Manchester City have made a statement of intent at the start of August with the signings of Nathan Ake and Ferran Torres as the 2019/20 Premier League runners-up look to regain their title next season.
Pep Guardiola’s side finished 18 points behind runaway champions Liverpool, with the title race all but over weeks before the coronavirus disruption back in March.
The Citizens have already landed centre-back Nathan Ake in a £40 million deal from relegated Bournemouth, and exciting right winger Ferran Torres from Valencia.
City have been linked to a number of other players too and are expected to do a lot more business before the start of the new season in September.
A new left-back is expected to arrive between now and then with Benjamin Mendy injured for the majority of the past two seasons and winger Oleksandr Zinchenko having to fill in on several occasions.
Nathan Ake may not be the only central defender that arrives at the Etihad this summer either. City are strongly being linked with Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly even after signing the former Chelsea youngster.
Ake himself is a signing City supporters will have wanted 12 months ago after they declined to find a replacement for the departing Vincent Kompany last summer. Both John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi failed to impress the manager this past season and both could be moved on as a result. Veteran midfielder Fernandinho has often been chosen to partner Aymeric Laporte over the past 12 months.
David Silva has played his final Premier League game for the club as the Manchester City star is set to depart after their Champions League campaign. The Spanish playmaker made 22 league starts and a further five appearances from the bench this past season.
Internazionale striker Lautaro Martinez is also linked with a move to the Etihad as Barcelona may not make a move this summer. The 22-year-old could be the long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero, who himself is expected to undergo an operation before the start of next season, which would keep him out for a number of months. Martinez is regarded as one of the most promising strikers in world football.
It looks to be a busy month or so for Manchester City prior to the start of the 2020/21 campaign in five weeks’ time. Before then, they still have the Champions League to negotiate, with a second leg versus Real Madrid in the Round of 16 in Manchester tomorrow.
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