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Manchester City have swooped on Real Madrid man Danilo with a view to playing him in THREE different positions next season.

The Blues have been cited as splashing out £26.5 million simply to add the Brazil international to Kyle Walker in filling the right back slots vacated by Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna .

Danilo has always played principally as a right back – but Pep Guardiola has plans for the 26-year-old, who the Blues are favourites to sign despite strong interest from Chelsea.

Versatile Danilo is also earmarked as a left back - a position he has occasionally played for Real Madrid - and a defensive midfielder in Guardiola's squad next season.

That means he will provide competition for Walker and hopefully for Benjamin Mendy, who remains the Blues' prime target for left back, if they can close out a deal with Monaco.

But Danilo will also re-stock the central midfield positions, a position he played for Santos in the 2011 Copa Libertadores final - and from where he scored the winning goal.

Despite making his name as a full back, he has always wanted to play in a central role, saying: “I am most happy playing in the middle of the park. I like to play close to the goal.”

With Fernando heading for the exit door, with Galatasaray hopeful of sorting out a deal for him, the Blues feel they would not need to buy another central midfielder.

So, while it appears that City have spent over £70million on a couple of right backs, they have gone the extra mile to land Danilo as he solves three problems in one go.

The Blues had initially hoped to sign Dani Alves for free after he terminated his contract with Juventus, but he did a U-turn last week and hooked up with Paris St Germain instead.

The Blues had a hasty re-think of their strategy and it upon Danilo.

The deal is not yet done, which means there is still a chance that Chelsea – or another club - could trump them, but City are very much in the box-seat.