Man City’s midfield transfer options after Jude Bellingham Real Madrid blow

After months and months...and months of speculation, Jude Bellingham appears to have decided his next move.

Manchester City had genuine hope that they could persuade the 19-year-old to continue his career under the watchful eye of Pep Guardiola, but Real Madrid now look to be closing in on a deal after holding further talks with his representatives.

Bellingham's stock is perhaps the highest of any footballer in the world. Tipped for greatness on the world stage, he's had City, Real and Liverpool in the palm of his hands over the past 12 to 18 months, with each club putting forward their case that joining them would give him the best possible platform to showcase his talent.

City's argument is pretty compelling. They have Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland on their books - undoubtedly two of the best players in the world - and an overall squad that is the envy of every team in England and almost all in Europe.

They also have Guardiola at the helm until at least 2025, with his reputation as the world's top coach continuing to soar as City's dominance, which could yield a first Champions League success in June, continues.

But with Bellingham now out of their grasp, City must regroup and plan their next steps. Not only is a move for the future of England's midfield not happening, Bernardo Silva is pushing for an exit from the Etihad Stadium this summer and club captain Ilkay Gundogan could be joining him - the 32-year-old is out of contract and has attractive options to find a new challenge.

That leaves City, potentially, needing to rebuild a core part of their midfield, though luckily their extensive scouting of the transfer market means they are not short of options after missing out on Bellingham.

Declan Rice

Age: 24
Club: West Ham United

With just two years remaining on his contract this summer, the time for Declan Rice to leave West Ham appears to be now.

The 24-year-old is a star turn in both the defensive and box-to-box midfield role, and although he doesn't offer the same level of attacking threat that Bellingham does, his overall game is incredibly impressive and more than suitable for a team competing for honours.

Excellent at intercepting the ball in the passing lanes, Rice is also brilliant on the ball - he has superb close control, a burst of pace that rarely sees him outrun in midfield, and the ability to drive forward into space and be a threat in the final third (check out his goal against Gent in the Europa Conference League for evidence of that).

Renewed energy in midfield could be exactly what City need, particularly with Gundogan's departure looking more and more likely too. Arsenal and Chelsea are also interested in Rice, making a deal more complicated to complete, but he remains near the top of the club's shortlist.

Mateo Kovacic

Age: 28
Club: Chelsea

Not much more needs to be said about Chelsea's sorry 2022/23 campaign - but the obvious thing that needs emphasising is that good players will be departing this summer to reduce the size of the squad.

One of those leaving west London could be Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who has crept onto the radar of City, Manchester United and Liverpool in recent months and could be available for a reasonable, by Premier League standards at least, price.

Kovacic is another well-rounded midfielder who is more than capable of mixing it at the highest level, although he'd the first to admit that his performances for Chelsea during 2022/23 have been below par.

Florian Wirtz

Age: 20
Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Widely regarded as one of European football's brightest young prospects, Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz is firmly in City's crosshairs.

The German attacking midfielder would have been a bigger star than he is now were it not for a serious knee ligament sidelining him for nine months, but his stock has risen again after some impressive showings under Xabi Alonso.

Whether or not Wirtz will be allowed to leave Leverkusen is another matter - he's contracted to the club until 2027 - but Barcelona are also sniffing and Newcastle, soon to be Champions League qualifiers, are known to have been interested previously.

Gabri Veiga

Age: 20
Club: Celta Vigo

Another potential young gun for City to move for is Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga, though he'll be difficult to attain given the large amount of interest in his services.

The 20-year-old Spaniard is courting interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and a number of other clubs - Manchester United, Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham among his Premier League suitors - and is available for a relatively modest €40m - a release clause that was inserted into the new contract he signed last year.

However, the allure of playing for Guardiola could be a deciding factor in what Veiga decides to do next, with scouts parricularly impressed by his playmaking abilities and composure on the ball.

Alexis Mac Allister

Age: 24
Club: Brighton & Hove Albion

Another player attracting a significant amount of interest is one a little closer to home - Brighton's World Cup winner, Alexis Mac Allister.

The Argentine has enjoyed a wonderful season to help push the Seagulls towards European qualification next year, but it appears he is ready to take the next step in his career after honing his craft under Graham Potter and then Roberto De Zerbi.

The sticking point for City could be Brighton's lofty valuation of Mac Allister - they have proven with the sales of Ben White, Leandro Trossard and Marc Cucurella that they won't be bullied into selling players on the cheap - and he could command a fee of as much as £70m.

Money isn't an issue for City as Bellingham would have cost far more, but resale value in the future and Mac Allister's adaptability to different systems may be taken into consideration before any move is made.

Romeo Lavia

Age: 19
Club: Southampton

The most appealing option to Manchester City may be former academy graduate Romeo Lavia, who was allowed to join Southampton at the beginning of the season to play regular first team football.

Crucially, City inserted a buyback clause into the deal, though that £40m option doesn't become active until 2024. With Southampton looking more and more likely to be relegated, the Premier League champions elect may be forced to move quickly to secure the Belgian - Arsenal and Chelsea are showing serious interest.

The Saints are likely to sell to get the possible price, with Lavia a decent bet to actually become the most complete player overall.

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