Manchester City round-up: Guardiola eyes Tottenham’s Dele Alli; Isco to snub move; City boss criticised by Shay Given

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According to reports in The Sun yesterday, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is making Tottenham and England sensation Dele Alli his prime concern over the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that Barcelona legend Xavi, a good friend of Guardiola’s from their days in Spain together, has been told by the City boss of his intentions over the next few months.

Speaking in The Sun, Xavi said: “I speak with Pep, and I know he thinks it is important to sign English players.

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“Technically he is the sort of player that Pep likes, the sort of player that suits the style of game that Pep likes his teams to play.

“I am sure it is not going to be a player that Tottenham will want to let go, but we know Manchester City have big resources.”

The 21-year-old has had an exceptional year at White Hart Lane this year, being crowned PFA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season last week, and Guardiola now wants him at the Etihad.

It is believed that a world record transfer fee would be required for Mauricio Pochettino to even consider accepting an offer, but City have the financial capabilities to meet such a high demand.

One man who definitely won’t be making the move to the Etihad Stadium over the summer window is Real Madrid playmaker Isco, with Spanish reports suggesting he’s set to sign a new deal in Spain.

According to Marca, the 25-year-old has been in talks with the club about a new five-year contract extension at the Santiago Bernabeu which will keep him in Madrid until 2022.

This comes just a month after The Sun reported that he was on the verge of a £30 million move to link up with fellow Spaniard Guardiola, with City now looking set to miss out on their man.

Despite rarely featuring during the first-half of Real Madrid’s season, the young midfielder has stepped up lately and impressed manager Zinedine Zidane enough to salvage his place in the squad, scoring a match-winning brace against Sporting Gijon a few weeks ago on his way to hitting top form.

Aside from summer speculation, former Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has criticised manager Pep Guardiola for ‘getting off lightly’ in his inaugural season in the Premier League.

Shay Given, who made 50 appearances for the Citizens, claimed that a trophy-less season at the Etihad may not have gone down as well under previous manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said:

“They started the season on fire, winning ten games in a row and we thought he was going to win the Treble, he’s going to win everything. But I think Pep has found out that it’s a tough league, tougher maybe than expected.

“It would be interesting if Pellegrini was still there; would he get off as lightly as Guardiola is?”

The 41-year-old, who’s currently a reserve at City’s Premier League rivals Stoke City, has said that the pre-season expectations haven’t helped Guardiola’s case after a disappointing campaign.

After their FA Cup semi-final exit to Arsenal on Sunday, City’s sole chance at restoring some success from the season is ensuring their top four finish and Champions League qualification for next year.

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