Manchester City are looking to stay at the top for longer as they target young attackers to keep them fresh
(Image credit: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images))
Manchester City are making moves for two young superstars to sustain Pep Guardiola's dominance.
The Citizens have won all but two titles since Guardiola arrived at Eastlands, last season picking up a Treble – but this is becoming one of the most defining periods of his reign. The squad is steadily being rebuilt, as the Catalan looks to refresh the side and bring in new motivation – and he might not be finished in the transfer window.
Riyad Mahrez left Manchester City for Saudi Arabia earlier in the window without a direct replacement coming into the side. It appears as if there are two hugely talented starlets on the horizon, though.
Riyad Mahrez left Manchester City this summer (Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
According to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto of Relevo, City are turning to Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz as a potential game-changer for the future, with the highly-rated German still only 20 years old.
Wirtz is regarded as one of the finest talents in the world of his age group, offering versatility, creativity and the ability to drag his team through tough moments. A deal would be tough to conclude this summer but the draw of going to the European champions may be enough to convince Wirtz to make the step up to the Premier League.
VIDEO: Who's Winning The Premier League This Season?
In addition to him though, The Sun says that Lyon superstar Bradley Barcola – also 20 – may be an option.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
A superb dribbler who has caught the attention of Barcelona, Barcola would be considerably cheaper and feels like a much rawer product than Wirtz – though either player may not peak for another few years.
Florian Wirtz is being tracked by Manchester City (Image credit: Getty Images)
City already have a number of young talents in attack, with Phil Foden being the obvious one. Julian Alvarez is just 23, too, while academy products Cole Palmer and James McAtee are just 21 and 20 respectively.
Transfermarkt values Wirtz at €85 million and Barcola at €18m.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
