Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to sign Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar among others as part of a £140 million raid on Monaco in the summer.

That's according to Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star Sunday, who has suggested that as well as the aforementioned duo, the City boss is an admirer of left-back Benjamin Mendy and the versatile Fabinho.

The two sides recently met in the UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg, with City eventually coming out on top 5-3 in a sensational game.

According to Hetherington, the Premier League club "will use next month's return leg to continue assessing their Monaco targets."

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It's stated in the report that Mbappe is valued at around £50 million by the principality club, with the 18-year-old enjoying a magnificent season.

Here's a glimpse of what he can offer:

In the piece, it's noted that City tried to sign the striker last summer but eventually opted to move for Gabriel Jesus. Given his age and how new he is to top-level football, Mbappe's standard of performances are nothing short of sensational.

While he's a natural centre-forward, he was utilised in a wide berth by manager Leonardo Jardim against City. From the flank, he showcased a superb ability to find space, commit defenders and still get into goalscoring positions.

As noted by Agence France-Presse's Tom Williams, City's defenders really struggled to cope with the forward at the Etihad Stadium, as he put Monaco 2-1 ahead in the first period:

Lemar is another young player who has excelled this season, and Monaco value him, Mendy and Fabinho around the £30 million mark, according to the initial source.

The midfielder has been a menace to defenders on the left flank so far this term, linking up superbly with Mendy. Lemar's natural instinct sees him float inside to pick up possession, and when he's in dangerous areas, his burst of speed takes him past opponents with ease.

These numbers from Squawka Football sum up the 21-year-old's willingness to drive at defenders and his ability to do so at the highest level:

Naturally, players like the quartet would make for refreshing viewing at the Etihad Stadium. While Guardiola continues to call on City stalwarts like Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, it's clear in the acquisitions made ahead of this season, such as Leroy Sane, John Stones and Jesus, that the coach is seeking to add some youth into the setup.

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Convincing Monaco to sell these prized assets will be difficult, though, as Manchester United found out in 2015 when they paid a record fee of £36 million for a teenager to secure Anthony Martial.

French football journalist Philippe Auclair hopes the starlets stay at Monaco beyond this season:

Indeed, Monaco are top of Ligue 1 and are the most prolific side in European football's top five leagues. While they face a big challenge to progress in the Champions League after the chaotic first leg, it's clear the potential is there for a magnificent side to grow, given time.

They certainly wouldn't cash in on all four of the players aforementioned, and that's something City would surely be aware of. And while Lemar and Mbappe may be the most glamorous of the players mentioned, the industry of Mendy and defensive tenacity of Fabinho would arguably have a bigger impact on this City squad.