Much of the current transfer activity at the Etihad Stadium concerns potentially outgoing players rather than incoming players, as City boss Pep Guardiola looks to make his assault on the Premier League and Champions League front with essentially the same squad as last season.
Whilst City remain linked with unsettled Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez and Monaco full-back Benjamin Mendy, nothing of substance has happened over recent weeks. Tottenham Hotspur are still holding out for much more than City are willing to pay for England fullback Kyle Walker, but that deal also seems unlikely to happen.
Dani Alves, who officially left Juventus last week, seems a more viable option for Guardiola, but he is currently on holiday in his native Brazil, and is not looking to discuss anything until he flies back to Europe. But at 34, Alves would only be offered a very expensive short-term contract, despite there being no actual fee to pay for him.
Kelechi Iheanacho has been told he can leave City, and Leicester City look favourites to land the striker, after interest and competition from West Ham United cooled. Iheanacho will cost in the region of £25 million, but this hasn’t put off Leicester, who will look to seal the deal as soon as the player returns from his own summer vacation.
Joe Hart is another player that looks set to exit the club for good and he has clearly fallen out of favour with Guardiola now wants to release the player fully rather than send him out on another loan. Newcastle United are very keen to land the England international shot stopper, but face competition from several clubs, including West Ham United and Aston Villa.
It seems likely that Guardiola will have to attack the domestic and European titles he so desperately craves with the likes of Yaya Toure, Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany, despite his comments that the players his predecessor Manuel Pellegrini had brought in had ‘outgrown’ the team and needed replacing. Something it seems much easier to say than actually do.
