Manchester City want to sign an “incredible” playmaker in the summer, but they may be forced to let a £15,000-a-week ace go in the opposite direction to complete a deal, according to a new report.
Man City transfer news
Given how the season has gone for the Blues and how busy they were in January, the summer is expected to be very busy once again for Pep Guardiola and co. as they look to move on some of the deadwood and bring in players for the future as they try to get back to being Premier League leaders.
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Manchester City should allow the forward to move on from the club in the summer.
According to Caught Offside, one player who could be arriving at the Etihad is Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz. City are interested in signing Yildiz, and the Italian giants could consider selling the 19-year-old to raise funds for their own summer plans. Juventus are looking to get between 80-90 million euros for Yildiz, which is roughly £66-77 million. The winger has expressed interest in moving to the Premier League, but City face competition from Liverpool and Manchester United.
But there could be a few exits on the cards at the Etihad, with it being reported that star player Kevin de Bruyne is now close to finalising terms over a move to San Diego FC. The MLS side are keen to wrap up a quick deal and talks are said to be “progressing”.
Man City want to sign “incredible” Florian Wirtz
As De Bruyne potentially closes in on his exit from City, according to The Daily Mail, Man City are keen on signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, who could be seen as a long-term replacement for the Belgian.
The Blues are considered to be among the frontrunners to sign Wirtz in the summer transfer window but do face competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid. City see the German international as someone who can easily fit into their team and style of play.
Leverkusen, of course, want to keep hold of the playmaker, but they are expecting offers to arrive, and if one does come from the Etihad, they would consider asking James McAtee to be part of the negotiations, as they were linked with a move for him in the summer and remain interested now, as they want to sign a new number 10.
Wirtz, who has been dubbed “incredible” by former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole in the past, has been a key performer for Leverkusen, scoring 11 goals and recording 12 assists in the Bundesliga last season, as Leverkusen won the title. He has continued to be important this season, scoring nine times and recording 11 assists as they try to retain their league crown.
The German would be a significant upgrade on De Bruyne, given his age and the ability he has shown in recent seasons. However, he will be an expensive purchase, as he is said to be valued at £87 million. Meanwhile, McAtee, who earns £15,000 a week at City, has struggled to nail down a starting spot this season, and he could be a player that is sacrificed by Guardiola in the summer so they can add to their squad.