Over the last three years, Manchester City have remarkably earned over £500m from player sales, and a significant chunk of that has been received following the club-record departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.
It was confirmed on August 12 that Alvarez has completed a permanent move to Atletico for a reported €95m (£81m), with the big-money deal worth an initial €75m (£64m) plus €20m (£17m) in add-ons.
Alvarez has exited Man City after two hugely successful seasons at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 36 goals and providing 18 assists in 103 appearances and winning a total of six trophies, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League.
Pep Guardiola has suggested that Man City could be active in the final few weeks of the summer transfer market following the departure of Alvarez, and The Guardian reports that the Citizens are open to bringing in a new centre-midfielder and a striker to bolster their squad.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at five players who Man City could look to sign either this summer or in 2025 following the sale of Alvarez.
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
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Although Eberechi Eze would not be considered as a direct replacement for Alvarez, he is believed to be high on Man City's list of potential targets this summer, with his ability to play in a variety of different positions thought to appeal to Guardiola.
Primarily a central attacking midfielder who can also operate on either flank, Eze has established himself as a star player for Crystal Palace over the last four years, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists in 31 appearances last season.
Man City are said to have a 'long-standing admiration' for the 26-year-old England international, who is understood to possess a £60m release clause in his Palace contract that expires in June 2027.
GiveMeSport, Palace are fearing a late transfer approach from Man City for Eze following Alvarez's exit to Atletico, while The Athletic claims that there were some informal discussions about the midfielder towards the end of last week, although City are said to be 'casting their net far and wide' as they consider recruiting fresh faces.
Man City are not the only club believed to be keeping tabs on Eze, as the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest, although the Etihad is thought to be the most likely destination for Eze, at present, if he were to leave Palace.
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
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Another name thought to be a leading target for Man City is Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who has been strongly linked with a possible move to the Etihad throughout this summer.
The Citizens allegedly expressed their interest in signing the 26-year-old earlier this summer when his £100m release clause was active. However, Guardiola's side opted against activating the clause, which has since expired, as they were not prepared to pay such a significant fee upfront.
Nevertheless, according to The Athletic, Man City could 'resurrect' their interest in Guimaraes and they believe that the Brazil international is still keen to join them, even though he has publicly expressed his happiness at Newcastle.
Man City certainly have the funds to recruit a player of Guimaraes's calibre following the sale of several players including Alvarez, but agreeing a deal with Newcastle could prove challenging for the Premier League champions, as the Magpies will likely demand a fee in excess of £100m for a player they have no interest in parting ways with at this late stage in the transfer window.
Guimares is considered an integral player and a fans' favourite at St James' Park and has made a total of 107 appearances for the club in all competitions since joining for around £40m in January 2021, scoring 17 goals and providing 16 assists.
Recruiting a deep-lying midfielder who can provide competition for star lynchpin Rodri is believed to be of interest to Man City, especially with out-of-favour Kalvin Phillips expected to depart this summer.
Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
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If Man City wish to target a more attack-minded player to fill the void left behind by Alvarez, then Real Madrid's Rodrygo could be someone who they pursue either this summer or in 2025.
At the age of just 23, Rodrygo is preparing for his sixth season as a first-team player at Real Madrid, where he has recorded 54 goals and 41 assists in 216 appearances across all competitions, including 26 goal involvements in 51 matches last season.
Although Rodrygo, who is comfortable playing anywhere across the front three, still has four years remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, Mundo Deportivo claims that the Brazil international is 'likely to be sacrificed' by Los Blancos following the marquee arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
Several top European clubs have subsequently been alerted, including both Liverpool and Man City, the latter of whom were labelled "the best team in the world" by Rodrygo earlier this year.
However, the versatile attacker is believed to be keen to remain at Real Madrid for at least one more season and fight for his place under Carlo Ancelotti. Should he ultimately struggle for game time in 2024-25, Man City may consider reigniting their interest next summer if they have still not signed a new attacker by then.
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
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Should Guardiola opt to put faith in youngsters such as Oscar Bobb and James McAtee this season, Man City could save the cash generated from player sales ahead of pursuing a long-term target next summer, such as Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala.
The 21-year-old is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe and has already established himself as a key player at club level with Bayern and at international level with Germany.
Musiala, a versatile attacking midfielder, has contributed with 43 goals and 31 assists in 163 appearances for Bayern over the last four seasons, including 12 strikes and eight assists in 38 games last season, while he also found the net three times for Germany at Euro 2024 earlier this summer.
It was reported in April that Man City are one of a number of major European clubs considering a move for Musiala this summer, with the Citizens ahead of Liverpool, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the race for his signature.
There is said to be a belief among interested suitors that Musiala, who has two years remaining on his Bayern contract, may be buyable either this summer or in 2025, with Man City currently the club boasting the strongest interest in the attacker.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
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Could Khvicha Kvaratskhelia swap one sky-blue club for another? The Napoli winger is believed to have been on the radar of Man City and a host of other top clubs ever since he joined the Serie A giants two seasons ago.
The 23-year-old was a standout performer in Napoli's title-winning campaign in 2022-23, recording 12 goals and 13 assists in 34 league matches, before contributing with 11 goals and eight assists in 34 top-flight games last season.
Despite Kvaratskhelia's impressive performances, Napoli slumped to a disappointing 10th-placed finish in 2023-24, and should Gli Azzurri - now managed by Antonio Conte - fail to qualify for European competition for a second successive season, their No.77 may consider seeking pastures new next summer.
Napoli are believed to be optimistic of agreeing a new deal with Kvaratskhelia, with his current contract due to expire in June 2027, but Il Mattino claims that the future of the Georgia international is 'far from secure' as contract discussions have been continuously postponed.
It has also been claimed by Todofichajes that Man City have 'set their sights' on luring Kvaratskhelia to the Etihad, but the winger's €100m (£85.4m) asking price is considered 'excessive' by Guardiola's side.
Oliver Thomas
