“He Said No Again” – But Pep Guardiola Isn’t Done Yet! Man City Launch New Bid for £69M Ligue 1 Maestro Who Rejected Them in 2024!
Having experienced a disappointing campaign over the last few months, Guardiola will want to put that behind him this summer and set his Man City squad up in the best way possible for the final two years the Spaniard will have at the Etihad Stadium.
People have raised concerns about the City boss this season and many are waiting to see if he can successfully rebuild his team, as that is not something the 54-year-old has had to do throughout his legendary managerial career.
A key element of this will be rejuvenating the wing positions and midfield, as Man City are set to lose Kevin De Bruyne this summer and the Premier League champions have many options, which include a Ligue 1 talent who rejected them last summer.
Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche remains on Man City’s radar
Maghnes Akliouche is an academy graduate of Monaco and has developed into a key player for the Ligue 1 side, featuring 38 times this season, producing six goals and 10 assists.
The 23-year-old is a very exciting talent, evident in this season’s Champions League, with the French star being on Man City’s radar since last summer.
The Manchester club were keen on bringing Akloiuche to the Etihad Stadium ahead of the current season, however, the player opted to stay at Monaco, even extending his deal until 2028
That deal has allowed the Ligue 1 outfit to place a price tag between £60m-£69m (€70m-€80m) on the 23-year-old and according to L’Équipe, Man City remain interested in the Monaco star, but face competition from PSG and Man United.
Akliouche predominantly plays as a right-winger, but has also been used as a ten. This makes the Frenchman a valuable addition as he can fill in for De Bruyne, as well as Grealish, should the Englishman leave Man City this summer.
Man City are now the frontrunners for Morgan Gibbs-White
When it comes to replacing De Bruyne, Man City’s top target is Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz as the German talent is already considered one of the best players in Europe.
Man City have been linked to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White as an alternative and according to a new report from the Daily Mail, the Manchester club are now the frontrunners for the English midfielder.
Gibbs-White has impressed in the Premier League this season with Forest and has shown that he continues to improve in England’s top flight.
City could have a significant advantage in the race as the midfielder is close friends with Phil Foden, who named his former England Under-17 World Cup-winning teammate godfather to his first child, Ronnie.
The Nottingham Forest star would provide Guardiola with the energy he has lost in midfield, but it remains to be seen if Man City can land the 25-year-old ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
