Man City considering mammoth £150m attacker signing in January to obliterate Premier League transfer record

Manchester City fully intend to splash the cash in January and a report claims a record-shattering move for their heir to Kevin De Bruyne is being weighed up.

The wheels have come off for Man City this season, with Rodri’s season-ending ACL injury combining with an ageing squad and a lack of re-investment to devastating effect.

According to a recent update from The Athletic, Man City are in ‘rude financial health’ heading into the upcoming winter window. Trusted reporter David Ornstein declared “money is not an issue” for Pep Guardiola’s side next month and the manager has publicly declared his side will strengthen.

Ahead of yet more dropped points in the Boxing Day stalemate with Everton, Guardiola said: “We have to add players, definitely.

“You know, we struggle – especially at the back and in the middle so I think we have to. But saying that, I do not know what is going to happen.

“The transfer window in winter is not easy but everyone is aware of that. Even our players are aware of our situation and what we need to do.”

Athletic reporters Ornstein and Anantaajith Raghuraman both suggested that one of the positions Man City will address is attacking midfield.

That is the position Kevin De Bruyne has locked up for the better part of the last decade, though the great Belgian is now 33 and out of contract at season’s end.

READ MORE: The key contract details of every Man City first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…

Amid tempting interest from multiple MLS sides and a curious reluctance from Guardiola to use De Bruyne in November and December, the City icon’s days at the Etihad look numbered.

And according to a fresh update from Caught Offside, Man City could sign their De Bruyne replacement and demolish the Premier League’s transfer record at the same time.

They stated Man City are ‘considering whether to make a move’ for Bayern Munich and Germany talisman, Jamal Musiala.

The attacking midfielder may only be 21, though he’s already established himself as a bona fide superstar for both club and country.

Musiala has returned figures of 20 goal contributions in 22 matches for Bayern this term. Caught Offside claimed he’s valued by Bayern in the €170m-€180m (£141m-£150m) range, and a transfer anywhere in that region would obliterate the EPL’s transfer record with regards to arrivals.

The current record-holder remains Moises Caicedo by way of his £115m (add-ons included) transfer from Brighton to Chelsea in 2023.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Fraser Gillan, has consistently reported on Man City’s interest in Musiala throughout the second half of 2024.

Gillan has repeatedly been informed Guardiola is a huge admirer of Musiala who has long been viewed as a perfect tactical fit for the Spaniard.

How Musiala’s contract talks with Bayern are faring

The obvious question to ask is if Musiala is so important to Bayern, why would they sell?

The key to discovering the answer to that question lays in Musiala’s contract situation. Indeed, he only has 18 months left on his current deal and Bayern are frantically attempting to tie him down to a fresh terms.

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg dropped an update on how negotiations were faring just before Christmas.

While Plettenberg noted there are several “key points of disagreement” between Musiala and Bayern, he did state the player’s preference at this stage is re-signing in Bavaria.

“There is still no full agreement between FC Bayern, Jamal Musiala, and his management regarding a contract extension beyond 2026,” wrote Plettenberg on X.

“Key points of disagreement remain: salary, contract length, and the inclusion of an exit clause for Musiala.

“Bayern expect concessions from Musiala soon. However, it’s important to note that Musiala still wants to extend his contract. The goal is to reach an agreement by January 2025.”

Latest Man City news – Huge Guardiola future update

In other news, David Ornstein has delivered an emphatic update on speculation City’s crisis could result in Guardiola either being sacked or resigning from his post.

‘Despite City’s recent slump, manager Pep Guardiola is not going to be sacked and there is no suggestion he might walk away.’ wrote the trusted reporter on Boxing Day.

‘He has recently signed a two-year contract and will have known a rebuild was required before committing to that deal.’

POLL: How many more losses before Guardiola is sacked?