Man City transfer news: Four depart in Deadline Day cull

Man City transfer news: Guardiola approves €50m Laporte deal

03 May

The French are flavour of the month at the Etihad it seems, with The Guardian reporting that Manchester City "have agreed to pay the €50m (£39m) release clause" to sign French defender Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao.

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The Citizens were first linked with the 21-year-old in the new year transfer window and they've bided their time for the centre-back who has long been a favourite of Pep Guardiola.

It's believed that the incoming City manager ordered the board to pay Bilbao what they wanted for Laporte, despite the fact he's sidelined until August with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. The Guardian, citing Basque newspaper EITB as its source, says that City have told Athletic that they are "willing to meet his release clause".

And another youngster in City's sights, reports the Daily Mail, is Paris Saint-Germain teenager Jonathan Ikone. The paper says that City and Liverpool have both "expressed their interest" in the precocious young winger who is also being monitored by Juventus. Ikone turned 18 on Monday and the France Under-17 international could soon be enjoying a late birthday present, provided one of his suitors pays PSG £1.2m in compensation for the player who's come through their youth system in the last six years.

Man City transfer news: Pep hunts Busquets and Walcott

29 April

The alarm bells are ringing in Barcelona with Sergio Busquets creeping ever closer to the Camp Nou exit. According to Talksport, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United "are ready to pounce" if the veteran midfielder can't agree a new deal with the Catalan club.

It's reported that the 27-year-old is struggling to make ends meet on his current wage of £120,000-a-week and he has requested that his salary be "bumped up by £30,000" before the bailiffs move in. But Talksport says that Barcelona are reluctant to put Busquets on £150,00 a week and that's given heart to the trio of English clubs.

The Citizens are said to be leading the chase for the Spaniard with incoming manager Pep Guardiola eager to be reunited with the playmaker he coached for four years. In fact, according to Goal.com City's biggest rivals are likely to be Paris Saint-Germain "who are ready to pay €100m" for Busquets.

Taking Marca as their source, Goal.com adds that PSG are confident they'll beat the English clubs to the hand of the Spaniard.

Another player City might miss out on is Aaron Cresswell. The West Ham full-back has been linked to West Ham and the Citizens but Goal.com reports that Hammers gaffer Slaven Bilic is optimistic that the 26-year-old will be at the club next season when they move into the Olympic Stadium. "I spoke to him," said Bilic. "First, he is under contract and second, and more importantly, he is really happy here and can't wait for the future."

But might the Sky Blues have more luck with Theo Walcott? The Evening Standard boasts an exclusive with the news that Guardiola is a "keen admirer" of the 27-year-old Arsenal winger and "has asked City to monitor Walcott's situation closely". The wide-man is rumoured to be unsettled at the Emirates what with his lack of game time, and the prospect of following a clutch of his former teammates - including Bacary Sagna and Samir Nasri - on the well-trod path to the Etihad might hold some appeal.

Man City transfer news: Barcelona warn Guardiola off Neymar

21 April

There's no chance of Neymar leaving the Camp Nou in the summer. That's according to Barcelona director Jordi Mestre, who was responding to recent rumours suggesting the creaking Catalan club could sell the Brazilian frontman as they look to rejig their squad ahead of next season.

Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have all been linked with Neymar in recent weeks but website Caughtoffside reports that the 24-year-old South American sharpshooter will not be sold in the summer.

"Of course not," snapped Mestre, when asked by Barca TV if Neymar could be on his way out of the club. "That is something that keeps coming up, but I have said it many times – we are delighted with Neymar. And Neymar will not be sold. We have not even thought about doing it."

The bullish assertions of Mestre aren't shared by the Barcelona faithful, however, with the Daily Mail reporting the findings of a survey conducted by Spain's Diario Sport on Wednesday, which showed that of 7,000 fans questioned, 61 per cent want the club to cash in on Neymar's buy-out clause of £150m.

Of course those fans may have changed their minds after Barcelona thrashed Deportivo la Coruna 8-0 and Neymar ended his five-game goal drought.

Man City transfer news: Guardiola in Paul Pogba power struggle

20 April

Pep Guardiola could be on a collision course with Manchester City before he even arrives at the Etihad after seeing his sights on Paul Pogba to be his marquee signing this summer.

The former Man United midfielder, now at Juventus, was a City target last year, but the club were unprepared to meet his £71m fee and were also put off by his personal demands.

However, "the French midfielder is among the incoming manager's top targets when he takes over at the Etihad at the end of the season", reports the Manchester Evening News.

However, Guardiola will have a hard task persuading his new paymasters to sanction the deal. "The club's hierarchy are wary of another summer of protracted negotiations with Juve," says the paper.

Pogba's price has risen to around £80m in the 12 months since City's last attempt to sign him, although Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has said even that amount would not convince him to sell.

Meanwhile, any hopes Guardiola may have had of bringing goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with him from Bayern Munich have been dashed after the German keeper signed a new five-year contract with the Bundesliga outfit.

"Neuer, whose previous deal was due to expire in the summer of 2019, follows his team-mates Jerome Boateng, Thomas Muller, David Alaba and Javi Martinez in committing his future to the club until 2021," reports The Guardian.

Man City transfer news: Demichelis done, no news on Gundogan

19 April

Pep Guardiola and Martin Demichelis may meet at the front gates of the Etihad this summer, but they will be heading in different directions, as Talksport reports that the Manchester City defender will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The centre-back's contract runs out next month and there's no indication that he'll pen another deal with the Sky Blues, indeed he has not featured for City since a leaden-footed performance in the Manchester derby last month.

The Spanish media says that Valencia believe the 35-year-old still has another couple of seasons in his experienced legs and are tempted by the thought of taking Demichelis on a free transfer. Having missed out on Champions League football next season, Valencia are required to tighten their belt and a swoop for Demichelis would please the bean counters.

And after weeks of rumours that Guardiola had agreed his first deal as City boss, the Spaniard was in no mood to discuss the possibility of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan joining him at the Etihad when asked by reporters, says Goal.com.

It's believed that City are in talks with the German club to sign the 25-year-old playmaker but when pressed on the matter at a press conference ahead of Bayern Munich's German cup clash tonight with Werder Bremen, Guardiola snarled: "I am the coach of Bayern Munich."

Not that that's stopped the Daily Mail predicting that City are confident of finalising the £23m transfer of Gundogan within the coming weeks after they "ironed out details on a five year contract for the Germany international".

Man City transfer news: Alvaro Morata to follow Ilkay Gundogan

18 April

As Manchester City look to finish the season in style, the Manchester Evening News reports that they are also pulling out the stops in the transfer market.

Apparently Juventus striker Alvaro Morata is being "lined up to replace Wilfried Bony" at the Etihad with the 23-year-old having caught the eye of the Sky Blues owners during the clash between the two clubs in the Champions League earlier this season.

Real Madrid, who sold the forward to Juventus in 2014, are also said to be contemplating a move for the player and could trigger a buy-back clause in his contract. However, the MEN says instead they will make a bid for Paul Pogba in the summer.

And the local Manchester paper also claims that City, who beat Chelsea at the weekend, have "finally agreed on a deal" for Ilkay Gundogan, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder who comes with a £30m price tag. Incoming City manager Pep Guardiola has been chasing Gundogan for weeks and the two clubs are said to have agreed terms for the transfer with an official announcement to be made next month.