Manchester City are set for a big summer on the transfer front as they look to reclaim top spot after a below-par season.
The Citizens have already begun on their rebuild by signing the likes of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov – and they’re only just getting started.
Midfielders will be high on Manchester City’s wish-list this summer, with Kevin De Bruyne departing the Etihad Stadium after 10 glittering years in sky blue.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has reported that City are preparing to make a bid “in the next days” for a player who Hugo Viana and Pep Guardiola think is “perfect” for the squad.
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Manchester City set to make £42m-plus bid for AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, touched upon City’s transfer targets this summer, mentioning the likes of Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White.
However, Romano said the Wirtz situation was “very complicated”, while Gibbs-White “remains high” on City’s wish-list.
With regards to imminent bids, Romano said AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders would be the subject of a City bid “in the next days”.
Romano said: “Tijjani Reijnders, No. 8, is considered the perfect player by Hugo Viana, the new director who is taking care of the market, and also by Pep Guardiola.
“So, they will go with an official proposal in the next days.
“They wanted to respect Milan, playing the Coppa Italia final, but then they will present in the next days an official bid for Reijnders.
“It’s expected to be more than €50million (£42million) from the understanding, so Man City are preparing this proposal.
“Let’s wait for, also in this case, the formal step, but the idea internally is to go strong for Tijjani Reijnders.
“And then we have to understand how, also, the conversation with the player side will go.
“He extended his contract at Milan just a few months ago, so City also need to negotiate an important contract eventually with Tijjani Reijnders.
“It’s not an easy deal or a super fast deal, but Man City want to go for it let’s see also how Milan will react for one of their key players.”
What Tijjani Reijnders could bring to Manchester City
Reijnders has been largely playing as a central midfielder this season, and he has registered an impressive tally of 15 goals and five assists from 52 outings.
As well as being a superb goalscoring midfielder, Reijnders is also ‘one of the best passers in Serie A’ and boasts ‘excellent dribbling skills’, as per Total Football Analysis.
Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News have claimed Reijnders is ‘more in the mould of a prime Gundogan’.
They deemed him ‘a midfield eight capable of sitting but more effective as a ranging central player with the freedom to break forward.’
They also described him as ‘a creative force – able to spot a pass with devastating accuracy while also possessing dribbling skills to beat opponents.
‘It’s not difficult to envisage him alongside Rodri in a new-look City midfield.’
City fans have already given their verdict on the prospect of signing Reijnders.
As for fellow City midfield target Gibbs-White, Kyle Walker recently said he “has all the ability”.
Meanwhile, Ashley Cole said Gibbs-White “can do everything”.
