Manchester City are reportedly planning big-money moves for Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish this summer, but must make some high-profile sales first.
Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a disappointing Champions League final defeat to Chelsea on Saturday but otherwise enjoyed an impressive season, winning the Premier League and League Cup.
The Athletic reports that defeat in the showpiece game in Porto hasn’t changed the club’s strategy for this summer’s transfer market.
A summer spending spree isn’t on the cards, with the English champions instead focused on getting two difficult and pricey deals over the line for Kane and Grealish.
The Villa skipper is said to favour a move to the Etihad now after considering a Manchester United switch this time last year.
Kane is also eager to join Guardiola’s side, if he can persuade Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to sanction his sale.
A further complication in City’s plans is the potential difficulties they might have in selling wantaway players.
Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus are unhappy with the amount of game time they received this season, but finding clubs willing to sign them at the right price could prove tricky.
Riyad Mahrez featured more regularly but could also move on, as he has two years left on his contract in Manchester.
A few players at the club are said to be unhappy with their roles under Guardiola, including Joao Cancelo, Rodri, Benjamin Mendy and even Bernardo Silva, as City’s talent-packed squad makes competition for places fierce.
However, all these players would require fees that only rich clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG could afford, and the Citizens are unlikely to agree sales to these rivals.
Swap deals are a possibility, for example sending players to Spurs or Villa as part of deals for Kane and Grealish.
Real Madrid and Barcelona face difficult financial situations, while the likes of Juventus, Borussia Dortmund or Atletico Madrid are possible buyers but would struggle to pay City-level wages.
City won’t need to sell all these players to fund their two big signings, but there is an acceptance that Grealish will only move to the Etihad if they can sell a player or two first.
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