Manchester City, the reigning league champions, are again on the hunt for reinforcements. They want to keep their title as league winners alive for another year.
With hints from Pep Guardiola looking at ending his tenure at City in 2025, he might be prepping to have one glorious run in the next season before he calls it a day.
While fans with Manchester City tickets await the good news, they also understand that the league winners are prone to having exits from the team, with the league winners in high demand in the transfer market.
Bayern Wants Bernardo Silva
After Barcelona failed to accommodate the Portuguese playmaker a season ago, newly appointed manager Vincent Kompany wants Bernardo Silva in his starting XI at Bayern.
The Portuguese maestro, 29, has a £50million buy-out clause in his Etihad contract, which still has two years to run. And big-spending Bayern are set to trigger that with a summer bid and test the resolve of City to keep Silva and, likewise, the playmaker’s desire to stay in Manchester.
Although the Bundesliga outfit have already grabbed French winger Michael Olise from Crystal Palace – after matching his £60m release clause at Selhurst Park – they remain keen on Silva. New Bayern boss and ex-City skipper Vincent Kompany views his old team-mate, with his vast experience and versatility to operate across the midfield or further forward on the flanks, as a perfect addition for his major rebuild in Munich.
The news that Bayern triggered the release clause hasn’t gone down well with those with Manchester City tickets, as the side desperately wants Silva to stay.
Silva, a £43.5m signing from Monaco in July 2017, is still happy in England and seemingly in no hurry to exit. However, a fresh challenge in Germany with one of Europe’s elite clubs may appeal at this stage of his career.
While Bayern are unlikely to be the only one chasing his signature, they hold the edge currently. Barcelona has been a long-term admirer but is struggling to raise the necessary cash, while Spanish rivals Real Madrid appear to have decided they have more pressing transfer priorities.
Silva has made 355 appearances for City in all competitions, scoring 67 goals. During his time at the Etihad, he has won the Champions League, six Premier League titles, the Club World Cup, two FA Cups, and four League Cups.
Newcastle United are reportedly bracing for Manchester City to make an imminent offer for midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
Pep Guardiola is expected to add to his Manchester City midfield this summer. The Sky Blues are bidding to win a fifth consecutive Premier League title next season and compete in the expanded UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup during the 2024/25 campaign.
Manchester City lost former club captain Ilkay Gundogan last summer and is facing uncertainty surrounding midfield trio Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Matheus Nunes this summer. The fans with Manchester City tickets are also worried about Rodri’s workload.
City Wants to Spend Big on Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle United and Brazil star Bruno Guimaraes is being targeted by Manchester City this summer, with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain also attracted by the 26-year-old’s £100 million release clause.
The midfielder moved to Tyneside for £40 million from Lyon in January 2022, was directly involved in 15 Premier League goals in 37 appearances last season, and featured in all six UEFA Champions League matches for Eddie Howe’s side.
Newcastle missed out on securing European football next season and is, as a result, facing a headache surrounding financial fair play and profit and sustainability rules for the 2024/25 season, potentially forcing a major sale from St James’ Park this summer.
Reports claim that Newcastle officials are ‘bracing’ for an offer from Manchester City for the Brazilian international this month. Etihad officials are positioning themselves to launch a £100 million transfer bid in the coming days.
Manchester City boss Guardiola is a ‘big fan’ of the 26-year-old, and there is a reported ‘fear’ at St James’ Park that they could lose Guimaraes to the Premier League champions in the next few weeks.
The Brazilian signed a new five-year deal with Newcastle last year, and despite confusion surrounding the player’s release clause, reports within City claim that it expires at the end of June.
A Manchester City move for Guimaraes could depend on outgoings. The future of several first-team players will be resolved following the conclusion of the European Championship and Copa America.
Manchester City is willing to sell Joao Cancelo and Sergio Gomez this summer, and West Ham hopes to secure a cheap deal.
City boss Pep Guardiola is not one for persisting with players he doesn’t deem good enough. His treatment of Kalvin Phillips is a prime example of that.
In the former Leeds midfielder’s first and a half seasons at City, he played fewer than 400 Premier League minutes and was loaned out to West Ham, where he again underwhelmed.
They did not want to sign him permanently, but if he can find the right suitor, his time at City is up.
Phillips is not the only man who’ll be sold by City this summer.
According to Caught Offside, Full-back duo Gomez and Cancelo are both likely to be pushed out.
Gomez is another who’s been given little chance at the Etihad, playing just 18 Premier League games in two seasons – that saw him play just 48 league minutes last term.
And the chances of him leaving are increasing, with Roma reportedly set to hold talks over the Spaniard’s signing.
West Ham keen on Gomez
They will not be alone in their pursuit, though, with the Spanish sides Real Sociedad, Real Betis, and Sevilla also involved.
And while West Ham didn’t want to snare Phillips from City, they are keen on signing Gomez.
He’s open to moving away from City after being given a few chances to impress.
And it should not be difficult to sign the 23-year-old, as he will cost from £12.6-16.9million.
Cancelo available on the cheap
Gomez’s City teammate, Cancelo, will also be available on the cheap.
It’s believed City would allow him to leave for just £25.3million after a season and a half away from the club on loan and with three years left on his contract.
