Manchester City Notebook: Scouts monitoring Bruno Guimaraes alongside continued interest in Lucas Paqueta, as Olivia Rodrigo concert at Etihad Campus coincides with Wolves match.

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Manchester City are keeping an eye on the situation with Bruno Guimaraes at Newcastle United ahead of the summer but have not formalised interest.

Mail Sport understands the Brazil international is one of a number of midfielders who City have watched this season – but moves for any of them are dependent on outgoings.

Interest in West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta, 26, is long standing after the FA’s probe into alleged betting offences halted a deal last year. That investigation remains ongoing.

Guimaraes would appeal to Pep Guardiola with his ability to feature as either a deeper lying midfielder or higher up, offering similar options to Mateo Kovacic this term. Arsenal are also interested.

The 26-year-old is believed to have a release clause of £100million – the same figure City splashed out on Jack Grealish three years ago. Guardiola has utilised Rodri, Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes and Julian Alvarez in the central areas this term.

Man City are keeping an eye on Bruno Guimaraes’ situation at Newcastle ahead of the summer

Mail Sport understands the Brazil star is one of a number of midfielders who City have watched this season – with Pep Guardiola's side also holding a long-standing interest in Lucas Paqueta

Mail Sport understands the Brazil star is one of a number of midfielders who City have watched this season – with Pep Guardiola’s side also holding a long-standing interest in Lucas Paqueta

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Etihad clash for Wolves match

Next weekend’s home game against Wolves is the first to clash with an event at the new 23,500 capacity Co-op Live arena built next door on the Etihad Campus.

Wolves is a 5:30pm kick off, with American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo headlining a show at Co-op that evening. It will present a logical test of how the two venues can live alongside each other, catering for different markets on the same day, with the potential for more than 70,000 around the stadium at similar times.

City are adamant that the campus can navigate the increased footfall, with Rodrigo fans advised to arrive between 6-7pm – during the second half of the Premier League fixture.

The club do warn that supporters could expect delays out of car parks and that Joe Mercer Way – linking the metrolink and Etihad – will be busier than normal with ‘late arrivals’ to Rodrigo.

City have also told supporters that there may be additional changes to the campus on days when there is a clash moving forward. Barry Manilow is due to play the arena on May 19, when Guardiola’s side face West Ham United on the final day of the season.

Man City's game at home to Wolves will clash with an event at the Co-op Live arena next door

Man City’s game at home to Wolves will clash with an event at the Co-op Live arena next door

American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo is headlining a show at the 23,500 capacity venue

American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo is headlining a show at the 23,500 capacity venue

 

Former City star desperate for home tastes

Manchester’s culinary delights are occasionally criticised by foreign stars or their families and one ex-City player has revealed the lengths he went to for the taste of home.

Nolito – who only lasted one season under Guardiola in 2016 – has told how he tucked into five kilos of fish from the western tip of Spain ahead of his first Manchester derby.

‘Some sailor friends of mine from Vigo showed up… with five kilos of barnacles,’ Nolito said. ‘An entire checked suitcase full of seafood, octopus… I don’t even know how they could get that through customs. Then David Silva came home for dinner and we ate it all. In all its glory.’

It must’ve worked a treat, both the Spaniards played 90 minutes as Guardiola beat Jose Mourinho 2-1 at Old Trafford. Nolito would go onto complain that the Manchester weather had changed the colour of his daughter’s face and left for Sevilla the next summer. To be fair, the seafood in Seville is not half bad.

Ex-City player Nolito has revealed the lengths he went to for a taste of home while at the club

Ex-City player Nolito has revealed the lengths he went to for a taste of home while at the club

 

Star surprise near Oldham  

Some surprise at a house in Middleton, near Oldham, earlier this week when Sports Direct turned up to shoot an advert ahead of the European Championship.

Ruben Dias was there, decked out in Portugal gear, stood earnestly in front of a shed, and Jordan Pickford attended as England’s representative for filming.

The owner of the house is a Manchester United fan so little chance of Dias having to do a signing session while he was on set.

Sports Direct shot an advert for Euro 2024 this week with City star Ruben Dias in attendance

Sports Direct shot an advert for Euro 2024 this week with City star Ruben Dias in attendance

Jordan Pickford was there as England's representative at a house in Middleton, near Oldham

Jordan Pickford was there as England’s representative at a house in Middleton, near Oldham

 

Boost for OAP City fans

City have told elected fan representatives, City Matters, that they do not intend to follow the lead of Tottenham and Arsenal by tampering with the structure of concession tickets moving forward.

OAP discounts are being phased out in north London but City allayed fears of similar happening at the Etihad Stadium.

Season ticket prices are a hot topic across the Premier League at the moment, with City’s rising by another five per cent this year, and City Matters held a meeting with the hierarchy on Monday.

The fans, who had again voiced disapproval at the ticket rises, suggested a number of ideas to ease the financial burden on supporters – thought to include cheaper cup prices, larger discounts for those on the cup ticket scheme and the possibility of spreading the cost of individual match tickets purchased when the window opens over the summer.

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