5 players Pep Guardiola will look to bring to Manchester City

Some would say it's the signing of the summer.Pep Guardiola heading to the blue half of Manchester is a game changer, make no mistake. Even if he is renewing rivalries with Jose Mourinho, the arrival of Pep to the Etihad Stadium will shake things up at the club like never before.There have already been reports that he will bin Vincent Kompany, a player who has served the club immaculately well over the last nine years.So the captain will be gone, the manager setting a marker down from the get go.But who is likely to come in? Let's take a look...

#1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Joe Hart should be taking a look over his shoulder.

England’s number one has been in decent personal form but still suffers from the occasional lapse. With the news that Kompany is on his way, Hart will know that he’ll receive no guarantees from Guardiola as to his tenure between the sticks.

Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen is becoming increasingly frustrated with life in Catalonia and has already begun to make noises as to leaving the Camp Nou.

The young German showed on more than one occasion against Arsenal in the Champions League recently, that he remains calm under pressure, is great with his feet as well as his hands and is a shot-stopper par excellence.

He’ll likely jump at the possibility of being one of the XI to spearhead Pep’s new City generation and arguably more game time means more chance of international honours, something that isn’t coming easy as yet thanks to Bayern’s Manuel Neuer.

A weekly tenure will certainly keep Neuer on his toes as well as Hart.

#2 Robert Lewandowski

Aside from Sergio Aguero, Manchester City don’t really have too many attacking players that can bully their way through opposition defences and use a certain physicality to their advantage.

Aguero’s stocky frame allows him to dominate in this regard despite his small size, but City will be looking for somewho who is as adept in the air as they are on the floor.

Step forward Robert Lewandowski, still one of European football’s premier marksmen.

The Polish international just cannot stop scoring and with the front man leading the line for the Citizens, we can be assured of goals galore.

A modern twist on an old-school centre-forward, Lewandoski is adept at bringing others into play as and when necessary, and he will always always play the more intelligent pass if it’s on rather than going for glory himself.

The type of exponent who will quickly become a real asset for the club.

#3 Aymeric Laporte

The vultures are circling around the New San Mames in Bilbao. And with good reason.

Although nobody at this stage has suggested that Aymeric Laporte is for sale, the plain fact of the matter is that any club offering £50 million+ will be free to talk to the 21-year-old central defender.

A player that has already represented his country with aplomb and who continues to marshal Athletic Club’s back line with a mastery that belies his tender years.

The transfer fee is small change to Manchester City and clearly the defence is an area that Pep wants to improve as quickly as practicable.

Bayern’s 15 goals conceded compares to 31 for City, a situation that has to be addressed by Guardiola upon arrival.

John Stones of Everton has been mentioned in dispatches but he has made far too many elementary mistakes this season to truly be considered.

Laporte will take some persuading to go because of his love for Athletic but once it’s made clear that the club have accepted an offer, it will leave him only one way to go – straight out of the exit door and on the next plane to Manchester.

#4 Isco

There are only a handful of players that could improve Manchester City as a cogent unit. Isco is one of those players.

Seemingly cast aside by Real Madrid – who prefer Mateo Kovacic or the disgraced James Rodriguez to him – there is some certainty to the player leaving during this summer’s transfer window.

Given that Real are likely to be banned for 18 months by FIFA in any event, Isco simply has to get out now or run the risk of still being a bit part Real Madrid player in two years time.

Quick, sharp, inventive and creative, Isco would be a subtle but great foil for David Silva. A little more industrious than his contemporary, he’ll give that area of the team some bite and give City an extra threat going forward.

#5 Thiago Alcantara

If there is one player that epitomises what Pep Guardiola wants from a football player, it is Thiago Alcantara.

Ridiculously allowed to leave Barcelona for a pittance, Pep wasted no time in making Thiago one of his first signings at Bayern.

Simply put, the young central midfielder has been at his imperious best in the Bundesliga and has been an integral part of Pep’s philosophy in Germany. A philosophy incidentally which he will absolutely be bringing to Manchester City.

There may not be a sea change of personnel to begin with, but there will certainly be a handful of positional changes so someone will have to make way for Alcantara. Because as sure as eggs are eggs, he will be Pep’s first signing again.

The engine room of the midfield that will incessantly drive the team on to bigger and better things. Don’t be surprised to see him handed the captaincy either.

Edited by Staff Editor