Even if Manchester City don't sign anyone else they would have already had a great transfer window.
Adding the world's best young striker in Erling Haaland to a squad that was only missing a clinical goalscorer seems like a move that can't fail. The strongest squad in the Premier League has suddenly got even stronger.
Yet Pep Guardiola would like to make a couple more additions in order to make City almost faultless. Left-back has long been a position ignored with stand-ins like Joao Cancelo and Aleks Zinchenko drafted there instead, but a move for Brighton's Marc Cucurella would give some natural depth to the position.
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A new midfielder is also on the agenda to offset the departure of captain Fernandinho, who allowed his contract to expire this summer in order to see out his playing days in his native Brazil. While City shouldn't feel his loss too much on the pitch as Rodri ousted him as chief defensive-midfielder some time ago, his departure still leaves a gap that needs to be filled.
The Blues have settled on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips as their ideal signing to do just that and it would be a canny move. After improving exponentially under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, Phillips will be more than accustomed to the hard work and intricate tactical detail that comes with playing for Guardiola and he proved while representing England at Euro 2020 that he can play at the highest level when the pressure is on.
There are added incentives such as Phillips being a homegrown player, already being familiar with the Premier League and not being too expensive, even if Leeds can hold out for a higher price after they staved off relegation, for a player who isn't guaranteed to be a starter every week. Yes, the Leeds-born battler would be an astute addition to the side.
But signing Phillips while Frenkie de Jong could potentially be signed instead seems like a massive mistake.
Even though he couldn't be better suited to them, Barcelona appears desperate to cash in on De Jong, one of their few expendable assets, as doing so is the only way they will be able to fund their latest splurge on ageing megastars. Meaning, even though he has repeatedly stated he wants to remain at the Camp Nou, the Dutchman could well be forced out of the door this summer.
But the only team to have shown a real interest as of yet is Manchester United. De Jong's former manager at Ajax, Erik ten Hag, has taken over the hot seat at Old Trafford and has identified his fellow Dutchman as the perfect man to implement his philosophy on the pitch as soon as possible.
It would be quite the coup if United manage to pull it off, especially as they're so unappealing for top-quality players at present. They have just come off their worst ever Premier League campaign and there are no guarantees that Ten Hag will get them back up the ladder any time soon. Then, of course, there is the lack of Champions League football.
If United is De Jong's only choice at present then it's hard to imagine him not leaping at the chance to join a club which is playing in Europe's top competition so City could probably sign him with ease if they wished. The 25-year-old may be more expensive than Phillips but, with Leeds' leverage, it may only be around £20million or so more and that's not a massive increase considering how much better De Jong is.
De Jong is a player perfectly created for a Guardiola side and he would have no trouble in seamlessly fitting into the Blues' midfield. While he isn't a dedicated defensive-midfielder, he can certainly play the role if required and his versatility would make him much more useful elsewhere in the middle.
While the holding role is the priority this summer, City will soon have to refresh their midfield options further up the pitch. Ilkay Gundogan has a year remaining on his contract, is 31 and there were whispers of him wanting a move a few weeks back. Kevin De Bruno is now 30 and there is always speculation regarding Bernardo Silva's future.
Bringing in De Jong would immediately alleviate any concerns City may have for their midfield and bring in a ready-made succession plan for the time any of those three decide to depart or go past their peak. Just as they did with signing Rodri to replace Fernandinho.
Phillips could well do all of those things but De Jong is a cut above and for a relatively minor price increase City would be foolish not to divert their focus in that direction instead.
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