Wolfsburg managing director Dieter Hoeness is playing down reports that striker Edin Dzeko is close to finalising a British record transfer to Manchester City.
It was reported that Dzeko’s representatives had held talks with City, while Tottenham and Bayern Munich are also believed to be interested in the Bosnian striker who has a buy-out set at €40 million.
The clause will expire on Monday though, and it is believed City are working hard to bring Dzeko to the club as they embark on another summer of ambitious spending, with German sources confident the deal will be done.
Dzeko’s agent, Alen Augustinovic, told Soccernet: “The only thing I can tell you is that the option expires on Monday and then we will see what will happen.”
Dzeko, 24, has scored 64 goals in 103 games for Wolfsburg since joining the club from Teplice in 2007 and his new head coach, Steve McClaren, said following his appointment this week he would fight “tooth and nail” to retain his services.
However, Hoeness appeared relatively relaxed about the prospect of losing the striker.
“I was in a similar situation at Hertha,” Hoeness told the Wolfsburger Allgemeine. “Back then, Marko Rehmer could have left for 15 million German Marks and Arsenal were very much interested.
“His importance for VfL is clearly bigger than Rehmer’s importance was for Hertha at the time. I concentrate more intensely on things I can change. So I need to have tranquillity in Dzeko’s case.”
Dzeko, with 22 goals, finished the season as the top scorer in the German Bundesliga.
