Pep Guardiola outlines Manchester City summer targets amid Florian Wirtz and Andrea Cambiaso interest | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has provided a peak through the curtain into the qualities possessed by his ideal player ahead of a major revamp at the Etihad Stadium.

City secured the signings of Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis for a combined £181.5 million in January to begin a change in guard that will see several first-team stalwarts depart the club in the summer.

Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Matheus Nunes, Ederson and Mateo Kovacic have all been linked with a move away from City at the end of the season.

City need to part ways with the deadwood in an ageing squad that has struggled to cope with the physical demands of competing on all fronts this season – having been at the pinnacle of English football since 2017 and won a treble in 2023.

However, it is time to recruit new blood and incoming sporting director Hugo Viana – who will take over from Txiki Begiristain – will be back Guardiola with major funds in the summer to do what he needs to do and get City challenging domestically and in Europe next term.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso have been reported to be high on Manchester City’s transfer wishlist ahead of the 2025-26 season.

In an interview with TNT Sports this week, Guardiola was asked about the profile of player he will look to recruit as part of a significant upcoming revolution at the Etihad Stadium.

“Good ones, physical ones, strong ones mentally, but it (the transfer activity) belongs to the club,” the 54-year-old said. “The club have an incredible scouting department and see what they can bring, what they can use with me as a manager, or a new manager, what they have to do.”

Guardiola put an end to speculation around his future by signing a two-year deal in November that will keep him in Manchester City colours till 2027 – by which time the Spaniard will have completed 11 years in the English top-flight.

He continued: “So in those terms, the club is in good hands. I don’t know if we’ll be able to achieve what we achieved in the past. I don’t know if City – in the next seven years – are going to win six Premier Leagues, get 100 points, the treble or the quadruple.

“Many things you take a little step back and review what you have done. It will be difficult to achieve, but that is not the target. The target is to be competitive in all the competitions every season, with the good contenders that we have challenging us.

“The club will be better. The reality is that the middle class of the Premier League is rising incredibly – the physicality, the tempo, the rhythm, the quality, with the ball, in all departments. I’m really impressed in that in terms of what they are able to do.”