Manchester City may have won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup last season, but that might not be enough to keep two key members of their squad.
Having already lost Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona this summer, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City would prefer to keep their treble-winning squad together as best as they can. Past seasons have shown that they will sell if players don’t want to stick around, though.
While Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig looks set to arrive at the Etihad Stadium for a club-record transfer fee, two players could be on their way out, with enticing transfer fees expected for both.
According to The Athletic, Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli are readying a £30m bid to Manchester City for Riyadh Mahrez. The Algerian winger has been offered a deal worth £25m a year, and is considering what to do with his future.
At 32, Mahrez still has two years remaining on his contract, representing good value for a player entering the twilight of his career. However, the report also suggests Manchester City are unsure about letting him go – he played 47 times for them in all competitions last season.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva could finally get his dream move to Barcelona, following in the steps of his former captain Gundogan. Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reports that the Spanish champions are prioritising the Portuguese midfielder, who also has a lucrative contract offer on the table from Saudi Arabia.
It is no secret that Bernardo Silva would welcome a move to Barcelona, with Pep Guardiola even admitting last summer that the 28-year-old “really likes” the club, while Silva’s dad even claimed Barca made him an offer around the same time, too.
Transfermarkt values Mahrez at €20m, while Silva is valued at €80m.
After securing a historic Treble, Manchester City transfer news is gathering steam ahead of next season.
Jude Bellingham reportedly turned down the new European champions after taking inspiration from Erling Haaland’s career path – though Alphonso Davies could move to the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side also want to smash their transfer record to bring in Josko Gvardiol in defence, though, having already signed Matteo Kovacic this summer.
