Man City want to sign "insane" £83m star who Pep loves; he's a key target

Manchester City now want to sign an “insane” forward who could cost £83m this summer, having identified him as a priority target, according to a report.

End of an era at the Etihad

Man City’s achievement of winning four straight Premier League titles is a feat that manager Pep Guardiola believes no club will ever achieve again, saying: “None of us will get the chance to win four in a row again, it is impossible.

“It won’t happen again in our life. We have to live it, we have to enjoy it.”

Guardiola has also lifted the Champions League, two FA Cups and four EFL Cups during his time at the Etihad Stadium, and while the 54-year-old is undoubtedly a top manager, a lot of his success must also be attributed to his squad.

However, a number of the players Guardiola inherited now look set to leave in the near future, with talks progressing for Kevin De Bruyne to join San Diego FC, while Kyle Walker has already been shipped out on loan to AC Milan.

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Pep Guardiola is determined to beat his former assistant to the signing of a “midfield maestro” this summer.

With replacements for Ederson also being identified ahead of the summer window, it could be the end of an era for City, and Guardiola is now tasked with rebuilding his squad.

According to a report from Spain, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku’s futures are also uncertain, and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao has now been identified as a priority target at left wing.

Guardiola views Leao as the ideal player to bolster the left-wing area, with his speed and ability in one-on-one situations placing him right at the top of the shortlist.

Milan are now willing to sanction the winger’s departure in the summer, and the Italian side are demanding a fee of around €100m (£83m), amid interest from Manchester United and Al-Hilal.

“Insane” Leao could be a Grealish upgrade

Grealish will always be remembered for the key role he played for City during the treble-winning 2022-23 season, but the 29-year-old has been below par for quite some time now, failing to score and picking up just one assist in the Premier League this season.

As such, it would make sense for Guardiola to bring in a replacement this summer, and Leao has outperformed the City winger on a number of key attacking metrics over the past year.

The AC Milan star has also impressed in Italy for quite some time, picking up 67 goals and 52 assists in a total of 246 appearances for the Serie A side.

Leao, who has been lauded as “insane” by members of the media, could be a fantastic signing for City this summer, so it is exciting news that Milan are prepared to sanction a departure.