Manchester City’s season could still end with a trophy after they advanced to the FA Cup final last weekend, but it certainly hasn’t been a vintage Pep Guardiola year.
One of the key issues identified for City is their ageing midfield, with Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic moving beyond their best years and still heavily relied upon.
But the Sky Blues could be readying a move to solve this, with a surprise former Norwich City man in the frame.
Manchester City activate shock Galatasaray move
With De Bruyne leaving at the end of the season, City have been linked with the likes of Florian Wirtz – ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now – to refresh Guardiola’s central unit.
But news has emerged that the Premier League side are going after a much shrewder, and cheaper, option from the Turkish Super Lig.
According to a report from French outlet Foot Mercato, City have held surprise initial talks with Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara.
Fans in England are most likely to remember the Brazilian from his two Championship seasons with Norwich – the last a 25-goal-involvment campaign before his £20m move to the Turkish side last summer.
He has been less prolific for his new employers, notching just two goals and eight assists, but has been exposed to continental competitions for the first time via participation in the Europa League.
Nevertheless, given his lack of experience in one of Europe’s top five leagues and names like Wirtz also on the wishlist at the Etihad, this Sara link will come as a surprising twist to many, not least Sheffield United, credited with an interest by Turkish media.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, the success of any move for Sara will depend heavily on City’s plan for him.
If they’re looking for him to play 50 games a season and replace the creativity of one of Guardiola’s senior midfield men, it could be something of a gamble given his lack of top-level experience.
However, if they’re viewing Sara as a rotation option – a role he would surely still be happy with at a club like City, under a manager like Guardiola – this could be a shrewd investment.
Sara is estimated to be worth €22m, according to Transfermarkt. City next face Wolverhampton Wanderers when Premier League action returns this weekend.
