Manchester City are reportedly preparing to make a move for Toni Kroos, who is out of contract at Real Madrid next summer.
The German midfielder, 32, continues to delay signing a renewal at the Bernabeu and in January he will be able to negotiate a pre-contract deal with clubs abroad.
He has spent the last eight years at Real Madrid, winning four Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles.
According to El Nacional, Pep Guardiola has persuaded the Manchester City board to try to sign Kroos on a free transfer.
The report adds that the World Cup winner has received 'other very tempting calls', but Real Madrid are confident that he will stay at the Bernabeu.
Guardiola is known to be a fan of Kroos, who he managed for one season at Bayern Munich before the midfielder joined Real Madrid for £21.5million in 2014.
In the 2019 docufilm Kroos, the Spanish coach said: 'I think he's a competitive animal, Toni. What has most impressed me about Toni as a footballer, as a player, is that he is always there. Always.
'He likes to play football and it doesn't matter where - the Champions League final or the first round of the cup. In Germany or Spain. He likes to play all of the time.
'He is a player with impressive effectiveness. You can count on him 60 games in one season. These are the physically strong ones. He is never injured. He plays in heat, in cold, in rain, in wind. In all circumstances he is always available.'
Manchester City are currently well-stocked in midfield, with Kalvin Phillips joining this summer to bolster a squad that already contained Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva.