According to reports from The Daily Mail yesterday evening, Manchester City have no less than three England internationals in their sights for the summer transfer window.
They’re set to lose veterans Frank Lampard, James Milner and Richard Wright this summer and will need to replace them with home-grown talent to adhere with the FA’s quotas. FA Chairman Greg Dyke also plans to increase the number of home-grown players in every Premier League squad from eight to twelve for the 2016/17 campaign onwards, as reported by The Guardian, so recruiting now will spare the Citizens a number of issues further down the line.
And according to The Mail, the first target on the Etihad radar is Arsenal star Jack Wilshere. With the Gunners squad now awash with midfielders and only two years remaining on the England international’s contract, they believe they can prize him away this summer – but his woeful injury record is a major concern for the Premier League champions.
They’re also keen on Liverpool duo Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson. As This Is Futbol informed you last week, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have already been linked to the former, whilst Henderson has also emerged as a potential target for Jose Mourinho.
The speculation stems from both England internationals being amid contract disputes. Sterling, 20, has reportedly rejected offers worth over £100k per-week to extend his current deal past 2017, whilst Henderson, 24, is yet to pen new terms on a contract that’s set to expire at the end of next season.
Despite all three veering towards the end of their current deals, The Mail believe they’d set City back in excess of £30m each. Sterling is valued at £50million, as reported by The Telegraph.