10 best possible Manchester City transfer targets for summer 2026 window

Manchester City enter the summer-2026 market determined to reinforce a squad that has clawed back from a wobble in 2024/25 and is once again neck-and-neck with Arsenal in the Premier League title run-in. After January’s coup for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and manager Pep Guardiola are ready for another aggressive window. Here are the ten names topping the Etihad shortlist:

1. Trent Alexander-Arnold Real Madrid’s right-back has struggled with injuries since leaving Liverpool, and while a return to England remains a long shot, City believe a record-setting offer could tempt the playmaker to abandon the Bernabéu and slot into Guardiola’s inverted-full-back scheme.

2. Elliot Anderson Nottingham Forest’s 21-year-old box-to-box star is averaging four tackles-plus-interceptions, 3.6 combined dribbles-plus-fouls-drawn and 1.5 key passes per match. City view the Geordie as Kovacic’s long-term successor.

3. Bruno Guimarães Newcastle’s captain remains a blue-chip target. A Rodri-Bruno double pivot would give City arguably the most complete midfield base in Europe and further widen the gap on Arsenal’s Rice-Zubimendi pairing.

4. Yan Diomande RB Leipzig’s 19-year-old left winger has tormented Bundesliga defenses with Cruyff-turn showreels and end-product: five goals in his last seven starts. Guardiola wants another chaos-creator to balance a right-heavy attack.

5. Rodrygo Goes The Brazilian has grown restless in Vinicius Junior’s shadow at Madrid. City would convert the ex-Champions-League hero into a left-sided, Grealish-style link man, confident his tight-space dribbling and curled finishes fit Pep’s template.

6. Aleksandar Pavlovic Bayern’s 21-year-old No. 6 has displaced Leon Goretzka, completing 95% of 70 passes per Bundesliga game. City see the German as Rodri’s apprentice and insurance policy.

7. Said El Mala Köln’s teenage left winger/striker has eight goals and three assists in 23 appearances. A buy-and-loan swoop could beat Bayern to another Bundesliga gem.

8. Tino Livramento Newcastle’s hamstring-hampered full-back offers two-footed versatility and progressive passing. City rate the 22-year-old as the final piece in an otherwise complete back line.

9. Alex Scott Bournemouth’s ball-winning midfielder has flown under the radar while Wharton and Anderson soak up column inches. Guardiola wants another home-grown option should Kalvin-Phillips-type risks scare off bigger gambles.

10. Adam Wharton Crystal Palace value the 22-year-old holding star north of €100m. His 3.3 tackles-plus-interceptions, driving ball carries and English passport make him the premium solution in a position City helped redefine.

Expect at least two of these deals to be pushed over the line as City look to turn domestic dominance into a seventh Champions League crown.