they've struggled defensively without his presence.
In his first media conference as City boss, Pep said his "dream for Kompany" is for him to remain fit - as he's a "magnificent defender", but he has already told him to "focus" on his body and return to full fitness without any lingering problems.
Bonucci, one third of Juve's robust BBC centre-back trio (Andrea Barzagli, Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini), is a proven defender with world-class pedigree - and has been in Turin for six years, so it's not particularly surprising that Pep feels he can lure the player to Eastlands. He fits the mould, being a defender who is comfortable in possession and knows how to pass out from the back, and would not only be a signal of intent to their title rivals, but also help to improve City's defensive quality.
They're expected to increase the transfer offer to around £45-50million, forcing Juve to think hard before making a calculated decision. It's clear that he's a key man for them, but every player ultimately has their price.
