Man City transfer plans include signing key England duo
Manchester City’s future transfer plans involve trying to sign England duo Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, 90min understands.
Saka and Bellingham enjoyed impressive World Cup tournaments, despite the Three Lions' defeat to France at the quarter-final stage, and enhanced their growing reputations as two of the brightest young players in the game.
Both had been heavily linked away with moves away from their respective clubs, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund, before the World Cup, and the speculation over their future is set to intensify after their stellar performances for Gareth Southgate's side.
Premier League champions Manchester City hammered out a new two-year deal with manager Pep Guardiola in December, committing the Spaniard to the club until 2025, and 90min understands that plans are being drawn up to strengthen his squad with both Saka and Bellingham.
City have held an interest in Saka for a long time and are taking an active interest in his contract talks with Arsenal, which have been dragging on for well over 12 months. 90min revealed in November that the Gunners are willing to make Saka the highest paid player at the club, and are desperate to tie him down as his current deal runs out in 2024.
Saka's representatives are due to sit down with Arsenal for further talks now that his World Cup adventure is over - where Arsenal hope he will commit to being the face of Mikel Arteta's project moving forward - but if he doesn't agree to renew it's likely that City will be given the green light to pursue a move in 2023.
Harry Symeou hosts Andy Headspeath, Quentin Gesp and Jack Gallagher to look back on the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia - join us!
If you can’t see the podcast embed, click here to download or listen to the episode in full!
As for Bellingham, he is also set to discuss his long-term future with his representatives and family, although Borussia Dortmund are hopeful that he will remain in Germany for at least another year.
Indeed, the Bundesliga giants hope they can negotiate an improved contract with Bellingham that would include a release clause - something that his current deal does not currently have - having seen Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho leave under similar circumstances to varying degrees of success.
Sources have told 90min that Bellingham is still considering his options, which as well as staying in Germany include moving back to England with City or Liverpool – who are very much the leading Premier League contenders for his signatures - or joining European champions Real Madrid.
Liverpool have indeed been working hard in the background, but 90min has been told that City firmly believe that while Bellingham has friends at Anfield, the prospect of working with Guardiola and the opportunity to team up again with Erling Haaland could be key to luring him to the Etihad.
Sources have also stated that City would not be trying to persuade Bellingham to move to the club if they did not believe there was a real chance of landing him – but the task is not easy with both Madrid and Liverpool believed to be putting compelling cases to the teenager.
A move to the Spanish capital would see Bellingham link up with a star studded young squad that includes the likes of Vinicius Junior, Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, while a future deal for Brazilian wonderkid Endrick has also been announced.
