Pep still has £200m to spend after City land two big buys
MANCHESTER CITY have set the pace with an aggressive start to the summer transfer window. Manager Pep Guardiola (right) has already spent £77million and will look to splash out a further £200m over the coming weeks. Here SIMON JONES examines their targets. BENJAMIN MENDY
Monaco, £39.8million The France international left-back is expected to be City’s next signing following the arrival of goalkeeper Ederson Moraes from Benfica and Monaco’s Bernardo Silva. Mendy returns from international duty on June 14 and City have an agreement outlined with Monaco. The 22-year-old is expected to sign a four-year contract worth around £100,000 a week.
KYLE WALKER
Tottenham, £45million Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino will allow Walker (right) to leave for the right price. Daniel Levy wants £45million for the 27-year-old England international, who is expected now to link up with City. A bid is expected in the coming days. City will add another full-back if they can, and are considering Serge Aurier, 24, of Paris St Germain.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK
Southampton, £60million Van Dijk is City’s main target at centre-back but the Saints want around £70m for the Dutchman as they have interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Van Dijk is still recovering from injury and insists money won’t influence his decision but it will determine who the club sell him to as they look for maximum profit on their £13m investment.
ALEXIS SANCHEZ
Arsenal £50million Arsene Wenger expects Sanchez to agree a new contract on £275,000 a week but City are privately hopeful of convincing him to join and will better Arsenal’s offer. Chelsea are still in the hunt as are Bayern Munich but Paris St Germain are unlikely to match the offers and may concentrate on Dortmund’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
KYLIAN MBAPPE
Monaco £100million City believe the 18-year-old striker is overpriced and would push to lower his valuation but the interest of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United allows Monaco to ask a world-record fee. Mbappe, who is close friends with Benjamin Mendy, has been sold the idea that Guardiola would improve him and with less pressure than at Real Madrid.
City face a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on July 3 over the transfer of 16-year-old Benjamin Garre from Velez Sarsfield in Argentina. FIFA cleared City of any wrongdoing in September but that hasn’t prevented Velez from lodging a complaint with FIFA that City’s initial approach came when Garre was 15.
FIFA allow transfers of minors between clubs in the European Union and the initial complaint was dismissed because Garre has an Italian passport. However, should Velez’s complaints be upheld by the CAS, potential punishments include a transfer embargo, as handed out to Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in recent years.