Hugo Viana spotted in Manchester in secret meeting with Txiki Begiristain as City transfer news intensifies | OneFootball

Manchester City’s outgoing and incoming sporting directors have been spotted meeting secretly in the city centre of Manchester this week amid intensifying transfer talk.

The Premier League champions are continuing to work on a number of incoming deals to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad for the second-half of the season, in a move that comes soon after a torrid run of form that saw the club win just one game in 13 matches.

Lens and Uzbekistan star Abdukodir Khusanov is expected to become Manchester City’s first new signing of the window, with the 20-year-old arriving in a £33 million switch from French football when a work permit is granted this week.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush is expected to follow as negotiations with the Bundesliga club continue over one of the most in-form and productive players in front of goal so far this season.

Central defensive talents for the future also take centre stage as Etihad Stadium bosses work on deals for Palmeiras’ versatile centre-back Vitor Reis, as well as Real Valladolid’s loan talent, Juma Bah.

And it appears as though there is intense work ongoing between Manchester City’s incoming and outgoing sporting directors, with the pair spotted in the city in recent days as transfer talks continues to be widely reported.

As spotted by X user ‘Inizz_17z’, City’s outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain has been spotted secretly meeting with the club’s incoming director of football, Hugo Viana on King Street in Manchester city centre.

The nature of their meeting remains unknown at this stage, but given the profile of players being targeted by the club this month and the age of those players, many are jumping to the conclusion that Viana is already making his mark on Manchester City’s squad.

The 41-year-old official is not expected to formally take on the role of director of football at the Etihad Stadium until after the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer, with Txiki Begiristain leaving after 12 seasons in the position and changing the club forever.