3 Players Manchester City Should Target from Euro 2016

The extended format of this summer’s European Championship has left some people cold.

Two weeks of group-stage matches saw just eight of the competition's 24 teams eliminated, with many of the games lacking importance given the increased chances of qualification. One win was often enough to see a side through to the knockout stages.

And it wasn’t until that knockout stages began that the tournament really came alive. There were moments of excitement during the group stage, but the quality we expect from an international tournament only reared its head when Italy outplayed Spain so convincingly on Monday.

It’s also been noticeable there is a distinct lack of quality strikers at the competition. Where have Europe’s top-quality No. 9s gone? Robert Lewandowski is a wonderful player with so much to his game, but where are his rivals? The days of the Euros being a platform showcasing an array of world-class goalscorers are temporarily a thing of the past.

There are still plenty excellent players on show, though. None more so than Renato Sanches, Portugal’s 18-year-old midfielder, who has dazzled with his two-footed technique and tactical versatility. Bayern Munich, who moved swiftly to sign him before the end of last season, have bagged themselves a real talent.

But of those who have impressed, who could Manchester City realistically sign this summer? Here are three options who have played with distinction in the tournament and fit the needs of new manager Pep Guardiola, who officially took up his role as City manager on Friday.

1. Leonardo Bonucci

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City need a top-class centre-back, and Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci has underlined his credentials with a string of impressive displays for the Azzurri at Euro 2016.

This, let’s remember, is an Italy squad bereft of its former quality, yet with Bonucci in fine form and the tactical brilliance of manager Antonio Conte, they have been superb, beating Belgium and Spain en route to the quarter-finals.

He has intuitive positional awareness, demonstrating time and again his ability to sense danger and get into an area of the pitch where he can deal with it. He’s strong and brave, an experienced leader. His performance against Belgium was one of the best at the tournament so far.

Guardiola wants tactically intelligent players, those who can switch roles seamlessly. Italian footballers have that ability—none more so than the 29-year-old Juventus man. Bonucci can switch from playing in a back three to a back four with little difficulty. This, to Pep, is the holy grail.

This extract, taken from Guardiola’s 2011 interview with UEFA, perhaps highlights his desire to work with versatile players most clearly:

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[Finding intelligent players is a priority]. Absolutely. The problem is you can’t always get them. You can sign players on the recommendation of friends and colleagues and based on what you see on TV, but it’s only when they’re out on the pitch with you that you find out if they can do what you want them to. It’s not easy. Sometimes it’s worked for me and sometimes it hasn’t. ...

I’ve never been worried about having a small squad. In fact, being a little short on options is probably better for us than having a lot, especially as I’ve got players with so much quality to call on. I’ve got complete faith in the team and my philosophy is that there’s a solution to every problem. Whenever there’s a potential problem I’ll always look at the alternatives I’ve got in the first team and even among the youngsters.

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Given City’s need for defensive reinforcements, Bonucci fits the bill perfectly.

2. Dimitri Payet

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There can be few doubts about who the star of the tournament so far has been. West Ham United produced a piece of transfer genius last summer when they signed Dimitri Payet from Olympique Marseille for £10.7 million. It would likely cost upward of £40 million to prise him from the Hammers' grasp.

City's network of scouts needs to ask why the club wasn't in for him a year ago. He may be close to 30, but he possesses exceptional creativity. He can beat players, create a yard of space, score from distance and excite the fans. There are few more thrilling sights in the game at present.

He can play wide or centrally with equally devastating effect, and his two outstanding goals at the Euros have only furthered underlined his quality.

3. Oleksandr Zinchenko

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According to Stuart Brennan at the Manchester Evening News, City are close to capturing Ukrainian starlet Oleksandr Zinchenko, with a deal to sign the teenager gathering momentum after Ukraine exited Euro 2016 at the group stage.

It’s easy to see why City would want him. For a 19-year-old, he has a confidence, as well as technique and fearlessness, that suggests he has a big future.

He’s left-footed, attack-minded and comfortable in a number of roles. He showed in France he isn’t be overawed by a big challenge—he thrives on proving he has the quality to continue making progress.

If he does sign, he’ll be categorised as a “development player,” one who will spend time in the club’s Elite Development Squad and out on loan, preferably at a Champions League-level club, in order to aid his progress. He’s the latest example of the club’s desire to sign Europe’s top young talent.

He’s a player with potential.