Manchester City are enjoying themselves on Club World Cup duty, but that doesn't mean work isn't going on in the background to secure reinforcements at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City's balancing act with transfers and Club World Cup
Al Hilal await Manchester City in the last 16 of the Club World Cup after Pep Guardiola led his side to three straight victories over Wydad Casablanca, Al Ain and Juventus in the group stages.
Reverting to traditional full-backs to control the middle of the park with tight interchanges in and around the penalty area, the former Barcelona boss has made the Citizens one of the favourites to claim the trophy Stateside, which would be the perfect end to an otherwise disappointing 2024/2025.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola-1
Buying into Manchester City's recent hype, Guardiola praised his side for showing a ruthless edge against Juventus that he believes could be a sign of things to come as his side aim to replicate their success of the last decade.
He stated: "This is just one game but I think the players felt again what it was like to be a good team. It's the first time we've performed the way we can.
"We won the last two but we adjusted a few things. I'm really pleased because the players realise what we have to do to get back to what we were in the last decade. The belief always comes from your performances, not your past."
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Nevertheless, there is still plenty of transfer activity going on at the Etihad, with Manchester City's pursuit of Real Madrid star Rodrygo now public knowledge.
After losing out to Liverpool last term, Guardiola appears determined to take the fight to the reigning champions this season and is now pursuing one of England's brightest talents.
Manchester City preparing bid to sign Tino Livramento
According to GIVEMESPORT, Manchester City are preparing a bid to sign Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, and Guardiola's side are reportedly convinced that he wants a move to the Eastlands.
Citing his ability to operate in either full-back position, the Sky Blues are growing in confidence that they could land the England Under-21 international despite Eddie Howe having no desire to lose the Croydon-born man, who is currently out on duty at the European Championships.
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Earning £50,000 per week in the North East, Livramento notched a solitary assist in 45 appearances across all competitions for Newcastle last campaign and helped them claim EFL Cup glory and qualify for the Champions League.
Three other unnamed players are under consideration at Manchester City, but it appears that the "excellent" former Southampton man is their prime target at this point in time.
Arriving potentially with the added carrot of being a homegrown player, helping them navigate squad regulations, completing a deal would make a lot of sense for Guardiola in the cold light of day.