The 2024/25 campaign was a tough one for Pep Guardiola’s side, having gone from winning four Premier League titles in a row to needing to secure a place in the Champions League on the final day of the season.
The Spanish coach will not want to experience this again, and in order to close the gap on Liverpool, the 54-year-old is planning a rebuild at the Etihad Stadium this summer with four or five new faces expected at Man City.
City’s midfield will be at the heart of Guardiola’s new team in Manchester, and one of the Premier League club’s top targets is Tijjani Reijnders and the English giants have now learned the final fee it will take to land the AC Milan star.
Reijnders has already said yes to a Man City move, with the next few days being crucial for the Manchester club to get the deal over the line.
Personal terms have already been agreed between both parties, however, club-to-club talks are still ongoing, as Man City were expected to offer AC Milan a lower fee than their asking price, which is now expected to be met
According to Sacha Tavolieri, Milan have accepted that Reijnders will leave for Man City and that the English club’s third offer, which is expected to be around £54m (€65m), will be good enough to land the 26-year-old.
This was the initial valuation Milan placed on Reijnders, however, it was said that Man City were willing to pay a fee of around £62.9m to £67.1m for the Dutch star.
The Serie A midfielder will be a key element of Man City’s midfield next season, and two more stars could be joining him at the heart of Guardiola’s team.
With Rodri returning from injury recently, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner will undoubtedly be the starter in the number six role in Guardiola’s team for the 2025/26 campaign.
Reijnders will either play alongside the Spaniard or occupy one of the eight positions in City’s team, depending on what formation Guardiola plays.
When it comes to number 10s, the legendary coach wants options next season with Man City now keen on bringing Rayan Cherki to the Etihad Stadium, while Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White remains a top target for Guardiola.
The midfield revamp at Man City this summer seems similar to the one at Liverpool in 2023, and the Manchester club will hope for similar success, as Arne Slot would use those players to guide the Reds to the Premier League title this season.
The English top flight is arguably the most physically demanding league in the world, and Ben Foster thinks that is a reason Kevin De Bruyne is no longer able to play in the Premier League with Man City or any other club.
Speed is a key factor for any team that wants to be successful in England, and City know this more than anyone, as many opponents struggled to deal with the pace of Kyle Walker for many years.
Man City still have one of the fastest players in the English top flight, but this season also showed that the Manchester club also have one of the slowest.
Bernardo Silva is one of the most technically gifted players in the Premier League, and luckily for him, speed is not a major part of his game.
This season, the Portuguese star was the second-slowest player in the English top flight, with the BBC reporting that the midfielder’s highest sprint was clocked at just 18.72mph
