Manchester City look to have got their transfer business underway this summer as they have reportedly agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Mateo Kovačić just as outgoing captain Ilkay Gündogan prepares to leave the club after seven years.
There had been rumblings that both Gündogan and Bernardo Silva would be departing Man City at the end of the season and while there has been no more movement on the 28-year-old Portuguese international, it is reported his midfield partner has sealed a move to La Liga at the end of his contract.
Donning the armband and helping the club lift not on their first Champions League trophy but complete the treble this past season, they couldn’t have asked for a better parting gift.
With the Euro 2024 qualifiers now over, the 32-year-old is set to be unveiled as a Barca player imminently, joining the Spanish giants on a two-year deal with an option for another year.
City fans will no doubt be gutted to see Gündogan, having been one of their best players for the past couple of seasons, the board aren’t wasting any time in plugging the gaps (not that there really are any in that squad) as Pep Guardiola looks to have already found his replacement.
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As Chelsea look to be off-loading a number of players to balance the books and restore some equilibrium following a campaign that was defined by too many signings and too few points, a key player in their own Champions League winning season, Mateo Kovačić, looks to be one of the first out the door.
The 29-year-old former Real Madrid man has won the UCL a total of four times, as well as winning the league in Spain and Croatia, not to mention multiple Supercups and Club World Cups, which makes a reported £30m deal and even better bargain.
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Better still, he’s about as like-for-like a replacement as you could hope for, playing a very similar shuttling role as Gündogan has for the last few years, able to play further forward in the number 10 role and also as a defensive midfielder if needed.
It looks to be a deal that suits everyone all-round and while City are obviously loving a fan-favourite of great talent, you wouldn’t see many people turn their nose up at signing Kovačić for under £50m.
It goes without saying that there aren’t many more players City actually need, but with the Blues reportedly set for the “biggest transfer budget in history“, we expect this won’t be the last bit of business they do.
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Who would you like to see make the move to the Etihad?
Phil Foden picks up Premier League Player of the Year for 2023/24
Danny Jones
Manchester City forward Phil Foden has picked up the Premier League’s Player of the Year award for the 2023/24 season.
Having enjoyed the best statistical campaign to date, with two games still left to play, the Stockport-born star City and England star has swept up his first-ever Premier League POTY award at the age of 23.
The attacking midfielder has already swept up Young Player of the Year twice in his career (2021 and 2022), which was awarded to former teammate Cole Palmer on Friday, and this accolade just goes to show how much of a first-team star he’s become over the past couple of years.
With both awards going to Manc footballers and Foden being the first Englishman to win it since Jamie Vardy in 2015/16, you’ll hear no complaints from us.
Foden has 25 goals and 11 assists this season, his highest tally ever, and with the chance of a domestic double still looming, he could be set for another unreal 12 months in sky blue.
Pep Guardiola’s side simply needs to beat West Ham this Sunday to win their fourth consecutive Premier League title and with a Manchester derby FA Cup final waiting for them next week, the local lad has a big fortnight ahead of him.
Having already become a treble winner with Man City last season, not to mention emerging as one of the first names on the team sheet for the Three Lions, he’s graduated from one of the most talented youngsters to one of the most impressive in Europe – and he’s got the stats to back it up.
Here’s hoping he can round off this year with some more silverware while wearing an England shirt. Here are some of his highlights from this season:
A huge congratulations to Phil Foden on winning the 23/24 Premier League Player of the Year; regardless of who you support, you can’t deny he’s been unreal this season.
In fact, his emergence as a senior figure and somewhat of a leader in this current City side has given us a lot faith for the summer and we’re more convinced than ever that Gareth Southgate must try and build around him if we stand a chance of going for in Euro 2024.
Is it coming home and will a lad from Stockport play a big part in bringing it here?
Cole Palmer wins Premier League’s Young Player of the Year for 2023/24
Danny Jones
Manchester-born and bred footballer, Cole Palmer, has won the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award for 2023/24 following a spectacular breakthrough campaign.
The ex-Manchester City youth product made his big-money move to Chelsea at the start of this season and has been comfortably one of the best players in the league this year, once again proving the old adage that if you’re good enough you’re old enough.
Sitting second in the race for the Golden Boot behind former teammate Erling Haaland and shining as one of the most creative midfielders in Europe in his first full season, you could have banked on him winning it months ago.
🔵⭐️ OFFICIAL: Cole Palmer wins the award as Premier League Young Player of the Year. 🧊
Chelsea star has scored 22 goals and provided 10 assists in Premier League this season. pic.twitter.com/HYpthQiOU3
Having bagged a hattrick in Chelsea’s remarkable turnaround against Manchester United as well as bagging four against Everton, just to name a couple of his most impressive performances over the past 12 months, he doesn’t like a player who only made a handful of appearances last year.
With the 22-year-old fittingly netting 22 goals not to mention 10 assists and quickly establishing himself as Mauricio Pochettino’s main man, despite the multi-billion squad assembled around him, it’s been nothing short of a remarkable emergence onto the biggest stage.
Having earned his first senior international call-up through his efforts too, he now looks set to be one the players England fans are dying to see start at the Euros – the point where many Blues are now wondering whether they made a mistake letting him go.
Congratulations to the Wythenshawe native on his well-deserved award and we sincerely look forward to seeing what he does in an England shirt this summer.
As for who will pick up the outright Premier League Player of the Year, surely Palmer picking up the youth award means that Phil Foden is set to mop up the main prize?
A clean sweep for Manc footballers. We like the sound of that.