Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Moussa Dembele and Joe Hart

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described Celtic striker and reported transfer target Moussa Dembele as an "exceptional player."

According to Colin Mafham of the Sunday Express, City are one of a clutch of elite European clubs interested in the forward, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Guardiola spoke about the player in detail on Monday ahead of the meeting between City and Celtic, and while he ruled out transfer pursuits of some players, he didn't do the same for the young forward, per Stephen McGowan of the Scottish Daily Mail:

"

If you read the newspapers in the last six months, since I became a coach at Manchester City, maybe I have had contact with 126 players to buy them for Manchester City.

Dembele is another one. Every week I have contact for the next season to change players. Alexis (Sanchez) was the last one. But the quality (in Dembele) is there. He is an exceptional player.

"

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Few would disagree with Guardiola's assessment; the 20-year-old has excelled since joining the Scottish champions from Fulham in the summer. Indeed, the standout performance of his Celtic career so far came against City, when he netted twice in a pulsating 3-3 draw in the UEFA Champions League.

Per the competition's official Twitter feed, the former Paris Saint-Germain youth player has been in exceptional form in front of goal:

According to McGowan, the player is valued at around £30 million by Celtic. With so much reported interest in the striker from so many major teams around Europe, it'll be intriguing to see how long they are able to keep the youngster on their books.

City have Sergio Aguero and Kelechi Iheanacho vying for a position at the sharp end of the pitch, although Guardiola may feel as though another orthodox centre-forward is needed to improve his squad.

However, Dembele must be careful when pondering any switch in the future and ensure he's privy to regular minutes, something that has been key to his recent ascension.

Joe Hart Available on the Cheap

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According to the Sun (h/t Football Italia), City will let goalkeeper Joe Hart leave the club to join a foreign team for as little as £10 million.

The England international has been in fine form on loan at Torino this season, with Guardiola drafting in Claudio Bravo ahead of the campaign. It's suggested while City don't want Hart to join a Premier League rival on the cheap, they're happy to see him move elsewhere for a meagre fee.

Torino are enjoying a decent campaign overall, as they sit in seventh place in Serie A. Hart has been a key part of their positive year and has become an instant favourite with the club's supporters. 

Indeed, BBC Sport's Phil McNulty suggested that City may have downgraded by bringing in Bravo and moving on the 29-year-old:

Hart is a big favourite at the Etihad Stadium and was a vital component in their two Premier League title wins. The goalkeeper was a vocal and authoritative presence at the base of the team and had a reputation for making crucial saves in big games. Up to now, Bravo has yet to fully convince in his goalkeeping duties.

Torino would surely love to secure Hart on a permanent basis, although, as noted in the report, his current wages of £120,000 a week could prove to be a major stumbling block for them. Additionally, there would surely be plenty of teams interested in the City man if he is indeed available for the aforementioned amount.