Despite being a key figure for Real Madrid in recent seasons and also valiantly leading Portugal to victory in Euro 2016 in the summer, Los Blancos seem resigned to the fact that Pepe will leave for China in the near future.
The fiery defender has now fallen down the pecking order at the club, with Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and even Nacho Fernandez usurping the experienced defender.
Now, the Spanish giants have turned their attention to Nicolas Otamendi and are looking to bring the Argentinian flop to the club in the summer, as perAS.
The ex-Valencia man, who arrived in England with huge expectation after a stunning La Liga campaign in 2014/15, has struggled for two seasons at the Etihad.
Otamendi has been derivedof minutes under new manager, Pep Guardiola, and the Spanish manager will now look to invest in an asset which he views as surplus to requirements.
Zinedine Zidane is keen to act quickly in order to replace his departing veteran, with Jesus Vallejo, currently on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt, set to return to the first-team setup as well.
The Argentine defender's robust style seemed to suit La Liga during his last stint in Spain and perhaps he will be able to rediscover his best form on sunnier shores.
City's defence has improved in recent weeks with Aleksandar Kolarov, a left-back by trade, ranking higher than Otamendi in the pecking order at centre-half, a damning verdict on Guardiola's lack of faith in the 29-year-old.
John Stones has also grown in stature, as have the rest of City's forces, and barring any injuries, the former Valencia man will most likely have to be content with a role on the bench till the end of the season.