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Manchester City plan to cause quite a stir this summer with attempts to land both Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish.
Sportsmail understands that the Borussia Dortmund forward and Aston Villa captain are high on City’s transfer wish list as Pep Guardiola prepares to renew his squad. The pair are expected to cost close to £ 200 million, a strong show of intent on the part of a club on the verge of sealing a third Premier League title in four seasons.
City were preparing to sign a new striker ahead of Monday’s announcement that record scorer Sergio Agüero will leave when his contract expires in June after 10 years of service.
The 20-year-old Haaland has long been Guardiola’s main target as the team’s next main forward and boasts an enviable return on goal this season, scoring 39 goals in 38 games for his club and his country.
The Norwegian international, whose father Alfie spent three years as a player at City, will face his suitors in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Guardiola’s troubled relationship with Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola is not believed to influence the City’s pursuit. Raiola suggested Tuesday that he has “closed the book” on his public disagreements.
Interest in the 25-year-old Grealish has accelerated in recent weeks and there is hope that a deal can be reached with Aston Villa even though his club’s wealthy owners mean they have no obligation to sell to his Pattern.
City’s search for him and Haaland suggests they are looking for a younger player profile.
Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne will all turn 30 before the next season begins. A new contract with De Bruyne is expected to be finalized in the coming months.
Haaland is the preferred option in the central attacking area, but City will have alternatives in case Chelsea or Real Madrid look at him.
Harry Kane, who recently admitted that he will decide his future with Tottenham after Euro 2020 this summer, is an obvious choice and a player revered by Guardiola.
In an interview Tuesday on talkSPORT, the City boss continued to praise Aguero, saying he is “irreplaceable.”
Guardiola added: ‘He is a legend, the best forward this club has ever had … but he is irreplaceable in the minds of our fans, our people and the players who played alongside him or the coaches who worked with him.
“He is a fantastic person, a fantastic human being and I’m pretty sure that if his mind is still as aggressive as he is, he can extend his career for more than two or three or four or five years.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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