Vinicius: Who is Manchester City's new left-back target?

Manchester City are understood to be tracking Athletico Paranaense's Abner Vinicius as they look to solve one of their sole remaining problem positions.

City have never really had a consistent left-back throughout Pep Guardiola's five-and-a-half-year tenure at the club.

Benjamin Mendy was expected to make the position his own after his big-money move from Monaco in 2017, but due to a combination of injury and off-field problems that has not been the case.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has impressed at times, but judging from his limited appearances the Ukrainian has never really appeared to be more than a back-up option in Guardiola's eyes.

Joao Cancelo has distinguished himself on the left flank but seems more threatening from other positions, and other players to step in there have only been stop-gaps, such as Fabian Delph and Nathan Ake.

Abner Vinicius

As such, City are assessing their options and Abner seems to be at the head of the queue, according to the Telegraph.

The 21-year-old won Olympic gold with Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics, and he has been watched on a number of occasions by City scouts while playing for Paranaense.

As well as his Olympic medal, Abner was also part of his club side's win in the Copa Sudamericana last year.

Abner would find a home from home in Manchester if he did decide to leave Brazil.

In the City ranks are Ederson, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus, as well as Kayky, the 18-year-old winger who arrived from Fluminense last summer.

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