Manchester City
Premier League • England
Man City identify ideal Cancelo replacement with Guardiola tipped to push for £30m Arsenal target
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly added Brentford’s Aaron Hickey to his shortlist of full-back targets ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 20-year-old gained worldwide attention after breaking onto the scene with Bologna after leaving Hearts in 2020, which saw him almost join Arsenal.
However, Brentford ultimately won the race for Hickey and they could be set to make a tidy profit on him this summer.
That is according to the Sun, who claim that Guardiola wants to sign a ‘couple’ of ‘new and modern’ wide defenders as he looks to revitalise his Man City squad.
Hickey has proved he can play at the top level on either side of the back four, despite starting out as a left-back for Hearts.
Brentford are allegedly ‘aware’ that that City are hot on his trail, following his successful switch to the Premier League from Bologna last summer.
So far, Hickey has featured 20 times for the Bees, with his team enjoying a memorable campaign – currently sitting in 10th place in the table.
A bid of £30m would reportedly be required to secure Hickey’s services, so City will have to put their money where their mouth is to get a deal over the line.
Hickey could replace Walker, Cancelo next season
Joao Cancelo joined Bayern Munich a shock loan move in January and it is expected that he will leave Man City permanently at the end of the season.
While the German giants will most likely turn down the opportunity to bring him in for £60m, Real Madrid have recently emerged as the favourites to sign the Portuguese star.
As a result, Guardiola is looking to sign another versatile defender this summer, with Hickey now top of his shortlist.
Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson is another of the manager’s top targets, but with Fulham demanding a big fee for his services, it seems City would now prefer to bring in Hickey, instead.
Guardiola has always put an emphasis on the importance of his full-backs, stating recently that Kyle Walker ‘cannot do’ the inverted wing-back role he employs so often in his systems.
The 32-year-old played 90 minutes in the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United on Saturday. However, interestingly he is now being linked with a move to the Blades, who will be playing in the Premier League next season.
With that in mind, Hickey could be tasked with replacing Walker and Cancelo next season, if City do indeed bring him in this summer.