According to the Telegraph, Man City have identified a potential candidate to replace Kevin De Bruyne, just days after they officially withdrew from the race to sign Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz – considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the world today – has been linked with Man City for a long time. Many even see the 22-year-old as the ideal successor to De Bruyne, who will leave Man City when his contract expires on June 30.
However, the former Premier League champions are said to be concerned about the huge cost of this deal. According to BBC Sport, the total cost of recruiting Wirtz – including transfer fee and bonuses – could be up to 300 million euros, making him the most expensive contract in the club’s history.
As a result, Man City have abandoned their interest in the Leverkusen playmaker, who is said to be very close to joining new champions Liverpool .
In that context, sources say Man City have a shortlist of highly rated players who can replace De Bruyne’s role, including Nottingham’s Morgan Gibbs-White and the potential name Rayan Cherki.
According to the Telegraph, Man City consider Cherki – Lyon’s French midfielder – a possible target in the early stages of this summer’s transfer window. The 21-year-old player has had an explosive season with 12 goals and 20 assists for Lyon.
Unlike Wirtz, Cherki could be signed for a surprisingly low price. He is said to have a release clause of just €24 million – a figure that is only 1/6 of what Leverkusen are asking for Wirtz (€150 million).
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all tracking Cherki, while Dortmund tried to sign him earlier this season.
Elsewhere, Man City appear to be closing in on their first signing of the summer, with one of their top targets making a clear move to the Etihad.
AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has reportedly cancelled a family holiday planned for early July, according to Italian sources.
The Reijnders family were due to holiday in Ibiza, but the trip has been cancelled – likely to allow time to complete the formalities of joining Man City and prepare for the upcoming Club World Cup.
Reijnders’ transfer fee is believed to be around €65 million. The 26-year-old Dutchman has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season, as Milan finished eighth in Serie A.