Manchester City have had a very quiet transfer window so far, having only brought in one new player. This summer, they are coming off the back of a season in which they reclaimed just one of their three titles won during their famous treble season of 2022/23. They once again pipped Arsenal to the Premier League title.
Brazilian starlet Savio is their only incoming so far. They paid sister club Troyes £30.8m to bring the exciting winger to the Etihad Stadium. The move comes after an impressive season on loan at Girona, another of the Cityzens’ sister clubs.
In terms of outgoings, there could be one major transfer happening this summer at City. Savinho’s countryman Ederson has been subject to plenty of interest from Saudi Arabia, and Pep Guardiola accepted the fact that he could explore “other options” which might see him leave the club. However, the legendary manager did suggest that Kevin De Bruyne would stay at City beyond the transfer window.
With the transfer window hotting up, the Blues could well begin to accelerate their transfer incomings this summer. Recently, they have been linked with one Premier League star to enhance their attacking quality.
Man City target Premier League midfielder
The player in question here is Crystal Palace and England attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old shone for the Eagles last season and has now been linked with a big move away from Selhurst Park this summer.
According to a report from talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, on the Premier League All Access Podcast, City are one of the sides who are interested in signing the England international this summer.
However, they are not thought to be the frontrunners. North London side Tottenham are also in the race to sign Eze, and Crook explains that the Lilywhites’ “interest is more advanced” than the eight-time Premier League champions. For City, it is a move that depends on De Bruyne’s future.
Should Guardiola’s side decide to sign Eze this summer, he is likely to cost around £60m. Palace are not thought to be willing to accept an offer any lower than that, according to BBC Sport's Alex Howell.
Why Eze would be a good signing
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder thrived under Oliver Glasner towards the back end of last season for Palace. Eze had an impressive campaign, scoring 11 times and grabbing four assists in just 27 Premier League games. However, he scored an incredible six goals and grabbed three assists in just 11 games under the Austrian, a run which helped him secure a spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad.
Eze is an enterprising attack-minded midfielder, who thrives between the lines and excels when drifting in from the left and getting on the ball in pockets of space behind the striker. Football analyst Ben Mattinson explained that the Palace number ten “brings the flair” to his side, and he could certainly transfer this over to the Etihad Stadium if a deal goes through.
He could be the dream replacement for De Bruyne if the Belgian does end up departing City either this summer or in 12 months' time.
The 26-year-old is a wonderful ball-carrier, one of the most prominent features of his game. He rides tackles smoothly and can change direction quickly thanks to his quick feet. He could excel playing in front of Rodri, who Guardiola said is “the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far”.
The Euro 2024 winner with Spain is superb defensively and would give Eze a real licence to get forward. He is one of the world’s best ball winners, and according to FBref, averages 7.12 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 9%.
Having Rodri behind him frees up Eze from lots of defensive responsibility that he would normally have had at Selhurst Park. Ironically, Eze is good out of possession himself, averaging 5.91 ball recoveries per game according to FBref, which ranks him in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season in the Premier League.
Not only that, the 26-year-old would be playing in a side with the highest average possession in the Premier League last season. According to Sofascore, the Cityzens had an average of 65.4% of the ball each game, more than any other side.
With that in mind, we could see Eze thrive under Guardiola in a team where he will have plenty of the ball. His aforementioned dribbling ability could shine under the tutelage of the Spaniard, as he would be able to constantly get on the ball in attacking areas. His impressive dribbling skills are also reflected in his FBref stats.
The 26-year-old attempts an average of 6.13 take-ons per 90, and completed 3.02 of those take-ons. That ranks him in the top 7% and 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season in the Premier League respectively. During the 2023/24 top-flight campaign last season, Eze also averaged 2.67 carries into the final third and 1.88 carries into the penalty area each game.
He is also a wonderful creative influence in the final third. City have an embarrassment of riches in that department already, so adding Eze to that firepower would be overwhelming for the rest of the Premier League.
Last season in the Premier League, the England international averaged 4.07 progressive passes and played an average of 2.37 key passes each game, the latter of which ranked him in the top 12% of attacking midfielders wingers.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Stat (per 90)
Number
Progressive passes
4.07
Passes into final third
2.10
Passes into penalty box
1.97
Key passes
2.37
Expected assists
0.25xA
Should City get a deal for Eze over the line this summer, it could be an environment in which he thrives. The midfielder loves to put on a show with the ball at his feet, and with reduced responsibility due to playing with Rodri, he could reach new heights at City.
£60m is an expensive fee, but City have the money and could need to replace De Bruyne in the near future. It certainly seems like it would be a wonderful signing if they get a deal done.
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