Premier League champions Manchester City have emerged as a front-runner in the pursuit of Bayern Munich’s prized midfielder, Jamal Musiala.
City remain increasingly confident of securing the £80 million blockbuster transfer, outlasting league rivals Liverpool.
Musiala is believed to have rejected a new contract at Allianz Arena, leaving the attacking midfielder to consider options across Europe.
Chelsea are also closely monitoring the issue, but, may have to secure European football next season, in order to stand any chance of luring the Bayern ace.
City and Liverpool scouts were present during the top of the table clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich on February 10, and despite the Bavarians succumbing to 3-0 defeat, Musiala impressed till he was substituted during the latter part of the second-half.
The reigning Bundesliga champions have offered a £150,000-a-week contract in order to extend Musiala’s stay beyond his current deal, which runs until June 2026.
The 21-year-old has become an integral part of Bayern and has scored nine goals and provided four assists in 28 matches to date this season.
Although the Bayern hierarchy view him as a key player for the future at the German capital, they face intense competition to keep hold of him as the financial intricacies of the £80 million deal would not be an issue for Premier League heavyweights like Manchester City and Liverpool.
Musiala could command wages around £200,000-per-week, and presently earn around £90,000-per-week in Bundesliga.
The talented youngster admitted last year that the English top flight remains the most alluring destination in world football.
He said:
"The Premier League is the strongest and most attractive league in the world at the moment, but I feel comfortable here and am focused on being successful with Bayern. But you never know what will happen in a few years."
Musiala left Chelsea at the age of 16 and moved to Germany to continue his development in the youth setup at Bayern Munich. In June 2020, he became the youngest player in the history of the club to feature in the Bundesliga, aged 17 years and 115 days.
The 25-cap German international has since amassed 153 appearances scoring 40 goals, winning four consecutive Bundesliga titles.