Manchester City Transfer Rumours: Likelihood of Top 6 Forwards Coming to Etihad

Despite speculation that his shortcomings this season mean that Roberto Mancini will not survive the summer as Manchester City boss, the Italian is nevertheless preparing a weighty list of targets for transfers.

With rivals Manchester United boasting the strongest attack in the English top flight, a Mario Balotelli-less City look likely to strengthen their striking options come season’s end and have been linked with their usual raft of God-like talent.

Ranked from least to most likely, the following six slides consider just who’s probable to make their way to the Etihad Stadium in time for next season, and who hasn’t got a hope of completing such a switch.

6. Neymar: Out of This World

One of the rising talents in world football and an asset it seems every major power in world football is eager to get their hands on, Neymar’s potential move to Europe has been a long-publicised one intertwined with the transfer hopes of Manchester City.

However, it seems even former greats are pulling the Brazilian wunderkind away from the Etihad this summer. The Daily Mail reported Pele as urging the youngster to join Barcelona instead.

Able to play across the attacking line, Neymar would undoubtedly be a versatile asset welcomed aboard by any Manchester City fan, but the truth is it just isn’t in the cards.

Irrespective of fears that the South American just hasn’t got the necessary attributes to “cut it” in the European big leagues, Neymar currently has the world at his feet.

No offence intended to the Citizens, but there’s only so much a superior wage packet can do to fend off the interest of champions from Spain, Italy and Germany, all of whom consistently compete for the highest of Champions League honours.

What’s more, reports suggest that the 21-year-old could yet extend his deal with Santos (via Sky Sports), the club with whom he’s grown up in the last decade and is already making major money.

5. Gonzalo Higuain: No Way, Jose

A player forever overlooked as one of Real Madrid’s more undervalued resources, Gonzalo Higuain is again being linked with an exit from the Santiago Bernabeu. Once more it’s Manchester City being earmarked as suitors (via Mirror).

With 14 goals and eight assists in just 21 starts across all competitions this season, the striker has once again proven himself to be a capable talent in front of the sticks, but competition for places under Jose Mourinho has once again proven difficult.

At the Etihad, Higuain would be able to link back up with Argentine international compatriot Sergio Aguero, but with a heap of other transfer speculation surrounding Real right now, there are other variables to consider.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema have been linked with moves away from the Spanish capital and Higuain’s future could rest on just who out of those attackers makes a move first.

Still only 25 years old, Higuain is yet to experience his best playing years. While Mourinho doesn’t appear likely to remain coach at Real Madrid past this summer, Higuain is an asset the Portuguese’s replacement will want to hang onto.

Supposedly valued at £25 million, City will want a player with more starting experience for that kind of money. If the Citizens are to truly evolve as a club, taking on board the scraps of a club they’re trying to overcome may not be the way forward.

4. Radamel Falcao: Madrid’s Finest Export, but Not to City

From his native Colombia to Porto to Madrid, fine scoring form is something that has travelled with Radamel Falcao no matter where his career has taken him, with Manchester the next possible destination.

However, like Neymar, the strongest reason given to suggest that Manchester won’t be the South American’s next destination is simply the level of competition for his services.

Although Mancini stated that Falcao “would work in England,” Sky Sports quote the Italian as saying: "I don't know what can happen. Suarez plays for a top team like Liverpool. Cavani plays for Napoli. There's Falcao but, again, all the managers like him.”

As stated, it seems all of Europe is after Falcao’s signature and the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid can not only compete financially with City, but trump the reigning Premier League champions when it comes to credentials.

Having exited the Champions League at the group stage this season, it could be a few more years before City are able to lure such highly sought after talent with the same confidence as other European giants, and the club are likely to miss out this time around.

3. Edinson Cavani: Leaving Naples? Nap-Urlease.

With a release clause of more than €60 million (via Daily Mail), Edinson Cavani is possibly one of the three most expensive players in the world right now, and for good reason.

The Napoli hitman was recently alleged by the Telegraph as being on the Manchester City radar, with a £40 million bid supposedly being prepared in time for next season.

Valuable though that offer might be, it’s still not the buy-out fee that the Naples outfit have declared Cavani won’t be leaving for less than.

That being said, if the past five years have come to teach us anything, it’s that Sheikh Mansour and the rest of Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi financiers all have pretty deep pockets, making the transfer far from an impossible one just yet.

Just like City, Napoli have excelled over the last five years or so but have accomplished their feats with a much trimmer wage bill than their English counterparts. They could be tempted to cash in on their Uruguayan frontman this summer.

At 25 years of age, Cavani would be expected to reach his playing prime in the next few years, giving the Citizens just that much more reason to chase up the striker’s signature.

Although the forward’s prolific form has certainly set up a comfortable time for Cavani in Italy, it may be time that the striker traded in the sky blue of Italy’s South-West Coast for that of Manchester.

2. Alexis Sanchez: City in for Barca Loner

This time two years ago, Alexis Sanchez’s Udinese form had earned him the attention of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United, but it was the Catalan club who eventually won the race for his signature.

After two seasons, the Chilean international’s Barca career hasn’t quite panned out as expected, and this campaign in particular has seen Sanchez settle for a bit-part role at times.

With just 22 starts across all competitions, the 24-year-old has mostly found himself coming into the lineup in order to fill in for other omitted stars, providing his club with a good alternative when more harrowing fixtures lay around the corner.

As such, he may look to follow in the footsteps of former Blaugrana member turned Citizen Yaya Toure this summer, with a projected move to Manchester.

The Mirror has supported the notion that Tito Vilanova’s side are looking to sign Vincent Kompany from the Etihad, and that Sanchez could be used as a makeweight in any deal.

At the Etihad, Sanchez would be much more likely of securing a starting spot, especially with the futures of Scott Sinclair, Samir Nasri and others looking doubtful.

Even if a player-plus-cash deal isn’t that which works out for both parties, Mancini’s men could land Sanchez on a cut-price deal given his gradual deterioration of playing time over the last two years.

1. Luis Suarez: Liver Bird Flying the Nest

A talisman likely to be found scurrying about the transfer columns in erratic fashion this summer is Luis Suarez, the player who would appear to be keeping Liverpool afloat almost single-handedly this season.

Since coming to Anfield from Ajax in 2011 for a fee of around £23 million, the prolific Uruguayan has grafted into the Premier League well and might prefer to remain in his current surroundings rather than opt for a move abroad.

While that might mean the Reds selling to one of their direct rivals, such a transfer would be an easier to corroborate, not to mention potentially lucrative.

The Telegraph have supported Roberto Mancini as admitting his interest in Suarez’s set of skills, and rather than take the risk on a player from outside the division, a striker already proven in the harsh climate of the Premier League might be the preferred option.

Although Suarez hasn’t got a transfer tag to speak of right now, his price could fluctuate substantially in the coming weeks, depending on whether the club are involved in European competition next season.

Recently, Edinson Cavani was quoted by the Liverpool Echo as warning the Reds that his international compatriot desires Champions League football, and could leave the club if he doesn’t get that soon.

While they might not have the same trophy collection as Liverpool right now, there’s no question that Manchester City are evolving as a club and involvement in that tournament is the one thing they can almost guarantee Suarez at this moment in time.