Manchester City turn to Ligue 1 for Kevin De Bruyne replacement and Florian Wirtz transfer alternative | OneFootball

Officials at the Etihad Stadium may have already turned their attentions away from Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz ahead of the summer transfer window.

It is the latest in an ever-developing scenario around Manchester City and their transfer business for the upcoming summer market, when a number of positions are likely to come under review by those in squad planning positions.

Txiki Begiristain – Manchester City’s long-standing director of football – is due to step aside from his role at the club after 12 seasons in charge, with former Sporting chief Hugo Viana starting officially at the club on Monday and due to take over in the summer.

Among the key tasks to be undertaken by the pair is the club’s search for a competent replacement for Kevin De Bruyne’s creative presence in the side, after the Belgian icon announced his pending departure from the club after 10 years this summer.

For now, it remains to be seen what route Manchester City will go down; whether that be replacing the 33-year-old via a new attacking name, or a like-for-like attacking midfield signing, or even an internal promotion such as Phil Foden taking more responsibility himself.

But while much of the talk has centred around one name from Bayer Leverkusen being Manchester City’s go-to target to replace Kevin De Bruyne, a new report has suggested the search may have already shifted elsewhere.

That is according to the information of Football Transfers’ Steve Kay, who claims that officials at Manchester City have identified Olympique Lyonnais’ Rayan Cherki as a much ‘more affordable alternative’ to Germany star, Florian Wirtz.

It is explained that City anticipate Wirtz to be ‘simply too expensive’ in the upcoming window in the region of €130 million to €150 million. And given the intention to sign as many as five players this summer, the club are wary of Profit and Sustainability Rules.

A further complicating factor is the 21-year-old currently being in advanced contract talks with Bayer Leverkusen, and as such may not be available to any club in Europe should he sign on to new terms.

As such, the report points out Rayan Cherki – who is being viewed as a ‘very cost-effective potential signing’, given the expectation that he will leave Lyon in the summer and possibly for no more than €30 million to €40 million due to his expiring contract.

With Lyon also still needing to raise significant funds, the 21-year-old is seen as ideal value for money by Manchester City considering the amount of top-level experience he already has at his stage of his career.

Any fresh name coming into Pep Guardiola’s squad in the midfield department would likely be accompanied by a number of other new names this summer, such is the desire to bring Manchester City back to their exceptional best from those within the Etihad Stadium.

Positionally, there remains a possibility of a change at goalkeeper, with Ederson continuing to attract attention from Saudi Arabia and Stefan Ortega Moreno insistent on becoming the club’s number one but blocked by the Brazilian.

Defensively there is an expectance for a new right-back to join the club, while midfield is likely to be strengthened beyond just a new attacking midfielder and despite Nico Gonzalez’s January arrival from FC Porto.

Given the doubts over the future of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva in particular, there is also a possibility that the wide attacking roles could come under the microscope by the likes of Begiristain and Viana when the time for such discussions comes around.