Manchester City head coach Josep Guardiola has started active efforts to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season. After Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne parted ways with the club, Guardiola is looking for a high-level player who can adequately fill his position. The coach's first choice was Germany's Bayer club leader Florian Wirtz.
However, this deal, which could have caused a stir in the transfer market, did not materialize. The 22-year-old German player Wirtz refused to link his future with England's Manchester City. The Bayer management demanded 150 million euros to sell their player, and the "Citizens" were also ready to pay that transfer fee.
However, since the player himself showed no interest in playing for Manchester City, the negotiations ended without a result. After this important transfer for the team did not happen, Guardiola immediately began searching for a new candidate.
According to the reputable publication TeamTalk, Guardiola has turned his attention to the French championship in this situation and decided to consider the promising midfielder of Lyon, Rayan Cherki. The 20-year-old French player caught the attention of coaches with his performance last season, and his technical skills and speed appealed to Guardiola.
The Manchester club has started negotiations with the French side to add Cherki to their squad and plans to fully realize this transfer during the summer transfer window. Importantly, Cherki's contract includes an option for an early termination, for which Manchester City would need to pay 24 million euros. This is considered several times cheaper than the planned 150 million euros for the Wirtz transfer.
At the same time, Rayan Cherki himself has expressed a desire to move to Manchester City and considers playing in the Premier League an important step in his career. If this transfer goes through, the young French talent will have the opportunity to showcase himself in the most prestigious championships.
Guardiola plans to utilize the new player's capabilities to once again compete for the English championship and the Champions League title next season. His decision is filling "Citizens" fans with great hopes ahead of the new season.
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