Manchester City 'leading Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea in Dani Olmo race'

Manchester City are reportedly ahead of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo.

The 25-year-old put pen to paper on a new four-year deal with Leipzig in June, but that has not stopped the rumour mill from linking the Spaniard with a big-money exit from the Bundesliga club.

Olmo has established himself as an integral player for Leipzig since joining the club in 2020, scoring 26 goals and registering 30 assists in 127 appearances across all competitions.

The versatile attacker contributed with five goals and 11 assists in 31 games during an injury-hit 2022-23 campaign in which Die Roten Bullen won their second successive DFB-Pokal.

Olmo has scored five goals in his first four appearances this season before picking up a knee injury, but he has since returned to training and is closing in on a return to full fitness.

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Olmo's impressive performances for Leipzig are understood to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs including Man City, who were credited with an interest in the Spain international earlier this year.

The treble winners allegedly considered a summer swoop for Olmo following the departures of Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan, but they ultimately decided to splash the cash on Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have also been linked with Olmo, as have Barcelona where the attacker spent seven years as an academy player between 2007 and 2014 before moving to Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb.

However, according to reports in Spain, via Goal, Man City are currently at the front of the queue for Olmo's signature heading into 2024, with Pep Guardiola's side keeping a close eye on the player's situation at Leipzig.

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Speaking in August, Olmo labelled Man City as "one of the biggest in the world", but stated that "there is nothing" in the rumours linking him with a move to the Etihad Stadium and insisted that he is "happy" and "fully focused" on the season ahead with Leipzig.

However, a report from German news outlet Bild claims that Olmo is mulling over a fresh challenge at a bigger club next season despite signing a new contract just four months ago, and the attacker could leave Leipzig next summer.

Leipzig are presumably reluctant to lose another key player in the near future after parting ways with Josko Gvardiol – now at Man City – Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai during the summer transfer window.

Die Roten Bullen are at risk of losing Olmo, though, as the attacker allegedly has a €60m (£52m) release clause inserted into his new contract.