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Rodri, £100m deal, 'complete' star - two signings can unleash Man City's dream midfield next season
@Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester City may have spent £180million in the mid-season transfer window but they are expected to be busy again in the summer transfer market.
Pep Guardiola has already started to shape the next phase of his Manchester City revolution with the signings of defenders Juma Bah, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, as well as midfielder Nico Gonzalez and forward Omar Marmoush in the January transfer window.
However, midfield remains a glaring priority for City this summer.
At the base of midfield, City have Gonzalez, 23, and Rodri, 28, who is close to a return from a serious knee injury, at their disposal, while they can also call upon Mateo Kovacic, 31, and Ilkay Gundogan, 34.
Further forward, Kevin De Bruyne, 33, will leave the club on a free transfer next month and that perhaps hints at Guardiola's thinking when moving towards a younger core for his three-man midfield.
A strong midfield is a good base to win titles and it's no coincidence that Liverpool and Newcastle, who arguably have the two best midfield trios in England, have secured the two domestic trophies so far this season.
Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have provided the base for Liverpool's front three to score the goals to win them the Premier League title.
Meanwhile, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton have proven to be very difficult to match physically. And when City played Arsenal at the Emirates earlier this season they were overrun by Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard.
Welcoming back a Ballon d'Or winner in Rodri will be a huge boost but if City can add their two top targets to play alongside him then it could propel them back into Premier League title contention.
AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has been identified as City's top target in the middle of the park. Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has dubbed him the 'complete player'.
Meanwhile, City are trying to replace the creative talents they will lose with the exit of De Bruyne by trying to sign Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz.
The 22-year-old has 16 goals and 15 assists to his name this season and helped the German side when an historic unbeaten domestic league and cup double last season.
Leverkusen are said to be holding out for around £100million this summer and Bayern Munich are also interested in signing the Germany international.
However, as reported by the Manchester Evening News,Wirtz's parents were in Manchester for talks this week and City are confident they can secure a deal for him this summer.
Should they sign Wirtz and Reijnders, who Milan are said to be asking for more than the £57m they sold Tonali to Newcastle for two years ago, it will be an expensive outlay for City.
But with Rodri and Reijnders at the base and Wirtz at the tip of their midfield, Guardiola would be able to unleash his dream midfield.
Should both signings come off, it could well move City back into Premier League and Champions League contention next season.
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