Man City in contact with "electric" £30m full-back with Walker-esque pace
da betcris： Attempting to solve their left-back problem at long last, Manchester City are now reportedly in constant contact with one £30m target who Kyle Walker has recently got to know fairly well.
Man City planning major overhaul
da lvbet： Whilst Kevin de Bruyne’s pending departure is likely to be an emotional one at the Etihad, Manchester City may have to get used to bidding farewell to club veterans in the coming months as the Blues commence a much-needed overhaul.
City boss Pep Guardiola has already paid tribute to De Bruyne’s time at the club as the Belgian prepares to leave, whilst revealing that it was the club’s decision. The Spaniard told reporters: “The decision has been made for the club, and the club is the club. Me, Txiki [Begiristain, sporting director], and the club, so this is what it is. It was not easy for me to tell him it won’t continue.
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The Sky Blues are now very keen on signing a central midfielder, who Pep Guardiola has personally identified as a target.
“The last year and a half, he was out injured because he gave everything for the club. Everything he had in his body and his mind, he’s done it, so there’s no doubt about it.”
The focus has since shifted towards replacing De Bruyne and whilst some may see that as mission impossible at the Etihad, a number of candidates have already emerged. Recent reports have mentioned the likes of Florian Wirtz and even Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White regarding players on City’s radar and there’s no doubt that both have their own standout qualities.
When comparing the two, however, it must be said that it’s Wirtz who would steal the most headlines having become one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
Meanwhile, away from their need to replace De Bruyne, Manchester City must also finally sign another left-back this summer – allowing Josko Gvardiol to move back into central defence and ending Rico Lewis’ unsuccessful role down that side.
Man City in constant contact with Theo Hernandez
On that front, one name that has recently emerged as a potential solution is Theo Hernandez. According to The Boot Room, Manchester City are now in constant contact with Hernandez’s representatives over a summer move from AC Milan and are racing to secure his signature alongside Tottenham Hotspur.
A Champions League winner who could reportedly be available for as little as £30m this summer, Manchester City may well get themselves a bargain solution by signing Hernandez this summer. There’s no doubt that he would be an instant upgrade on Lewis and a player who could match Gvardiol’s quality or allow the Croatia star to move into the middle.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Theo Hernandez
Josko Gvardiol
Rico Lewis
Minutes
2,254
2,647
1,720
Assists
3
0
2
Tackles Won
22
33
19
Ball Recoveries
111
119
89
Dubbed “electric fast” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Hernandez will have the chance to find out all about Manchester City whilst at AC Milan if he speaks to former captain Kyle Walker, who had plenty of pace of his own, often relied upon to halt counter-attacks as City dominated possession.
The England international is currently on loan at the San Siro and whilst he may yet leave on a permanent basis, he could first bring back the gift of Hernandez this summer.