Man City line up Florian Wirtz and Andrea Cambiaso as Pep Guardiola signals the end for Kevin De Bruyne - Paper Round
ByTNT Sports
Updated 22/02/2025 at 08:21 GMT
Manchester City will hope to sign both Florian Wirtz and Andrea Cambiaso in the summer transfer window, though veteran playmaker Kevin De Bruyne now appears almost certain to leave. Elsewhere, David Weir looks likely to remain at Brighton and reject his former club Everton, and Mohamed Salah has an intriguing reason to sign a new contract with Liverpool.
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Man City target Wirtz and Cambiaso
Manchester City can still afford to sign Florian Wirtz and Andrea Cambiaso this summer, according to The Sun.
That is despite the financial implications of their UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.
The paper writes: "Manchester City can press ahead with their team-rebuilding plans this summer despite their early Champions League exit.
"Pep Guardiola’s men failed to reach the last 16 of the lucrative competition for the first time since 2013 after Kylian Mbappe’s stunning hat-trick for Real Madrid.
"Despite spending more than £175m on four signings last month, Guardiola is keen to bring in more new faces this summer.
"Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso are targets."
De Bruyne set for Man City exit
Pep Guardiola said that veteran midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was left out of the second leg against Real Madrid for reasons other than fitness.
The Daily Mail believes that signals the end of his career when his contract is up this summer.
The paper reports: "Pep Guardiola has admitted that his decision to leave Kevin De Bruyne on the bench throughout Manchester City's 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid on Wednesday night was not a consequence of an injury.
"Guardiola's comments on De Bruyne would appear to add weight to fears that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
"De Bruyne's current contract is due to expire in June."
Everton to miss out on Weir
Brighton & Hove Albion technical director David Weir had been linked with a return to former club Everton.
However, the Mirror believes that he will turn down the chance as he prefers to stay in situ at the South Coast club.
The paper states: "Former Everton captain David Weir is set to snub a move to the club from Brighton as technical director.
"The ex-Scotland international has been identified as a possible replacement for the club's current director of football Kevin Thelwell, who is expected to leave in the summer as part of a major overhaul by new owners, The Friedkin Group.
"The Americans replaced manager Sean Dyche with David Moyes in December with Thelwell likely to go next, along with chief scout Dan Purdy.
"Weir spent eight years at Everton as a player, and captained the club in Moyes' first spell as manager. The former Scotland international is understood to have told Brighton that he has no desire to pursue the opportunity however, and wants to stay at the Amex Stadium."
Salah may remain at Liverpool
While no agreement has yet been reached between Mo Salah and Liverpool, the Athletic believes he may extend his contract.
That is because the Egyptian believes a move to Saudi Arabia may harm his Ballon d’Or chances.
The website explains: "Salah has long wanted to be known as the world’s best footballer, although he plays down the significance of individual accolades, mindful of the importance of being a team player. But given Messi ended 2015 as a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, Salah is surely now the leading contender to receive the same award, albeit for the first time.
"Benzema and Ronaldo are older than Salah, who turns 33 in June, but no matter how many goals they score in Saudi Arabia, it will not be enough to impress or capture the attention of voters, despite the country’s attempts to position itself at the centre of world football.
"Which brings us to Salah’s own deliberations over his future. He is out of contract in the summer and talks are making painfully slow progress. Salah, not unreasonably, expects to be remunerated at a level befitting his performances but it is difficult to see where he can earn that kind of money in Europe. Saudi, long-term suitors, would seem to be his only option if he leaves Liverpool.
"Yet Salah must know that if he moves to Saudi without winning the Ballon d’Or in Europe, the award will be out of reach for him in the future — a point that helps Liverpool during contract negotiations if he is serious about being remembered by the game as a trailblazer."
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