Manchester City Set to Swoop For Liverpool Target to Replace Injured Benjamin Mendy

Manchester City are set to hijack Liverpool's interest in Napoli left-back Faouzi Ghoulam as they look to find a replacement for the injured Benjamin Mendy.

Mendy signed for City this summer for a fee of around £52m from Monaco, however in just his fourth Premier League game he suffered a cruciate ligament injury which is set to sideline him for the rest of the season.

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This has left City short at the left-back spot, with Fabian Delph filling in for the last couple of games, and Pep Guardiola looks set to strengthen in that area during the January transfer window. Ghoulam impressed when the two sides recently met in the Champions League, and it is believed this was when the first contact between the two parties took place.

Now according to Calciomercato, City are lining up a €5m for the 26-year-old - who's contract will expire during the summer - with Napoli willing to lower their asking price in order to avoid losing the Algerian international on a free transfer next summer.

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Liverpool have also expressed their interest in signing the left-back, although it now looks as though they will have to increase their bid in order to tempt Ghoulam away from a City side who currently sit top of the Premier League. 

Ghoulam signed for Napoli in 2014 from St Etienne and has made 107 Serie A appearances for the club, whilst also winning the Coppa Italia in 2014. He was named in the squad of the tournament during the 2014-15 Europa League campaign and has helped Napoli to three top-four finishes in the last four seasons.

City will likely be keeping a close eye on him this weekend as Napoli host Inter in a clash between the top two teams in Serie A, whilst Manchester City look to continue their outstanding home form when they host Burnley.