By:- Stuart Brennan

Manchester City manager drops a big hint that Claudio Gomes has been hugely impressive in pre-season training

Pep Guardiola is already considering taking French starlet Claudio Gomes straight into his first-team squad.

The Manchester City boss has been hugely impressed watching the midfielder – who won’t even sign for the club until he turns 18 on Monday – in training.

“He has been so good, so good,” said the City boss with a big smile when asked whether Gomes will be part of the first team, especially after the £44million move for Jorginho, seen as Yaya Toure’s replacement, failed last week.

Gomes will be snapped up on a free transfer from Paris St Germain after his contract with the French club expired at the end of June – the club decided to wait for his 18th birthday to avoid the bureaucracy that goes with signing a European player under that age.

But Gomes is in Chicago training alongside the team, and Guardiola mentioned him – and £10million Brazil youngster Douglas Luiz – when talking about his options to replace Yaya Toure.

It is thought that the prospect of Gomes coming through influenced City’s decision not to pay over the odds for Jorginho, who was snatched by Chelsea in a £57million deal.

Guardiola also did not rule out City going back into the transfer market, even though at the moment they have no targets.

“We will decide until the last day,” he said, referring to the August 9 transfer deadline day.

“We have Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan who can play in this position, and Aleks (Zinchenko) can also play there.

“There is also Fabian Delph, and we have one or two young guys – Douglas Luiz and Claudio Gomes, the young guy who came from France.”

Pressed on Gomes, he said: ” My opinion is that at that age you have to play. You need minutes, if not with us then with the second team.

“But it could be like what happened with Phil Foden and Brahim Diaz – he could stay with us, because from what we have seen in these days, the impression is good, so good.”

Source:- Manchestereveningnews