A key player could arrive soon.
Manchester City are reported to be interested in Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. But they are not the only ones. Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to want the energetic Brazilian.
Guimaraes was one of Newcastle's best players last season. In a difficult campaign for the Magpies as a result of injuries, the 26-year-old featured prominently both in the Champions League and the Premier League.
He finished the campaign with seven goals and eight assists in 37 league games. But his contributions were much more than goals and assists to help the Magpies finish seventh on the league table.
Excellent both in the defensive and attacking phases of play, the midfielder will add quality to any top team. With Mohamed Elneny gone and Thomas Partey set to possibly follow, Guimaraes would be a perfect replacement to partner Declan Rice in midfield. Hence, it's understandable if Arsenal show interest.
However, with a £100m release clause in his contract, it's doubtful that Arsenal would spend another £100m for a midfielder in a second consecutive summer.
City are well-stocked in midfield after adding the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes last summer. But the Portuguese has not looked up to par with the quality required at City. It's not surprising then that he has featured sparingly so far.
Guimaraes would be an upgrade in midfield to partner Rodri. But such a set up may not suit City's attacking style of play. And for a player with such quality who is used to being the main man, spending time on the bench is not an option.
Even more importantly, are City willing to spend that kind of money on a deep-lying midfielder when they have Rodri? The Spaniard is arguably the best player in the world when it comes to that position at the moment. So that's not really an area of need.
But Guardiola has shown over time that quality players can be adapted to different positions for the benefit of the team. And if City really need to make a signing of that caliber, a way can be found even if that means selling some players like Matheus Nunes, Kalvin Phillips and even Joao Cancelo.
With all of Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva in and around age 30, a younger Bruno Guimaraes would be a great addition to the mix.
Just like Real Madrid adding the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe to an already loaded squad, the signing of exceptional players will keep City ahead of the competition.
Source - bitterandblue.sbnation.com