Man City transfer latest: Three summer targets and eight who could leave

After Manchester City’s late end to the season, it’s unsurprising that the club’s transfer business has been slow in the first few weeks since the window opened.

But the first major moves in the market are expected to take place next week, while City already have plans in place regarding who they’d like to sign. There also could be plenty of departures, and Pep Guardiola regularly insists throughout the season that he won’t stand in a player’s way should they wish to move on.

Here’s the latest transfer news surrounding the Blues…

Incomings

City are expected to announce the arrival of Mateo Kovacic at the beginning of next week. The Croatian has agreed personal terms with the club and a fee in the region of £30m has been agreed between the clubs. It was reported on Friday that the player was undergoing his medical, and the 29-year-old’s arrival should bolster Guardila’s options in the centre of the park.

Kovacic may not be the only midfielder to join this summer and City are exploring the possibility of bringing Declan Rice to the Etihad. The West Ham United captain could be available at around £100m and if City are to acquire the England international they will need to fight off competition from Arsenal.

Elsewhere, the treble-winners plan to make a move for Josko Gvardiol. It’s not believed at this stage that any formal approach has been made for the RB Leipzig centre-back, who it’s reported could cost up to £86m.

After two consecutive summers of record-breaking incomes from transfer fees, and the funds received from winning the Champions League, City are in a position to spend heavily in the market. 

Outgoings

For a squad that have just claimed the treble, it’s remarkable how many players could be open to leaving the club. Ilkay Gundogan’s departure is expected to be announced imminently and the midfielder has already agreed terms with Barcelona.

Kalvin Phillips has also been linked with a move away but he insisted this week, when speaking to ManchesterWorld, that he has no intentions of leaving the club. There’s also interest in Bernardo Silva from Saudi Arabia, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, although the latter are not believed to have the funds required to complete a deal. The potential departures of Gundogan, Phillips and Silva could also explain Guardiola’s decision to recruit in midfield.

The same can be said of Gvardiol, who could come in as a direct replacement for Aymeric Laporte. The defender hasn’t exactly hid his frustrations at his lack of game time in ‘22/23 and has reportedly attracted the interest of Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.

Elsewhere, Joao Cancelo has been linked with a permanent move away from the Etihad after spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Bayern Munich. The German champions are also reportedly interested in signing Kyle Walker, and the full-back was frustrated at Guardiola’s decision to drop him from the starting line-up in the Champions League final.

Elsewhere, Riyad Mahrez has denied speculation that he could be the latest player to make the move to Saudi Arabia, while it’s also been reported that Cole Palmer may leave on loan ahead of the new season.