Manchester City are looking to hijack Chelsea’s supposed interest in a Premier League player by offering their own player as part of a ‘swap’ deal.
Man City and Chelsea will now be able to sign players due to the transfer window being open for an exceptional registration period, due to the Club World Cup being held in the United States.
The tournament provides an opportunity for City to win a trophy in an otherwise poor 2024/25 campaign.
Kevin De Bruyne will leave the club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the month, with several other players linked with potential exits.
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Despite Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah all signing in the January transfer window, and further adding to the depth at Guardiola’s disposal, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak explained that the club has “identified” summer targets already.
“We have clearly identified who exactly are the targets, in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option,” Khaldoon told the club’s official website earlier this week.
“And we’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. And our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
One of the targets is reportedly Everton’s Young Player of the Year, Jarrad Branthwaite.
Branthwaite, 22, was previously the subject of two bids from Manchester United worth £35m and £45m plus £5m add-ons last summer, both of which were rejected by Everton.
The England international has also seen interest from Chelsea, but according to a report, could leave the Toffees as part of a swap deal which would see ex-Everton and current City man John Stones return to Merseyside.
Stones, 31, made his name at Everton and was signed by David Moyes for a fee of just £1.25m when he left his boyhood club Barnsley in 2013.
In 2016, he signed for Manchester City for a fee of £50m and has since won the Champions League and six Premier League titles among several other trophies under Guardiola’s tutelage.
The supposed deal would also likely involve a hefty fee.
Moyes has been an admirer of Stones for some time and said he had 'qualities you can't teach' in 2015.
"We signed him from Barnsley for £1.25m, we had a fantastic recruitment team and they'd seen him play right back, centre halve, even in midfield," Moyes told Sky Sports News.
"He was always going to need time to develop his strength, size, but he's one of these players with a natural poise on the ball. Nearly uncoached, not something you can really coach."
Topics: Manchester City, Chelsea, John Stones, Transfer News, Premier League, Football
Luke Davies