Manchester City face €60 million transfer battle to sign Germany attacker | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City officials are among a wide array of European powerhouses aiming to sign the next breakthrough name in German football.

City are expected to make a few additions in the January 2026 transfer window after Hugo Viana ushered in a new era at the Etihad Stadium upon his appointment as director of football in the backdrop of Guardiola’s most challenging season in England.

The Blues made wholesale changes to their first-team squad in Viana’s first transfer window at the Etihad Stadium, with major names such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson, Kyle Walker and James McAtee all leaving the club permanently.

Guardiola’s side are in touching distance of Premier League leaders Arsenal ahead of Christmas and took a major step towards UEFA Champions League Round of 16 qualification last week by coming from behind to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, there remain areas in the squad that need improvement and Viana is expected to keep a close eye on the January market to bring in reinforcements to fuel Manchester City’s aspirations for silverware come the end of the season.

City have been heavily linked with a swoop for Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, who will be available for £65 million in January and has a wide list of suitors interested should the Cherries sanction a mid-season exit.

According to the information of Bild, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are also in the mix to sign FC Köln’s Said El Mala after attempts from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton.

It is suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side join Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona as being in the picture to sign the Germany Under-21 international, who has already ruled out a move in the upcoming winter market.

The report suggests that English clubs that have already expressed interest are offering between €30 million and €40 million, although they would still find it difficult to sign the 19-year-old next month.

Köln sporting director Thomas Kessler has also insisted on the lack of intent to do a deal in the coming weeks, recently saying: “I can be brief – no. Said has a long-term contract and he doesn’t have a release clause. As things stand today, there’s no reason to even consider it.

:If a club does come along and we, as Köln, have to consider whether it’s worthwhile to take this money now and reinvest it to improve the squad overall at the top level, then we will consider it at some point.”

Bild report themselves that the transfer figure for the player should be between €50 million, €60 million, or more in future.