Manchester City are just over a week away from their opening game of the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare to face off against Manchester United in the Community Shield.
Pep Guardiola may have been disappointed by his side's trophy haul last season as they only came away with one piece of silverware – the Premier League title.
The Spanish boss may want more success in the cup competitions, domestically and in Europe, this time around as the Cityzens go in search of another treble.
There has not been much change to the City squad during the summer transfer window, though, as they have only made one new signing so far.
Brazil international Savinho has signed on a permanent deal to bolster Guardiola's options on the right side of the attack, after spending last season on loan with Girona in LaLiga.
There is still a few weeks left to go before the summer transfer window officially slams shut, however, and this means that there is still time for the Premier League champions to make further alterations to the group, with outs and ins.
Potential attacking transfers for City
TEAMtalk recently reported that Manchester City forward Jack Grealish is a target for his former club Aston Villa ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The outlet claimed that the Villans are keeping a close eye on his situation at The Etihad and are weighing up a move for his services, after they qualified for the Champions League last term.
It stated that Unai Emery's side would like to sign the England international on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to make it permanent next summer. However, there was no mention of how much they would be willing to pay for him.
Guardiola could sanction an exit for Grealish amid this interest from Villa by swooping to sign another attacking midfielder to take his place in the squad.
The Sun reported last month that the Cityzens are one of the teams eyeing up a potential swoop to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace this summer.
It was claimed that City and fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in landing the England international and would be willing to pay his £60m release clause if they decide to go ahead and pursue a move before the end of the window.
The Eagles wizard could come in as a fantastic signing for Guardiola who would allow the ex-Barcelona boss to brutally ditch Grealish from the team.
Jack Grealish's struggles with Man City
Man City showed huge faith in the English attacker when they smashed their transfer record to pay a whopping £100m to sign him from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.
Given the money spent to prise him from Villa Park, the 28-year-old winger has endured an underwhelming time on the pitch with the Cityzens so far.
He has racked up 14 goals and 18 assists in 125 matches for the club in all competitions over the last three seasons combined, and has not hit double figures for goals or assists in any of his Premier League campaigns.
Appearances
20
Starts
10
Goals
3
Assists
1
Key passes per game
1.4
Dribbles per game
0.9
As you can see in the table above, Grealish is coming off the back of a disappointing year in the top-flight with the Cityzens, having been directly involved in just four goals in 20 appearances in the division.
He ranked within the bottom 24% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for assists per 90 (0.09), which illustrates how poor he has been at creating chances for his teammates to find the back of the net.
For £100m, the England international has not provided consistent quality as a scorer or a creator of goals from a left wing or attacking midfield position, which is why Guardiola should be open to allowing him to re-join Villa this summer.
His exit would leave the team light in the wide areas, particularly on the left flank, though, and that is why the club should swoop to sign Eze.
The Palace star's arrival would then allow City to brutally ditch Grealish without having to worry about being left short for depth ahead of next season.
What Eberechi Eze could bring to City
Whilst the current Cityzens forward has failed to provide enough quality in the final third in recent seasons, Eze has been in impressive form for the Eagles.
He could come in as a big upgrade on Grealish and offer more as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a left wing or attacking midfield role for Guardiola.
In the Premier League last season, Eze contributed with 11 goals, four assists, and seven 'big chances' created in 27 appearances for the London outfit.
The 26-year-old wizard ranked within the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.44) and the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.82), which shows that he excels at scoring goals and creating opportunities for his teammates to shoot.
Appearances
65
Goals
21
Assists
8
Big chances created
13
As you can see in the table above, Eze has been directly involved in 29 goals in his last 65 Premier League appearances for Palace over the last two seasons.
He has hit double figures for goals in each of the last two campaigns in the top-flight – a feat Grealish has failed to achieve in any of his seasons with City.
These statistics suggest that the £60m-rated star, who was once described as a "delight to watch" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could come in and improve Guardiola's squad.
Eze could arrive as an upgrade on Grealish, due to his superior quality in the final third, and add more firepower to the Spanish manager's forward line, which could help them to compete on all fronts.
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Therefore, signing the Palace magician would then allow the Premier League champions to send the former Villans captain back to his former club this summer.