Spanish side Sevilla have confirmed that they anticipate losing their in-form midfielder Steven N’Zonzi to Italian giants Juventus or Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, with the latter currently leading the race.

The Frenchman can be bought for around £26 million and his current club would not be able to block the move. This fee would hardly put a dent in City’s enormous funds.

The former Stoke City player has been in wonderful form for Sevilla, averaging over 20 more passes per match since Jorge Sampaoli joined the team and implementing a style of play very similar to Guardiola's. He can be compared to the likes of Barcelona star Sergio Busquets and even the Sky Blues’ recently rejuvenated Yaya Touré.

Guardiola’s interest in the 28-year-old has sparked since Germany International Ilkay Gundogan was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to ligament damage in his knee.

N’Zonzi is known for his ability to win the second ball, recovering possession 102 times this season. Pep has emphasized the importance of stealing back possession, which was substantial in City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal earlier this month.

It is currently unclear whether City or Juventus will make a move in January or the summer, but if City could convince N’Zonzi to put pen to paper in the next month, it could bolster their push for silverware in the second half of the season.