Manchester City could raise as much as £268m from player sales this summer amid reports linking a number of their star players with an exit from the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola has already added Erling Braut Haaland and Julian Alvarez to his squad, while Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips and Brighton & Hove Albion's Marc Cucurella are now believed to be the Spaniard's primary targets for the remainder of the window, and could potentially cost a combined £100m.
With competition for places intensifying, the Premier League champions are expected to allow some of their first-team players to leave the club for the right price ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
According to Transfermarkt, City have already recouped £20.25m from player sales this summer, with right-back Pedro Porro joining Sporting Lisbon on a permanent deal worth £7.65m – following a successful loan spell with the club last season – while goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has moved to Southampton for £12.6m.
As many as six first-team players have recently been linked with moves away from City this summer, with Arsenal target Gabriel Jesus seemingly the most likely to depart.
© Reuters
The 25-year-old is allegedly edging closer to completing a switch to the Emirates Stadium despite competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Juventus for his signature.
The Gunners are confident of agreeing a fee with City for Jesus, who is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, and a deal could be announced by the end of this week.
Raheem Sterling is another forward who faces an uncertain future at the Etihad following the arrivals of Haaland and Alvarez, and with just a year remaining on his contract, the Citizens are believed to be open to selling the 27-year-old this summer.
The England international has previously been linked with a move abroad to the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan, but Chelsea are also keeping tabs on the forward and have reportedly stepped up their interest.
The Blues are understood to have seen an opening offer of £21.4m plus add-ons rejected by City, but Thomas Tuchel's side are set to make a second bid for Sterling, who is valued at £63m.
Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva's future has been questioned over the last 12 months, and despite Guardiola claiming on Monday that he expects the playmaker to remain at City this summer, the Portugal international is believed to be contemplating a fresh challenge elsewhere.
© Reuters
Barcelona head coach Xavi is a huge admirer of Silva, but a potential switch to the cash-strapped Catalan giants is seemingly unlikely unless Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong were to leave the club.
Silva is valued by Transfermarkt at £72m, but City are believed to be holding out for at least £80m for the former Monaco man, who is under contract at the Etihad until June 2025.
Like Jesus and Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan is another first-team star who has just 12 months remaining on his contract, which is believed to have alerted a number of clubs including Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Even though Guardiola has expressed his desire to keep hold of Gundogan, a report last month claimed that the 31-year-old has been told that he is free to find a new club, as City do not plan to extend his contract.
The Germany international, who is valued at £22.5m, could become the second midfielder to leave the Citizens this summer after Fernandinho, whose contract will expire on June 30.
© Reuters
Two defenders who could be on the move ahead of the 2022-23 campaign are versatile duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Nathan Ake, who are both valued at £22.5m.
With City linked with a host of left-backs this summer, Zinchenko is allegedly open to leaving the club in search of regular first-team football, and the likes of Everton, Arsenal, West Ham United and Barcelona are all keeping tabs on the 25-year-old.
Zinchenko made only 10 Premier League starts last season and if City were to sell the 52-cap Ukraine international, then they are sure to make a huge profit on the left-back, who cost around £1.8m in the summer of 2016.
As for Ake, he has recently played down speculation over a potential exit from the Etihad, although one report at the beginning of this month claims that the centre-back – like teammate Gundogan – is free to leave this summer.
A switch to former club Chelsea could be an option for the 26-year-old Dutchman, with the Blues looking to replace Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, while a reunion with former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe at Newcastle United has also been mooted.
Oliver Thomas
