Manchester City have reportedly identified a Premier League midfielder as a potential option to replace Kevin De Bruyne this summer.
It was announced at the end of last week that soon-to-be 34-year-old De Bruyne will leave the Etihad Stadium when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The legendary playmaker will bring the curtain down on an illustrious 10-year career at Man City, where he has established himself as arguably the club's greatest player and one of the best the grace the Premier League.
De Bruyne, who is allegedly attracting interest from MLS outfit Inter Miami, has won 19 trophies at Man City, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League, while the Belgian ranks second on the all-time PL assists charts (118), only behind Ryan Giggs (162).
Man City will find it difficult to replace a player as influential as De Bruyne, but there are a number of names who are believed to be on the club's radar ahead of next season.
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Gibbs-White, Wirtz among 'multiple candidates' to replace De Bruyne
One of those who has been heavily linked with Man City is Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, and football correspondent David Ornstein of The Athletic claims that the 21-year-old is indeed a player who is one of multiple candidates expected to feature in the Citizens' transfer deliberations.
Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White is another who is said to be among the options that Man City will consider to replace De Bruyne this summer.
Ornstein states that internal and external solutions are set to be explored by Pep Guardiola's side, but whether Man City decide to recruit a like-for-like successor to De Bruyne or use existing personnel such as Phil Foden, and strengthen the first-team squad elsewhere, remains to be seen.
The Citizens do not intend to prioritise transfer targets until new sporting director Hugo Viana is fully embedded into his role at the Etihad; the Portuguese will officially begin his new role this week and will work alongside outgoing chief Txiki Begiristain during a transition period.
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Gibbs-White eyeing Champions League qualification with Forest
Gibbs-White has been a standout performer for a Forest outfit who have been the surprise packages in the Premier League this term and are in a strong position to secure Champions League football for next season, sitting third in the table and five points above Man City in sixth spot.
The 25-year-old joined Forest in 2022 from Wolverhampton Wanderers for an initial £25m, potentially rising to £42.5m with add-ons, and has since played 110 times for Nuno Espirito Santo's side in all competitions.
This season, Gibbs-White has chipped in with five goals and nine assists in 27 Premier League games while primarily operating as a central attacking midfielder, and his impressive form at club level was recognised by new England boss Thomas Tuchel who called him up to the senior squad last month.
Gibbs-White, who is under contract at the City Ground until June 2027, could be viewed by Man City as a cheaper alternative to Wirtz, who is believed to be valued by Leverkusen at around €150m (£128m).
Last season's Bundesliga Player of the Year has already contributed with 56 goals and 63 assists in 191 appearances for Leverkusen before the age of 22, and he has starred once again for Xabi Alonso's side this term, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists in 39 games across all tournaments.
Oliver Thomas
