da bet vitoria： With Arsenal set to win the race for the England international, GOAL assesses who else the treble-winners could target in the transfer window
da bwin： Manchester City dared to dream of adding Declan Rice to their world-beating midfield, but ultimately decided they could not justify spending £105 million ($133m) to get their man, with Arsenal set to win the race for one of the most sought-after players on the market this summer.
City are one of the shrewdest operators in the transfer market and part of the reason they have build such a formidable team and won the treble last season is their ability to walk away from deals they are not comfortable making.
But with Ilkay Gundogan having already left for Barcelona and with Pep Guardiola still unconvinced by Kalvin Phillips, not to mention the threat of Bernardo Silva leaving, City are still very much on the hunt for a new midfielder even after Mateo Kovacic's arrival from Chelsea. GOAL assesses their potential options…
Getty ImagesGabri Veiga (Celta Vigo)
The Spanish midfielder only broke into the Celta Vigo team last August, but quickly became one of the team's most influential players, scoring an astonishing 11 goals from midfield while adding four assists, contributing to more than a third of the struggling side's goals.
He has been at the centre of transfer speculation this summer and he spent the entirety of a recent press conference with Spain's Under-21 side fielding questions about interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Guardiola has always been alert to talented Spanish youngsters, and Veiga ticks all the boxes as he carries a huge goal threat. He is easily within City's reach as he has a £35m buy-out clause, and the club have long favoured signing players with release clauses as it prevents them getting into a bidding war.
AdvertisementGettyJoao Palhinha (Fulham)
The Portugal international had a hugely impressive debut season in the Premier League with Fulham and embraced the physical nature of English football. He made the most tackles in the league and was one of Marco Silva's most influential players as the Cottagers finished 10th in their first campaign back in the top flight.
Palhinha also inspired Sporting CP to the Portuguese title in 2021, and has the experience and winning mentality to take the step up to City. He might not be a nailed-on starter, but he would give Guardiola the opportunity to give some rest to Rodri, who played almost every game in the team's run to the treble.
GettyMikel Merino (Real Sociedad)
Merino was heavily linked with a move to City last summer, and his stock has only risen after steering Real Sociedad to Champions League qualification for the first time in a decade.
The Spain international has grown into a complete player since his brief spell in the Premier League with Newcastle and has become far more productive, laying on nine assists last season, his best-ever return. He also played a crucial role in Spain winning the UEFA Nations League
The 27-year-old's release clause has just dropped to £51m and he turned down a move to Aston Villa in January. But the lure of the newly crowned Champions League winners could be too big for him to resist.
GettyLeon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Goretzka has been one of Bayern's most consistent players over the last five years and his ability to play across the midfield would surely appeal to Guardiola. The 28-year-old is most effective as a box-to-box midfielder due to his energetic pressing and his ability to link attack and defence.
He is not a particularly prolific scorer but he does offer a goal threat with late runs into the box. Goretzka has seen his playing time decrease since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, and while he has said he is determined to stay and fight for his place in the Bayern team, he would surely relish the chance to work with Guardiola.