Manchester City are expected to spend big on reinforcements this summer
Manchester City endured an afternoon of total frustration as they fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in this year’s FA Cup final, with Eberechi Eze bagging the crucial goal for the first time winners.
It means City boss Pep Guardiola has now lost back to back finals for the first time in his managerial career and also means the Spaniard is going trophyless for the first time in eight seasons, stretching all the way back to his debut campaign at the Etihad in 2016/17.
It’s a defeat which is expected to trigger even more change for the Sky Blues on the transfer front after a busy January window as Guardiola aims to rejuvenate his ageing team after a disappointing campaign for his incredibly high standards.
City’s biggest task will be finding a replacement for Kevin de Bruyne and if reports are to be believed the eight-time champions have already submitted an offer to try and sign his replacement.
Man City make blockbuster offer to sign AC Milan star
The Sky Blues have made an opening offer to sign AC Milan playmaker Tijjani Reijnders, according to reports from TEAMtalk.
The outlet understands Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of the 26-year-old, who has established himself as one of the finest midfielders in Serie A since his arrival at the San Siro in 2023.
The Netherlands international has recorded 15 goals and five assists from 52 appearances across all competitions and has showcased versatility by playing both as a defensive midfielder and as an attacking playmaker in different matches through the season.
Reijnders was included in the Serie A Team of the Season and formed part of the Milan team which won the Supercoppa Italiana while also reaching the final of the Coppa Italia before falling short against Bologna.
City have reportedly bidded £50m to try and sign Reijnders though it’s claimed that the Italian giants will seek a figure of around £75m.
The Etihad club’s opening approach is expected to be turned down by Milan but there’s still potential for a compromise to be reached in the coming months as transfer activity continues to intensify.
Man City plan huge summer overhaul
Pep Guardiola is not a manager that’s accustomed to losing after winning 21 of his 24 cup finals as a manager along with a combined 12 league titles as a coach across spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
He’ll hope to achieve Champions League qualification in the final two matches before turning his attention to a huge sumer rebuild.
It’s believed that could spend as much as £180m on his midfield alone, with Mirror Sport claiming that both Florian Wirtz and the aforementioned Reijnders are the two priority central targets.
Guardiola is keen to add both to his squad before the Club World Cup to give his team ample time to gel ahead of the league campaign in August.
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