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Manchester City want to sign a new midfielder and right-back this summer
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Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson leads Manchester City’s midfield wishlist
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City have monitored the right-back market for months amid Matheus Nunes heroics
Manchester City are targeting a new midfielder and a new right-back in the summer transfer window, as per reports.
The Blues are set for a significant summer of change at the Etihad Stadium, with director of football Hugo Viana expected to oversee another busy window as he continues to reshape Pep Guardiola‘s squad following the wide-ranging rebuild that began last summer.
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Midfield reinforcement has been City’s primary area of focus for some time, with the expected departure of club captain Bernardo Silva at the end of his contract in June set to leave a significant void in Guardiola’s engine room. The future of Rodri also remains unresolved amid interest from Real Madrid, adding further urgency to City’s midfield recruitment plans.
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The need for a specialist right-back has been on City’s radar for several months, having gone without a natural replacement for Kyle Walker – who departed the Etihad Stadium for Burnley last summer – since the former England captain’s exit.
Matheus Nunes has largely filled the void with considerable distinction, enjoying his best season in a Manchester City shirt since joining from Wolves for £53 million in 2023 in the makeshift role, though Viana has long been monitoring the market for a specialist option.
Report: Anderson leads City’s midfield wishlist
As reported by Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, City want to sign a new midfielder this summer, with Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson leading their wishlist. A new right-back is also on the cards.
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Anderson has been City’s primary midfield target for several months, with the club understood to have accelerated their interest in the England international ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The 23-year-old has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season and City believe they can beat Manchester United to his signature.
Forest, however, have set a lofty £100-120 million asking price for the Newcastle-born midfielder – a figure that represents a considerable hurdle for City, who are simultaneously managing uncertainty over Rodri’s contract situation and expected to invest across multiple positions this summer.
On the right-back front, Brentford‘s Michael Kayode and Feyenoord‘s Givairo Read have previously been among the names discussed within the Etihad Stadium as City scope the market for a long-term solution.
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Gaughan’s report does not name a specific target in the position, with City’s approach having been defined by patience rather than urgency as Nunes’ performances continue to provide adequate cover in the interim.
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What is the wider context for City’s summer rebuild?
The summer window is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent memory at the Etihad Stadium, with Viana facing the challenge of simultaneously addressing departures and reinforcing key positions without disrupting the momentum built under Guardiola in the second half of this season.
Silva’s exit will represent the end of an era, with the Portuguese having been one of the defining figures of City’s dominant run of success over the last decade and lifted his first trophy as club captain last month after the Blues beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
His departure, combined with the anticipated mass exodus of senior players at the end of their respective contracts, means Viana will need to move quickly and decisively to ensure the squad is equipped to challenge on multiple fronts in the seasons to come.
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Clarity over Guardiola’s own future will also be central to how the summer unfolds, with club executives having already formally approached the Catalan over whether he intends to see out the final year of his contract. The shape of City’s recruitment this summer is likely to hinge, at least in part, on the answer to that question.
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