Manchester City are set to kick of a major summer overhaul by tabling a place for a Premier League star immediately after the FA Cup final.
City, currently fourth in the league after a surprise 0-0 draw with Southampton at the weekend, take on Crystal Palace in the final on Saturday - looking to end a disappointing season with silverware.
The Blues endured a wretched run in the middle of the campaign but haven't lost since the defeat to Nottingham Forest in early March and can win a third FA Cup under Pep Guardiola and a 19th trophy during his glittering tenure at the Etihad Stadium.
Advert
And although they spent close to £200 million on four new signings in the January window, including the capture of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, City are expected to continue refreshing an ageing squad in the summer.
A number of players have been mentioned but Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider claims that City are already ready to make a bid on a player they will come up against at Wembley.
City are huge admirers of Eberechi Eze and have been heavily linked with the Palace star for a number of seasons now.
Advert
According to the report, the FA Cup final against City is effectively an audition for the former QPR player, who has 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Oliver Glasner's men.
If Eze impresses on the big stage, it's said that City will not hesitate to make a move for the England international.
Eze signed a new contract at Selhurst Park back in 2023 and his deal, which expires in 2027, includes an appealing £60 million release clause.
Advert
Palace had valued their talisman at £70 million and Liverpool, City, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are all believed to be in the queue to secure his signature this summer.
City are on the hunt for a high-level replacement for the departing Kevin De Bruyne and have identified Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz as a top target.
However, they are also keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, who will not come on the cheap after helping Nuno Espirito Santo's side into Europe in an impressive campaign.
Topics: Manchester City, Premier League, Crystal Palace
Josh Lawless