Manchester City have seen three reported transfer targets take significant steps toward staying with their current clubs – a setback to their ongoing squad rebuild.
The club’s dominance in English football has taken a dramatic downturn this season.
After securing a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title last May, City have been out of the title race for the 2024/25 season since November, following an uncharacteristic losing streak they couldn’t fully recover from.
The landscape is shifting, with many of the players who have been central to their success in recent years now on the wrong side of 30.
Kevin De Bruyne’s summer departure has already been confirmed, with the club opting against offering the veteran midfielder a new contract.
The rebuilding process began in earnest in January, when Manchester City spent over £170m on four new players.
However, this investment has only begun to address the squad’s needs, with several key positions still requiring attention.
One such area is right-back, which has remained understrength since Kyle Walker’s January departure.
The City stalwart had already seen his form decline significantly in the months prior.
Links to Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz emerged due to his stellar season, with the Colombia international having been signed for just €8m from Genk in January 2024.
However, The Athletic reports that Munoz has signed a new and improved contract with Palace, extending his stay until beyond 2027.
City had also been keen on Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, who is capable of playing on both the right and left.
While Juventus had been willing to sell the 27-year-old for financial reasons, Gazzetta dello Sport now reports that a timely investment from the club’s owner has “almost radically changed” their approach to the summer market.
Along with Kenan Yildiz, Cambiaso has “returned to the centre of the sporting project.”
While sales are not entirely off the table, Juventus are now in a stronger financial position and are likely to reject any bids that would have previously been deemed acceptable.
Meanwhile, hopes of signing Real Betis midfielder Sergi Altimira have also faded.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Altimira was on City’s shortlist in January, with the midfield still an area in need of reinforcement, especially with De Bruyne leaving and Ilkay Gundogan aging.
However, Betis and Altimira have reached an agreement on a new contract, with the deal reportedly “sealed.”
The new contract increases his release clause to €60m (£52m), making the 23-year-old a much more expensive target.
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