Manchester City are reportedly lining up a stunning summer swoop for two England internationals: Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Leicester City’s James Maddison.
The Premier League champions will be looking to make signings to reassert their domination after falling behind Arsenal in the first half of this season.
If they could complete deals for the English midfield duo, it could make them an even more powerful force in 2023/24.
It has been widely reported that City are interested in signing Bellingham, but it has been suggested that Liverpool are the team leading the race for his signature,while he recently ruled out a move to Chelsea.
However, that may be about to change now that Pep Guardiola has identified the former Birmingham City player as one of his top targets, with the Spaniard wanting more goals from those behind Erling Haaland.
His two current main midfield options Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri are undeniably top talents, but with the pair scoring just four goals between them this season, a move for Bellingham would make a lot of sense.
Since joining Dortmund in 2020, the 19-year-old has scored an impressive 20 goals and made 22 assists in 114 appearances, giving him an impressive average of 0.37 goal contributions per game.
The only obstacle is his price tag, with Dortmund allegedly looking to receive around £130m for his services.
Maddison could be the perfect midfield partner for Bellingham
Maddison, who has only recently returned from injury, has netted seven times in 14 league appearances for Leicester this term, after scoring 12 last season.
According to the Daily Mail, Guardiola has made him, along with Bellingham, one of his top summer targets.
The 26-year-old will soon be entering the final 12 months of his contract with the Foxes and has so far refused to sign an extension.
As a result, Leicester are very unlikely to be able to keep hold of Maddison after the current campaign, even if they can avoid relegation.
Guardiola may also be further convinced to sign the attacking midfielder given that Jack Grealish is reportedly being linked with a move away from the Etihad.
However, City will undoubtedly face competition for Maddison’s signature.
The 26-year-old was subject of two bids from Newcastle United last summer, but they fell short of Leicester’s £60m, ending their pursuit at the time, while Arsenal are also long time admirers of Maddison.
However, the Magpies have maintained interest, so we could be set for a bidding war between the two mega-rich English clubs at the end of the season.
From a neutral point of view, a team combining both Bellingham and Grealish is a mouth watering prospect and would likely make City favourites to dominate the Premier League for years to come.
But, with plenty of interest in both players, it remains to be seen if Guardiola’s team can get this stunning double swoop over the line.
source:teamtalk
