After the enormous success of winning the treble, it must be tough to know what to do next for Manchester City. Some people may think the squad won’t need any changes, but so far this window has seen some movement at City, with players coming in and out.
Pep Guardiola’s squad were playing at the top of their game and there was no real weakness within the line ups when it came to match day last season. Having made clever and big money signings, including the golden boot phenomenon Erling Haaland of course, it’s difficult to spot where City could improve with transfers.
However, Pep Guardiola is insistent on refreshing the squad, which has seen a few long-term players exit the club already this summer. The likes of İlkay Gündoğan and Riyad Mahrez both departed, but reinforcements have been brought in elsewhere.
This week the signing of Joško Gvardiol from RB Leipzig was finally announced, to add to the earlier addition of Mateo Kovačić from Chelsea. City don't seem to be stopping there, with lots of news circulating around further players they may be interested in this summer. Let’s take a look at some of the latest transfer targets making the headlines.
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Michael Olise (Crystal Palace)
France U21 international Olise would be a near perfect replacement for Riyad Mahrez. Olise is coming off the back of a real breakout season, where he registered 11 Premier League assists and was a constant bright spark for Crystal Palace.
His style of play is reminiscent of the likes of Mahrez, with Olise also possessing fantastic set-piece delivery and a wand of a left foot. At just 21 years old, the Frenchman is only going to get better and working under a manager like Pep Guardiola would certainly speed up that process.
Reports suggest that there is a release clause of around £35m in Olise’s contract, which would be a bargain in this current market. Eagles fans will be disappointed by this news, but when a team like Man City comes knocking, it is hard not to take the opportunity.
Kaoru Mitomo (Brighton)
The Seagulls are coming off the back of an incredible season that saw them secure European football for the first time in the club’s history.
Japanese international winger Mitomo was a massive part of Brighton’s success, and really announced himself to the league last season, scoring 7 goals and providing 6 assists.
His ball carrying ability makes Mitomo a pleasure to watch, at times making it look easy as he ghosted past defenders. Many were surprised to discover the winger is 26 years old as fans are used to breakout stars emerging as teenagers.
If anything, Mitomo’s rise proves there is no linear path to success and he has put in the work over many years to become the Premier League quality player he is today.
Pep’s City side would be an ideal destination for the versatile Mitomo, having lined up in multiple different positions on occasion for Brighton, he has shown his high footballing IQ and would add an exciting dynamic element to the Cityzens squad.
A fee of £30m+ would be required if City want any chance of acquiring Mitomo’s services.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Another major bit of transfer news and possible outgoing for Manchester City is that of Benardo Silva. Silva has been an integral part of City’s success in recent years so would be hard to replace, however it does feel as though it could be the right time for the Portuguese midfielder to move on. An offer was received from the Saudi league which is rumoured to have been rejected by Silva but the other team in the running for the midfielder's signature is Paris Saint-Germain.
A switch to France would be a great option for Silva and there is the possibility of an important role if both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe follow in Lionel Messi’s footsteps and leave the French champions.
City’s interest in Bayern star Joshua Kimmich has been clear, the club have been open about how highly they rate Kimmich and would like to see the German join up. Munich have since rejected any talks with the player and warned City off.
At this stage, Pep and Man City don't seem to be in a rush to bring players through the door. In recent years City’s recruitment team have shown they will not be disheartened to see a key target go elsewhere, as they always have other options up their sleeves.
With the transfer window still open for a number of weeks, don’t be surprised to see City strengthen further.
Dani Olmo (Red Bull Leipzig)
Playmaker-in-chief Dani Olmo is topping the list, as the Spanish midfielder brings the X-factor to any club he goes. A potential Dani Olmo move to Etihad Stadium could solve all of Pep Guardiola’s problems this season.
Surprisingly, Citizens’ bench isn’t that massive, as the Spanish manager doesn’t have a suitable replacement for team captain Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian creator sustained a nasty injury and is out from football until late December. If the Citizens opt not to search for a decent replacement now, they risk throwing their entire 2023/24 season down the drain. All because of one injury.
Dani Olmo has been on Pep Guardiola’s radar for the past year. Guardiola’s interest in the talented 25-year-old is no news. However, if Manchester City want to have Olmo at their disposal throughout the 2023/24 campaign, they’ll have to work hard, and they have to be convincing during the talks with Red Bull Leipzig.
The club-to-club negotiations have yet to begin but Dano Olmo has a staggering €40m price tag on him. Certainly, that’s not a number that can easily scare the Citizens, as their financial might is unmatched.
Dani has denied the speculations that a transfer offer has arrived for his services so far. However, a bid for the 25-year-old’s services is definitely on the way as Lucas Paqueta’s transfer to Etihad Stadium hit the buffers a few weeks ago.
Jeremy Doku (Stade Rennais)
Stade Rennais is about to make a fortune out of Jeremy Doku’s deal sending him to Etihad. According to recent news, the much-admired 21-year-old winger is about to make a giant leap in his professional career by signing for Champions League winners Manchester City sooner rather than later.
Jeremy Doku’s name was part of a mountain of transfer speculations this season but it seems that Citizens are most persistent on poaching him away from Roazhon Park in the summer of 2023. The other top candidates can’t compete with Manchester City’s sensational offer.
As of August, Jeremy Doku’s market value is set at €28m but the Blues from Manchester sweetened the pot with a whopping €55m deal for the Belgian’s signature. Stade Rennais don’t often receive such lavish offers for one of their players, so the negotiations between the three parties involved should end sooner rather than later, with only a couple of days left on the transfer window.
Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton)
Judging by the key Manchester City transfer targets, we can safely say Kevin De Bruyne’s injury hit Manchester City hard. With Bernardo Silva close to leaving Manchester, Matheus Nunes seems like the sort of player that can bring stability in midfield.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ midfielder was a vital part of the team during the 2022/23 season, as he made 34 official Premier League appearances, scoring once and creating one. Surely, those aren’t numbers that come close to what Kevin De Bruyne brings to the table but Pep Guardiola seems to think he can squeeze more out of Nunes.
However, Wolves rejected Citizens’ initial £47m offer for the 24-year-old’s services. Coach Gary O’Neil was deprived of one of Wolves’ top players’ services, as Raul Jimenez joined Fulham. If Manchester City want to have Matheus Nunes on their side this season, they’ll definitely have to provide Wolverhampton Wanderers with an irresistible offer.
