Pep Guardiola maintains a ‘good relationship’ with one of Bayern Munich’s poster players as Manchester City target a midfield revamp in the summer of 2025.
The Premier League champions are believed to be eyeing a major rebuild of their entire squad ahead of what could be Pep Guardiola’s final two years at the Etihad Stadium following a recent contract extension through to the summer of 2027.
The ongoing campaign has shone light on some of the lighter areas of Guardiola’s roster that are more susceptible to issues during moments of injury concerns, with the midfield having faced various challenges throughout the ongoing campaign mostly through Rodri’s absence.
The Spain international sustained a double knee injury back in September ruling him out of action for the remainder of the season, and forcing Pep Guardiola to source immediate solutions at the base of his midfield including the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic.
With very little success having been seen through either of the aforementioned names, and City also facing uncertainty over Kevin De Bruyne’s contractual situation, there is a very high chance that at least one new midfield name could be arriving at the club in 2025.
And according to the information of Sky Germany’s Kerry Hau, City will look to strengthen their midfield during the next summer transfer window following Pep Guardiola’s two-year extension, and could potentially replace both Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne.
It is further revealed that Guardiola himself ‘loves’ Jamal Musiala, but such a deal for the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder would be ‘very unlikely’ with the Germany international leaning towards a contract extension at the Allianz Arena.
As such, the report claims that a potential move for Joshua Kimmich is ‘more realistic’, and should no agreement with Bayern Munich be reached over an extended stay, a Premier League or La Liga switch would be an option.
Interestingly, and in a detail that could perhaps play a big role in the player’s future, the report reveals that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Kimmich are maintaining contact and still have a ‘good relationship’.
There are likely to be several names and profiles on the transfer shortlist at Manchester City, particularly when it comes to the central midfield areas, and some names are believed to be close to home.
The latest information from English media suggests that Pep Guardiola has personally requested that the club considers Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes as an option, having turned down the opportunity to sign the Brazilian last summer via a £100 million release clause.
It remains to be seen whether City will chase up the 27-year-old with any greater intent in the new year, although it is highly unlikely that Newcastle would be willing to do any negotiation during the January market.
Other names to have been tied to interest from the Premier League champions are Real Sociedad and Spain’s Martin Zubimendi, Atalanta and Brazil’s Ederson, and Crystal Palace and England’s Adam Wharton.