Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly identified a La Liga midfielder as a potential replacement for Julian Alvarez.
At the beginning of August, the Citizens confirmed the club-record sale of Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for a reported £82m after the versatile forward enjoyed two hugely successful seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
Alvarez scored 36 goals and registered 18 assists in 103 appearances for Man City and won a total of six trophies, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League.
However, the 24-year-old Argentina international decided to leave as he was keen to gain regular first-team football and not experience another campaign playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland.
Man City did not recruit a replacement for Alvarez in the final few weeks of the transfer window, instead re-signing Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer from Barcelona, but they are expected to delve into the transfer market next year if the right player becomes available.
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Guardiola wants Man City to 'closely follow' Sancet
According to Football365, Man City could make a move for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Oihan Sancet in 2025.
The report claims that Guardiola has told club directors Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano to follow the 24-year-old 'very closely' this season as they draw up possible replacements for Alvarez, and also Kevin De Bruyne, 33, and Bernardo Silva, 30, who have been tipped to leave in the near future.
Sancet joined Athletic's academy in 2015 and worked his way through their youth ranks before making his senior debut in August 2019.
The versatile midfielder, who can operate centrally or out wide, has since established himself as a key first-team player and has made a total of 161 appearances in all competitions, scoring 27 goals and providing 15 assists.
Sancet was unfortunate to not be selected in Spain's triumphant Euro 2024 squad, and he has also been left out of Luis de la Fuente's most recent squad for this month's international break ahead of Nations League matches with Serbia and Switzerland.
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Nevertheless, Sancet is rated highly by Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde, who is said to view the midfielder as a 'totally essential' player in his first-team plans.
Sancet, who has already scored two goals in four La Liga matches this season, is said to be one of the best paid players at Athletic and is under contract until 2032.
Should Man City wish to lure the Spaniard away from Athletic, they would allegedly have to pay €80m (£67.5m) for his services.
Who else could Man City sign to replace Alvarez?
Another name who is believed to be high on Man City's radar is Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala, with one recent report claiming that they are 'determined' to sign the 21-year-old and teammate Joshua Kimmich in 2025.
The Citizens are also understood to have a long-standing admiration for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, who could be available for around £60m in 2025 due to a release clause in his contract.
West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta is another who has been linked with Man City in previous transfer windows, but their interest has cooled since the Brazilian was charged by the Football Association with misconduct in relation to alleged betting breaches.
Oliver Thomas
