The 2019-20 Premier League campaign was over for Manchester City even before the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc as they trailed Liverpool by 25 points in what turned out to be a pretty ordinary league season for the Citizens.
Although Manchester City, who have already lifted the League Cup, remain one of the favourites to win the Champions League and the FA Cup this season, the huge gap between themselves and Liverpool in the Premier League indicate the work they have to do in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Premier League champions have been a force to reckon with in the transfer market for over a decade now, and although some of their signings turned out to be flops, more often than not they have come out on top with several top-notch new arrivals gracing the Etihad.
With Manchester City’s Champions League ban looking likely to stay, Pep Guardiola and the club hierarchy face a huge task of rebuilding the team. With David Silva leaving at the end of the season and Leroy Sane likely to join Bayern Munich, City need reinforcements to make them genuine title contenders again.
So, let’s take a look at three players who could potentially be playing for Manchester City next season.
#1 Nelson Semedo
Barcelona full-back Nelson Semedo has turned out to be a primary target for Manchester City this summer. According to reports, the Citizens are in advanced talks with Barcelona regarding a possible deal for the Portuguese international which could see Joao Cancelo move the other way.
Including Cancelo in a potential deal could come as a surprise to many as he was only signed by Manchester City from Juventus last summer, with Danilo moving to Turin. Cancelo was brought in to provide stiff competition to Kyle Walker, but the former Juventus man has struggled for game time, managing just eight starts in the Premier League.
On the other hand, Semedo has made 21 La Liga appearances for Barcelona this season, managing three assists and having a pass completion rate of 88.4%. It has been claimed that Manchester City were interested in securing Semedo’s services last summer as well but nothing materialised. But this time around, Barcelona could be willing to sell the 26-year-old due to the crisis faced by the club brought on by coronavirus pandemic.
It is believed that Semedo is not interested in signing a new contract at Barcelona, who have allowed the player’s agent to talk to Manchester City regarding a possible move.
#2 Milan Skriniar
Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar remains a priority signing for Manchester City as they look to improve their defensive line going into the next season. One of the major reasons behind the Citizens’ struggles in the Premier League has been the lack of a proper partner for Aymeric Laporte. And once Laporte was out injured, things became more difficult for the Etihad outfit.
Pep Guardiola’s decision to not sign a centre-back last summer raised some eyebrows as club legend Vincent Kompany departed. The duo of Nicholas Otamendi and John Stones barely provide any sort of confidence in the backline for the team and hence, defensive-midfielder Fernandinho was deployed as a centre-back.
Milan Skriniar, who joined Inter from fellow Serie A outfit Sampdoria in the summer of 2017, has gone from strength to strength to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world.
The Slovakian has played 24 times in the league this season and has a pass completion rate of 92%. He is considered to be a tough-tackling defender, who has improved massively in aerial duels over the last few seasons.
According to reports, Manchester City have been monitoring Skriniar for some time now and are ready to pay the €85 million demanded by the Nerazzurri after the Premier League champions’ initial bid of €60 million was rejected. Inter want to keep the player as they see him as a vital cog in their team going forward.
However, it would be tough to reject an €85 million bid, owing to the financial difficulties faced by most clubs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
#3 Houssem Aouar
One of the most talented and gifted central midfielders in Ligue 1, Houssem Aouar is admired by Pep Guardiola, according to reports. The Lyon youngster has also been scouted by Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. With no Champions League football likely on the cards for two years, it would be fascinating to see how Manchester City manage to convince the 21-year-old to move to the Etihad.
Aouar has been a vital and consistent player for Lyon, who have not done much either in France or in Europe. He has made 25 Ligue 1 appearances this season, scoring thrice and providing as many assists. The midfielder also turned out for Lyon five times in the Champions League, netting once and setting up three more.
It has been claimed that Lyon will put up Aouar for sale this summer for a fee of around €50 million as they look to cash in on the talented France Under-21 international, who may relish the chance to play for a top club in order to win silverware. Â
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