Guardiola keen to lure Bonucci to City but Juve have no intention of selling him

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is eager to lure Leonardo Bonucci to Etihad Stadium this summer, but Goal has learned that Juventus have no intention of selling one of their prized assets.

Bonucci has spent the majority of his 13 years as a professional on Juve's books, racking up 372 appearances in total while getting his hands on 14 major trophies.

The 32-year-old took the surprise decision to join Milan 2017 after spending the previous seven seasons at the Juventus Stadium, but returned a year later after admitting he missed his home in Turin.

He has since slotted straight back into the heart of the Juve defence, and was rewarded for his performances with a bumper new contract extension last November.

The Bianconeri managed to tie Bonucci down to fresh terms set to run until 2024, with the centre-back now expected to see out the rest of his career with the reigning Serie A champions.

City are looking to bring in two extra central defenders when the transfer window reopens, as John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi continue to be linked with moves away from the club.

It is understood that Guardiola is a keen admirer of Bonucci, who he sees as the ideal man to succeed Vincent Kompany as the main leader in City's starting XI.

However, Juve are not prepared to sanction the Italy international's departure, with his presence in Maurizio Sarri's squad considered vital for the continued development of Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral.

Daniele Rugani is the only defender set to leave Juve this year, and they are currently working on a new contract for club captain Giorgio Chiellini, who is due to become a free agent at the end of June.

Guardiola will likely have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcements, as City continue to make do without Aymeric Laporte, who has missed the majority of the 2019-20 season through injury.

RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano, Inter enforcer Milan Skriniar and Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly have all been linked with the Premier League champions in recent months, but no formal offers have been submitted as of yet.

It has been suggested that it will be difficult for top clubs to do business later in the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is likely to have a detrimental impact on finances.

City were second in the English top-flight before their schedule was postponed in March, and had their sights on a unique treble after winning the Carabao Cup while also qualifying for the latter stages of the Champions League and FA Cup.