Manchester City transfer news

ATLETICO MADRID have joined the list of clubs keeping tabs on Ilkay Gundogan’s situation at Manchester City.The German international is into the final year of his contract at the Etihad and will be free to talk to clubs in January.
Ilkay Gundogan could depart Man City on a free transferCredit: Getty
And the fact he will be a free transfer if he decides to move in the summer means there will be no shortage of interest.
That would particularly appeal to Atletico who have been eliminated from the Champions League and will need to budget accordingly.
There is also likely to be interest from Germany – with Bayern Munich believed to be interested – while his boyhood favourites Galatasaray could also make a move.
Gundogan – who turned 32 last month – was named club captain at City at the start of the season following the departure of Fernandinho.
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He was Pep Guardiola’s first signing after taking over in 2016 and may feel the time is right for a fresh challenge.
City have not ruled out offering him an extension although they are likely to make a new midfielder their priority in the summer transfer market.
However, Gundogan’s wife could be pushing for him to change surroundings after she criticised the local cuisine in Manchester.
Stunning Italian Sara Arfaoui, 27, claimed it was all “horrible frozen food”.
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Gundogan has made 270 appearances since joining City, scoring 51 goals and adding 34 assists.
Even this season he continues to be a key player for Guardiola, with the ex-Borussia Dortmund star making 17 appearances so far.
As well as Atletico, Barcelona have also been reported to be keeping tabs on his situation.
Gundogan’s wife Sara Arfaoui might be up for a move More

MANCHESTER CITY’S shocking penalty record under Pep Guardiola has been revealed. And the data suggests that the worst offenders get flogged by the former Barcelona boss.
The penalty missed by Riyad Mahrez means Man City have missed 25 penalties under Pep GuardiolaCredit: AP
Gabriel Jesus converted just half of his penalties under GuardiolaCredit: EPA
Raheem Sterling has the worst penalty record under the City bossCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Since the Spaniard took over the reins at the Etihad City have taken 80 penalties – the most in the division – but only converted an appalling 55 of them.
It means they have a conversion rate of just 69 per cent.
Among players to have taken spot-kicks for Guardiola, Sergio Aguero leads the pack with 28 taken.
However, the Argentine has a success rate of just 71 per cent with 20 scored.
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Riyad Mahrez, who missed a penalty during the 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund, has an equal success rate of 71 per cent with 10 scored from a possible 14.
His overall career record makes even worse reading though, with 32 pens taken and 10 missed giving him a conversion rate of 69 per cent.
The worst offenders under Guardiola were both sold over the summer in the form of Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling and Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus converted his pens at a half rate, with five scored from 10 taken.
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But Sterling endured an even worse record, with a success rate of just 43 per cent as he scored just three of the seven he took.
Despite the record of 31-year-old Mahrez, the Algerian has been in negotiations over a contract extension before his City contract expires at the end of the season – which he will hope means he will not follow his former team-mates out of the door.
The only three players not to have missed a pen under Guardiola at City are Yaya Toure, Rodri and Erling Haaland, though between them they have only taken just six in total.
The remaining two players to have taken penalties for City since Guardiola arrived are both members of the current leadership group.
Ilkay Gundogan, who according to City’s website was elected as the club’s captain by his team-mates, has scored four of the six kicks he has taken.
Here’s the full table for Man City’s penalty takers
Meanwhile, Kevin de Bruyne enjoys the best conversation rate of those to have taken and missed pens in the past, scoring seven out of nine to earn a 78 per cent success rate.
Despite their profligate finishing from 12 yards, City are not have the worse takers in the division since Guardiola’s arrival.
Instead that title goes to Fulham, who have scored just 53 per cent of their penalties, while at the other end of the scale Brentford have scored 94 per cent of their kicks – the best in the division.
An argument could also be made in favour of the “big six” having a bias in their favour when it comes to being given penalties, with each of them coming in the top seven for penalties awarded.
Manchester United are second only to City in penalties taken with 76, while Tottenham enjoy the best success rate with 87 per cent of their kicks converted.
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Liverpool have taken 55 penalties in the time frame, missing just nine.
Chelsea and Arsenal have taken 66 and 47 kicks apiece, and have 86 per cent and 83 per cent conversion rates respectively.
How Premier League sides have fared from 12 yards since Guardiola took over More

SERGIO AGUERO revealed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola dropped him for being too FAT.The Argentine enjoyed a successful ten-year spell at City — winning five titles and  becoming the club’s  all-time top scorer on 260 goals.
Aguero revealed Guardiola dropped him for being too FATCredit: Getty
The Argentine was forced into early retirement due to a heart issueCredit: Getty
City boss Guardiola is strict on fitnessCredit: Getty
But the retired striker’s scoring success did not stop him being subject to Guardiola’s strict fitness rules after he was accused of being overweight by the Spaniard.
Aguero, 34, who was forced to quit the game with a heart issue, said: “In the first season he said: ‘I left you out because you turned up fat this week’. What was I going to say? He was right. These things happen.
“You come across a bit of chicken for example, then you are going to be 50 grams over.
“If your ideal weight is 79-80kg and you were 80 kilos and 100 grams you would be fined and you wouldn’t play. He said it in a good way.
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“At that time, I didn’t have his confidence. But I was always very respectful to the coaches.”  
Aguero also admitted he struggled to adapt to Guardiola’s pressing style at first.
He would press defenders and then be left no oxygen to attack.
Aguero says Guardiola “taught” him how to press.
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He added: “When I arrived, Guardiola asked me to press the centre backs a lot, and then I didn’t have oxygen to attack.
“I wasn’t used to press but Guardiola taught me the way to do it.” More

PEP GUARDIOLA often wows fans with his eye-catching fashion and Saturday’s game against Brighton was no different.The Manchester City boss prowled the touchline wearing jeans, a hoodie and trainers.
Guardiola opted for a casual look at the EtihadCredit: EPA
The Spaniard wore a jumper, jeans and trainersCredit: Getty
Fans have hailed Guardiola’s ‘drip’Credit: AP
Guardiola, 51, even had a massive “P” on his top, possibly to serve as a reminder of his name.
And the Spain legend’s “drip” has left fans all saying the same thing: Pep’s got style.
One said on Twitter: “Drip on.”
Another said: “Pep’s style is something else.
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The youthful look also had one fan branded him a “mafia boss”, while another likened him to a newly-divorced dad.
City were just as stylish as their manager on the pitch.
Striker Erling Haaland bagged a brace, taking his total goals tally to 22.
An astonishing 17 of those goals have come in the Premier League and it’s only October.
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It was the seventh occasion the 22-year-old has scored two or more goals in a game this term.
Kevin de Bruyne also got on the scoresheet, netting from long-range.
The game ended 3-1 in City’s favour, pushing them a point behind table-toppers Arsenal. More

ERLING HAALAND will become the first £1billion player, predicts his agent Rafaela Pimenta.Manchester City splashed out just £51million on the striker’s transfer fee in the summer.
Erling Haaland will become the first £1billion player according to his agentCredit: Getty
But additional fees for agents, bonuses and wages could take the total cost of the transfer to more than £300m.
Despite the eye-watering numbers, that could be a drop in the ocean compared to future deals concerning the Norwegian, as he has already added to his value with 20 goals in 14 games for City.
Real Madrid remain interested in Haaland and when asked how much she thinks Haaland will cost, Pimento told Sky Sport Italia: “One billion.
“That’s what I think because if you put together his football value, his image value, his sponsor value, it is for sure one billion.
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“And if you compare, it’s normal to compare Erling [Haaland] with [Kylian] Mbappe so you have a little bit of an idea of the market.
“I think Erling will be the first player to achieve a transfer that will be around one billion.”
Neymar’s £200m move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 remains the highest total paid for a player.
But his team-mate Mbappe could threaten that record if he seeks a move to Real Madrid.
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Haaland and Mbappe are tipped to succeed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s best.
But unlike Haaland, Mbappe is not happy at his current club and there is speculation he could make a £175m move amid interest from Liverpool and City.
However, the Frenchman could scupper his own chances of becoming the first £1bn star as he is reportedly considering buying himself out of his PSG contract.
As for Haaland, there are few teams who would be able to afford a package to take him away from the Etihad, so a £1bn transfer is unlikely to happen anytime soon. More

ILKAY GUNDOGAN is a shock target for Turkish club Galatasaray.The Germany international midfielder has less than a year left on his contract.
Galatasaray are eyeing Man City star Ilkay Gundogan, who is out of contract next yearCredit: Rex
City skipper Gundogan admitted in 2020 he would like to play in Turkey — the country of his descent — or the US once he leaves England.
But the 31-year-old has not ruled out staying if an offer was made.
However, his new wife Sara spoke last week about how she struggles to find good restaurants in the Manchester area.
He was Pep Guardiola’s first signing after taking over at City — moving for £20.4million in the summer of 2016.
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Now in his seventh season at the Etihad, Gundogan has scored 51 goals in 267 games.
The 62-time Germany international has won four Premier League titles under Guardiola.
And he has a host of admirers around the continent.
Free agent experts Juventus are reportedly keeping tabs.
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Meanwhile, Barcelona are on the hunt for a new midfielder next summer.
Should Gundogan leave City, Guardiola would likely dip into the market for an elite replacement.
Kalvin Phillips is yet to make an impact after his move from Leeds after struggling with injury.
And Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham is appreciated by City chiefs. More