Manchester City transfer news: Pep Guardiola to be handed £200m summer budget to rebuild side

Pep Guardiola
(Image credit: PA)

Manchester City are willing to hand Pep Guardiola a £200m transfer budget in the summer, according to reports.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss put pen to paper on a contract extension at the Etihad Stadium in November.

Guardiola had been expected to depart at the end of this season but he has now committed himself to the club until 2023.

And according to the Daily Telegraph, the City hierarchy is prepared to give him a sizable transfer kitty ahead of next season.

The club are willing to spend up to £200m on new additions as they target domestic and continental glory.

A new striker could be at the top of Guardiola’s wish list, with Sergio Aguero set to become a free agent on June 30.

The Argentina international could yet extend his stay in Manchester, but he has yet to reach an agreement over a new deal with City.

And even if Aguero does stick around, Guardiola may still seek a long-term replacement for the club’s all-time leading goalscorer this summer.

City are said to have been monitoring Benfica’s Darwin Nunez as a potential successor, while the report also mentions Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku as potential targets.

Meanwhile, Fernandinho is expected to seek pastures new when his contract ends in June, and City will probably be in the market for a new midfielder.

However, Guardiola is unlikely to do much business this month, with two weeks of the January transfer window remaining.

City moved to within two points of top spot in the Premier League with a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Guardiola’s side have now won five matches in a row in the top flight and are unbeaten in their last nine.

City will be looking to extend both runs when they face Aston Villa on Wednesday.

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