Manchester City’s season went from bad to worse as they ended up losing the FA Cup final 1-0 against Crystal Palace. Pep Guardiola’s team are set to end the season without a trophy and they are currently fighting to ensure they secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.
While things didn’t go according to plan for this season, City have big plans for the summer as they look to revamp Guardiola’s squad. They forked out around £180 million in the winter transfer window and they are looking to yet again invest a similar amount to revamp their midfield. According to a report from the Mirror, the Premier League giants are ready to spend £180 million to sign Florian Wirtz and Tijjani Reijnders.
City have decided against extending Kevin De Bruyne’s contract and with him leaving, they do need more quality in the centre of the park. They have identified Wirtz as an ideal replacement, while they are also keen on Reijnders’ signature, as he can add depth as well as quality to their midfield.
The Leverkusen star is one of the best young attacking midfielders in the world and there is no shortage of interest in him. Rivals Liverpool are very keen on his signature but City are willing to do everything in their power to strike a deal for his services.
The German club are demanding over £100 million for the talented midfielder, but that hasn’t deterred City, who are ready to include James McAtee as a £25 million makeweight to help seal the deal.
Meanwhile, Reijnders has been a consistent performer for AC Milan. He is one of their mainstays and on the back of his performances, they handed him a new deal a few months back. Despite that, City are willing to try and lure him away.
While Milan are ready to listen to offers, they will only let him leave if they receive a bid exceeding their club-record £56.3 million fee (the amount they received for Kaka). With De Bruyne unlikely to be a part of the Club World Cup, City are pushing to get these deals over the line before the start of the tournament.
The Belgian earns over £350,0000-a-week at the Etihad and his departure would certainly give Guardiola’s team enough room to negotiate with both Wirtz and Reijnders, who earn £80,000-a-week and £96,000-a-week respectively.
