From Italy: AC Milan and Juventus drawn to potential transfer of Manchester City star in 2026 | OneFootball

One name within Pep Guardiola’s squad is reportedly of primary interest to two of Italian football’s biggest clubs ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window.

Guardiola’s squad underwent major upheaval in the recent window as Hugo Viana conducted a thorough audit of the first-team ranks upon his appointment as sporting director – in the backdrop of a dismal, trophyless season at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City fell miserably short of their own high standards by all accounts last term, only finishing third in the Premier League with their lowest points tally in the league under Guardiola (71), exiting the UEFA Champions League at the Round of 16 stage and losing the 2025 FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.

Viana replaced long-serving Manchester City executive Txiki Begiristain in the summer and signed off on the exits of several senior stars beyond their respective primes and engineered the signings of seven new names in his first window at the Etihad Stadium.

City are not expected to be as active in the January 2026 transfer window after making a decent start to the 2025-26 campaign that has catapulted them into the conversation for the Premier League title and laid the foundations for improving upon last season’s Round of 16 finish in the UEFA Champions League.

Executives at the Etihad Stadium will be conducting mandatory mid-season reviews of several season-long loanees, with Claudio Echeverri a hot topic of discussion given the dismay behind the scenes in Manchester over the manner in which the Argentine star’s loan has progressed so far.

Bernardo Silva and John Stones are two senior stars who have been allowed to enter the final years of their respective contracts, with uncertainty surrounding the future(s) of the pair as they enter the last six months of their deals.

Silva, in particular, has attracted strong interest from Benfica and has gone so far as admitting that he has made a decision on his club future – which is expected to be made public in the spring of 2026 – to allow Manchester City ample time to recruit a replacement for the club captain.

According to the information of Italian newspaper Calciomercato, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, both AC Milan and Juventus are also drawn to the situation of Silva, who will not have a dearth of suitors amid uncertainty over his Manchester City future.

Both clubs reportedly believe the Manchester City captain can still perform at the highest level beyond this season, with an indication that the 31-year-old would like to stay in European football, even amid the possibility of interest from Saudi Arabia.

Such is the level of interest from both Milan and Juventus, it is claimed that both sides have already made contact to find out about the midfielder’s plans, although his €10 million-per-year salary would be a problem.

It remains to be seen what the coming months hold for Silva but Viana and Guardiola will be working behind the scenes to talk the Portugal international into signing an extension and once again rebutting interest in his services from elsewhere in Europe.