Pep Guardiola holds conversation with transfer target as Manchester City deal nears completion
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly held one-to-one talks with a primary transfer target as a deal nears completion this summer.
Hugo Viana – Manchester City's incoming director of football – has been hard at work aiming to reshape a squad that significantly fell below the standards set out at the Etihad Stadium by Pep Guardiola during the last season.
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A mixture of ageing stars and injuries led to the club struggling to compete for any major silverware as seriously as they have done in previous campaigns, coming closest in the FA Cup Final but falling short to Crystal Palace.
Now, alongside assistant and support from outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain, Viana is simultaneously looking to bring in multiple new stars ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup which begins later this month.
And among the priority positions to be addressed by Manchester City through the transfer market is the creative midfield role, due to be left vacated by Kevin De Bruyne as he closes in on a free transfer to Napoli to end a legendary 10-year stay at the Etihad Stadium.
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According to market insider Fabrizio Romano, Pep Guardiola has now been in contact with Lyon's Rayan Cherki in recent days, with Manchester City's negotiations for the midfielder 'advancing well' after direct contact was made with the Ligue 1 outfit.
With City confident of reaching an agreement soon, the club have also spoken directly to the player and his agents about contractual terms, their project and vision, while Guardiola has reportedly ensured the player is aligned ahead of a potential future together.
Any potential deal for Rayan Cherki would no doubt surface speculation concerning the future of Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White – a target for Manchester City coming into the ongoing summer transfer window.
Etihad Stadium bosses were understood to be the frontrunners for the England international, who is likely to have commanded a transfer fee in excess of £70 million, although it now remains to be seen whether City officials deem such an additional expenditure as necessary.
Additional business for the likes of Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain is expected to take the club to Milan as they finalise a move for central midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, while there is also confidence over completing an agreement with Wolves for left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.
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