Manchester City have reportedly been handed a boost in their attempts at securing a long-term replacement for club legend Kevin De Bruyne.
It was a relatively quiet summer at the Etihad on the transfer front, as Savinho's move from sister club Troyes was the only major signing.
Ilkay Gundogan returned to the club on a one-year deal after leaving for Barcelona last summer, and he made his second full debut in the 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday.
The now-retired German international is one of four key midfielders over the age of 30 in City's ranks though, so freshening the squad with younger talent is likely to be prioritised over the next few windows.
City need to start planning for life after De Bruyne, with the Belgian now 33 and out of contract next summer, and a move to Saudi Arabia was rumoured at times during the summer.
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City-target Musiala 'rejects' Bayern Munich contract offer
One obvious candidate to fill the potential void left by De Bruyne is Bayern Munich starlet Jamal Musiala, who Transfermarkt value at €120m (£101m).
Therefore, Man City will be pleased to hear recent reports that the offensive midfielder has rejected a recent contract offer from Bayern.
The Express claim that Musiala has turned down a recent offer, throwing his future at the club into doubt with just over 18 months left on his contract at the Allianz Arena.
According to the report, the player is seeking a wage in the region of £300,000-per-week in order to match his current standing in the game.
There are a long list of suitors for Musiala though, so claiming his signature is not likely to be easy, with the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool also said to be interested.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl has stated the club are still hopeful of tying Musiala down to a new deal in the face of increasing interest from Europe's elite.
Eberl revealed at the weekend: "The fact is that we have been exchanging ideas for months. We will sit down and talk, we will do this in our own time. Jamal knows what he has at Bayern, but we also know what we have in Jamal. He should become one of the mainstays at Bayern.
"We want to win the Champions League, we want to win national titles. Our aspirations will help Jamal garner his own personal rewards."
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Could Musiala replicate the accomplishments of De Bruyne?
Debates on all-time Premier League XI's often see De Bruyne's name pop up, so filling his shoes will be a daunting task for any player regardless of the reputation they may arrive with.
Like De Bruyne though, Musiala has made his big breakout in the Bundesliga, being named in the Team of the Season in both of the last two campaigns.
The 21-year-old has attracted attention all over Europe for his performance at club level and with the German national team at the last two major tournaments.
Musiala scored three goals as Germany reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, sharing the Golden Boot and being named in the Team of the Tournament.
The recent international break saw the Bayern man impress in the white of Germany again too, as he scored and registered three assists in their two UEFA Nations League matches against Hungary and the Netherlands.
Andrew Delaney
