Manchester City are in talks to sign four new full-backs as they close in on a series of deals that would provide a stunning demonstration of their transfer market power, according to the Gambling Times.
Former Sky Sports journalist Graeme Bailey, who is a reliable source of transfer news, claimed the Abu Dhabi-owned club are preparing to make a huge splash in the summer window.
He reports for the Gambling Times website that City are in negotiations to sign right-back duo Dani Alves and Kyle Walker, and left-back pair Ryan Bertrand and Benjamin Mendy.
It is said that City could wrap up the signing of Juventus’ Alves, Tottenham’s Walker and Monaco’s Mendy “within the next 10 days” and that the signing of Southampton’s Bertrand could also follow later in the window.
Manager Pep Guardiola has made it clear to City’s super-rich owner that he wants a stronger squad than what he had to work with in a debut campaign that started promisingly but ultimately ended with no trophies and a third-place Premier League finish.
Among the key areas targeted for strengthening are the full-back positions, with veteran trio Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy all departed after their contracts expired this month.
Alves, 34, is the most likely to join first after he reached an agreement with Juventus earlier this week to leave one year before his contract was due to expire.
City are also hopeful of pushing through the transfer of Walker even though the Spurs asking price is now said to have climbed to £45million.