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5 Man City transfer targets this summer

Last season Manchester City were runaway winners at the top of the Premier League, with rivals Manchester United finishing an almighty 12 points behind them in 2nd place. But it isn’t just football that the Cityzens are good at, they are also experts at spending money. Pep Guardiola’s side consistently invest where required to remain competitive both within the league and also on the European stage. So, who will they go after in this transfer window as they look to win back-to-back titles? Here are five possible Man City transfer targets who we think move to the club this summer.

 

5 Man City transfer targets

 

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

City need a striker desperately. Currently, their only out and out striker is Gabriel Jesus who is a decent player but not someone you can rely on to perform brilliantly for an entire campaign. Wingers Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres and Riyad Mahrez are all capable of playing as a forward too but it is not their preferred position and are better utilised out wide. Therefore, Guardiola will have a proven striker at the top of his list of Man City transfer targets this window and who better to go after than one of the best in the world, Harry Kane.

The Englishman was robbed of the Premier League Player of the Season 2020/21 last week, with Ruben Dias winning the award despite Kane’s 23 goals and 14 assists over the course of the season. Without Kane, Tottenham would have finished mid-table and European football, of whatever level, would have been a distant dream. The 27-year-old is a clinical finisher but also a great creator, with his willingness to drop into pockets to receive the ball and drive at defenders. He is everything a modern-day forward needs to be.

Reportedly, Kane wants to leave Spurs and win trophies. However, Kane is the prized possession of the North London club and owner Daniel Levy has every right to demand around £120-150million for the England captain. Signing Kane would be the final piece of the puzzle for City and put them on course to right the wrongs of last month and win the 2021/22 Champions League.

 

Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)

If they don’t manage to secure Kane’s signature then City will certainly go after Erling Haaland of Dortmund. The Norwegian striker is one of the most exciting prospects in football, and after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo retire then many have dubbed Haaland and Kylian Mbappe of PSG to take over as the two best in the world.

Haaland is a strong, powerful target man but also has great acceleration which allows him to run in behind and latch on to long balls. Since joining Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg he has scored 40 goals and assisted eight goals in 43 Bundesliga appearances, as well as scoring 10 goals in eight Champions League appearances last season too. At just 20-years-old, Guardiola could craft Haaland into the ultimate striker, he is the type of fearless forward that has the raw potential that the Spanish boss is often fond of.

Earlier this week it was reported that Dortmund put a £172million price tag on Haaland to deter interest from this biggest clubs in Europe. But City are hardly a club short of funds and they have plenty of players that they can offload to fund their bid. Haaland would be an unbelievable signing for City and at such a young age he would be an investment that could secure titles for the next five years and more.

 

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

After securing the signing of Emiliano Buendia from Norwich and potentially James Ward-Prowse from Southampton, Aston Villa are making a statement already in this window. Their owners, Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, are billionaires and are keen to make the West Midlands into an elite level club, however, whether they manage to keep hold of their most elite player remains to be seen. Signing Jack Grealish is reportedly a priority for Man City in this transfer window and they are confident they will be able to prize one of their chief targets away from Villa Park.

The attacking midfielder, who is also able to play as a left-winger, was brilliant last season and it has led many to believe Gareth Southgate should have Grealish as the first name on the England team sheet at Euro 2020. The 25-year-old is quick, a brilliant ball carrier and has plenty of flair, he dictates the tempo of games and can pick a game up by the scruff of the neck and win it for his team. Alongside Kevin De Bruyne in midfield, City would easily have the most creative midfield in the league and their forwards would thrive.

Although City are widely priced as odds on favourites to sign the Aston Villa academy product this summer, Grealish’s boyhood club are demanding a figure of over £100million for their captain. If Guardiola really wants Grealish at the Etihad next season then the fee shouldn’t be an issue, but it could prevent them from recruiting in other, arguably more important, positions.

 

Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid)

The collapse of Manchester City in the Champions League final was largely down to the fact they benched their best defensive-minded midfielder, Fernandinho. The fixture certainly highlighted how important the Brazilian is for the Cityzens but at 36-years-old and therefore coming to the end of his career. So, City need a new midfielder and have reportedly already been offered Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniard has reportedly been offered to City in a swap deal for Portugal international Bernardo Silva. The deal is thought to strengthen both teams on the pitch as well as in regards to Financial Fair Play. Saul was an integral part of the Atletico side that won the La Liga last season, playing in 32 of their games either as a holding midfielder or a box to box midfielder. The 26-year-old is an intelligent passer of the ball that likes to keep the ball moving and rebuild attacks, he’s the type of midfielder that won’t score or assist, but instead be involved in the first few passes of an attack.

Assuming City don’t accept the Bernardo Silva deal, an offer in the region of £40million could be accepted for Saul. Under Guardiola, the Atletico academy product could be moulded into the defensive midfielder that City will soon need, providing competition for international teammate  Rodri who will be eying up that spot.

 

Nuno Mendes (Sporting Lisbon)

The left-back position has been an issue for Guardiola since he arrived in Manchester. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has had to use midfielders such as Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko in previous seasons as the left-sided defender after £52million signing Benjamin Mendy became injury-prone from what seems like the moment he touched down at Manchester Airport in 2017. City are reportedly unwilling to let those concerns remain next season, putting aside money to go after Portuguese defender Nuno Mendes.

The Sporting CP man was scarcely used in the 2019/20 campaign but was handed more opportunities after Ruben Amorim was appointed as manager in March 2020. The 18-year-old has flourished since becoming a first-team regular, playing as a wingback in a 3-4-3. Mendes’ direct overlapping runs have been one of Sporting’s main assets on their way to their 19th Primeira Liga, as well as his pace to track back and cut out any counterattacks. He has also previously played as a left midfielder so his intelligence going forward could be one of the main reasons City are so keen on him.

The defender, who was called up to the Portugal national team in March and is expected to feature at Euro 2020, will cost City around £50million, although the youngster is keen to leave his club which could bring down the fee should he emerge as one of the central Man City transfer targets this summer.

 


 

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