Bruno Zuculini, who is considered by many the top holding midfielder in the Argentine League, will sign for Manchester City next summer, despite interest from Manchester United and Barcelona, according to Goal. A fee has been agreed between Manchester City and Zucilini’s current club Racing in Argentina according to the report.

The youngster is on the fringes of the Argentine National Team and may in fact make the squad for this upcoming summer’s World Cup.

The 20 year-old Argentine international will not need a work permit because he already holds an Italian Passport. Importantly for City, he is a versatile player having filled in central defense for Racing in the past and can also play in a wide midfield position.

This season Manchester City has had difficulty with central defense and central midfield depth. Javier Garcia has been relied upon to provide cover in both positions but has proven to be mistake prone. Jack Rodwell’s failure to gain fitness consistently has frustrated manager Manuel Pellegrini, and James Milner is preferred as an attacking option in a wide position.

The signing of Zuculini, if it is confirmed, will help to settle the continued difficulties long-term City face in the middle of the pitch. Yaya Toure and Fernandinho make a formidable pairing but, at 30 and 28, both need to have their trainings and fixtures managed carefully. The Blues lack of quality depth in central midfield has made it impossible to do this during the current campaign.

Zuculini was a target for Manchester United whose central midfield woes have been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks. Michael Carrick’s recent injury has exposed the Red Devils lack of depth and quality in the middle of the pitch.

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