Manchester City will be hoping to repeat their treble heroics of the 2022/23 campaign, after what was ultimately a disappointing last term for Pep Guardiola’s men. They won just the one trophy on this occasion and failed to defend their crowns in either of the other competitions they won two seasons prior.
The Citizens were once again victorious in the Premier League and sealed their fourth consecutive league title on the final day. That is the first time in the competition’s history that any side has managed to achieve such a feat.
However, the defence of their FA Cup crown failed at the hands of their biggest rivals, Manchester United. Guardiola’s side also struggled in the Champions League. The Blues were eliminated at the hands of Real Madrid on penalties, who went on to lift the trophy once again.
Next season, City will be hoping to bounce back and reclaim all three of their titles. They will no doubt need to strengthen their squad over the summer and have already been linked with one player who could add excellent depth to their side.
Man City target Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Crystal Palace and England international attacker Eberechi Eze. It was once again another very impressive season for the 26-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move away from Selhurst Palk this summer.
At least, that is according to a report from journalist Ben Jacobs, who claimed earlier this week that Guardiola and his staff “like this player”, and could decide to make an offer over the course of the summer transfer window.
However, there are other sides aiming to bring Eze to their club this summer. Jacobs believes that North London duo Tottenham and Arsenal are also interested in the player. However, he does note that Spurs are slightly ahead in the race when it comes to agreeing a deal with Palace.
In terms of price, City will have to pay a fairly hefty fee in order to bring Eze to the club. The 26-year-old has a £60m release clause, and it seems unlikely Palace will negotiate any less, given they have already sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich this summer.
How Eze could benefit Erling Haaland
Eze has been one of the most important players for the Eagles. The attacker, who can play in a multitude of positions across the frontline, played some of his best football under Oliver Glasner.
He scored 11 goals and grabbed four assists in the Premier League in 27 games last season, with six goals and three assists coming in just 11 games under the Austrian.
The England international’s teammate at Palace, Joel Ward described him as “mesmerising”, and when watching him, it is easy to see why. He glides with the ball at his feet, slaloming in and out of opposition defenders with ease. Eze loves to operate in the half-spaces, getting on the ball between the lines and driving forward.
When in full flow, the 26-year-old is electric, and this is also highlighted in his stats courtesy of FBRef. He attempts an average of 6.13 take-ons per 90 minutes and completes 3.02 of those. He ranks in the top 10% and 9% of positionally similar players in Europe or those metrics.
Should he join Guardiola’s side, the attacker could form a dream partnership with City’s talismanic striker, Erling Haaland. The Norwegian has taken to life in the Premier League like a duck to water, having already scored 63 goals in just 66 games in the competition.
Eze is a wonderful creator, averaging 2.37 key passes which ranks him in the top 17%, and 1.97 passes into the penalty box, placing him in the top 19%. Of course, given Haaland is deadly in the area, the amount of balls he could get on the end of from the Palace sensation could see them form a deadly partnership.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson called the 26-year-old an “entertainer”, and adding Eze to the abundance of creative players City already have would be outrageous depth for Guardiola. Not only that, the partnership he could form with Haaland could take the Norway international’s goalscoring record to new heights, and help bring City back to the top of Europe.
The reported £60m fee is expensive, but for the quality of the player the Citizens would be adding it could be an excellent piece of business this summer.