Manchester City Transfer News: Guardiola to reignite interest in Mahrez, Dutch defender targeted and more - 23 May 2018
Having won the Premier League title in a grand fashion this year, Pep Guardiola is now looking forward to bolster his squad for the upcoming season.
The Spanish manager has already begun his quest for the potential transfer targets, as he is determined to add more firepower to The Citizens.
So without further ado, let us take a look at Guardiola's summer targets so far.
City to land Riyad Mahrez
The Cityzens wanted to land the Algerian forward in January transfer window but were taken aback by Leicester City's eye-watering £95m valuation.
However, Guardiola has reignited his interest in the 27-year-old and is ready to secure his first summer signing. According to the British publication The Guardian, Manchester City is expected to spend in the area of £75m for the Algerian winger.
The Foxes have decided to drop the asking price for the wantaway playmaker, making the move possible.
Guardiola to step up his pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt
According to The Guardian, Ajax's Matthijs De Ligt is being monitored by Pep Guardiola as a potential long-term replacement for Vincent Kompany.
The Belgian defender could only manage eight appearances in City's final 14 games due to his injury concerns and is also entering the final year of his contract.
Therefore, the former Barcelona gaffer is eyeing the 18-year-old centre-back as a successor for the Manchester City skipper.
Nevertheless, The Citizens will have to contend with Spurs and Barcelona both in their pursuit of the Dutch defender, who has featured in 34 matches in all competitions this season.
Date set for transfer talks with Napoli's Jorginho
In a report by Manchester Evening News, the English newspaper has claimed that the date for transfer talks between Manchester City and Jorginho has been decided.
The Premier League champions are eager to snap up the Italian international, who has made 37 appearances for Napoli this season, scoring three goals in the process.
The 26-year-old is among Guardiola's top targets this summer, primarily as a long-term replacement for the 33-year-old Fernandinho.
However, the sticking point in the negotiations could be Napoli's valuation of Jorginho which is in excess of £60m.
It would be interesting to see how far Manchester City are ready to go to secure the Italian's signature.