Manchester City transfer targets as Florian Wirtz nears Liverpool move

The impending departure of Kevin De Bruyne will leave Manchester City with a sizeable playmaking hole in their team.

The club were tentatively linked with Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, but the 22-year-old looks destined for Liverpool.

While there is nobody else of Wirtz' calibre available in the market, City will make a new number 10 their top priority over the summer. Although Pep Guardiola isn't short of talent in the final third, able to rotate the likes of Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Savio, with Jack Grealish hardly getting a look-in, finding a replacement for De Bruyne won't be easy.

Below, we look at four players the club should be looking at.

Morgan Gibbs-White

With the move for Wirtz seemingly not panning out, Manchester City are thought to be turning their attentions to Morgan Gibbs-White.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised at Nottingham Forest splashing the cash on a player with a total of 15 Premier League starts to his name, but Gibbs-White has certainly repaid his fee.

Seemingly improving with each season, Gibbs-White has led Forest's charge to European football and may well be moving on to bigger and better things, though the obvious question is how the 25-year-old would adapt to moving from Nuno Espirito Santo's counter-attacking side to Pep Guardiola's possession-heavy system.

Ebere Eze

Enjoying a superb season that culminated in a match-winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Ebere Eze's time at Crystal Palace may be coming to a close.

Unlikely to sign a new deal, his contract runs out in two years, and the Eagles may look to cash in while they still can.

Eze has blossomed into one of the Premier League's finest number 10s, scoring seven goals and laying on eight assists this season, and looks ready to take the next step.

Alex Baena

While there are no strong links between Alex Baena and Manchester City, Pep Guardiola's side would be greatly strengthened by signing the Villarreal man.

Often deployed on the left of midfield, Baena tends to drift into the left half-space onto his favoured right foot. The 23-year-old registered 14 assists last season and has nine this term to go alongside his six goals.

Baena ranks first in Europe's big five leagues for key passes, fifth for expected assists and 12th for passes into the penalty area with Villarreal's attack running through the Spain international.

While the likes of Foden, Doku and Savio are all talented ball carriers, the lack of incisive passing in the final third could see City's attack become too one-dimensional, and it's a problem Baena would solve.

Rayan Cherki

Although more of a winger by trade, Rayan Cherki is capable of playing as an attacking midfielder. In De Bruyne, Guardiola has been blessed with an attacking midfielder who could run with the ball as well as play defence-splitting passes, and while it wouldn't be fair to compare Cherki to the brilliant Belgian, their creative profiles match up nicely.

Cherki ranks first in Ligue 1 this season for assists, expected assists, passes into the penalty area, second for key passes, fifth for progressive passes, first for assists, 13th for successful take-ons, 10th for progressive carries, second for carries into the final third, 10th for carries into penalty area and third for touches in the attacking third.

Still only 21, Cherki has quickly grown into a creative powerhouse, capable of beating a man and as well as carving defences open.

Owing to Lyon's financial issues and Cherki having 12 months to run on his contract, the Frenchman will be available at a knockdown price and could be a relatively risk-free option for City.