Manchester City are looking to make a splash in the transfer market, as they set out to reclaim their Premier League crown next season.
Pep Guardiola was unable to win the title during his final two seasons at the Etihad Stadium, and it now down to Enzo Maresca to turn Man City into champions again.
Speaking after returning to the Etihad Stadium, Maresca said: “It’s a huge challenge, for many reasons. All the success over the last 10 to 15 years, but at the same moment it’s a nice challenge.
“It’s exciting because the target is to continue or carry on the last decade or the last years that everything was very nice.”
However, in order to hit those heights, the Italian will need to be backed in the current transfer window, and England captain Harry Kane is in City’s sights.
Man City hold talks to sign Harry Kane
As revealed by TEAMtalk, Man City have now held discussions to be kept informed about Kane’s future at Bayern Munich, which remains in doubt, as he has just one year remaining on his current deal.
Bayern are keen to tie the England star down to fresh terms, as you’d expect, and the German side remain confident about keeping hold of him, but if they are unable to do so, City could be waiting in the wings to swoop in.
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Football FanCast’s Verdict |
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Credibility |
Man City already have Erling Haaland at striker, and trying to fit the Norwegian into the same team as Kane could be a difficult ask, which raises doubts about whether they would actually launch a move. |
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Finances |
However, the opportunity to sign the former Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer next summer could be too good to turn down, should he be unwilling to extend his stay at the Allianz Arena. |
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Insight |
Former footballer Pat Nevin believes the centre-forward is “one of the greats in world football”, and it is difficult to disagree, considering he’s amassed a whopping 146 goals and 33 assists in 147 games for Bayern. |
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Impact |
That said, signing the Bayern striker may only make sense if Haaland departs. The Norway star leaving isn’t beyond the realms of possibility though, with Real Madrid known to be keen. |
Harry Kane on the cusp of leading England to World Cup glory
Kane is two games away from becoming the first England captain to lift the World Cup on foreign soil, and just the second in history, after Bobby Moore in 1966.
The 32-year-old has scored six goals in six matches, crucially converting a penalty in the 3-2 round of 16 triumph against Mexico, which gave the Three Lions extra breathing room after going down to ten men.
The Ballon d’Or contender, who was Maresca’s dream target during his time with Chelsea, has now scored 85 goals for England, and 213 in the Premier League, making him the second-top scorer in top flight history.
However, signing Kane makes little sense unless Man City choose to cash-in on Haaland, unless Maresca switches to a system with two strikers.
