Kevin De Bruyne Transfer Link Hints at Youthful Outlook for Manchester City

Manchester City expect to be free from Financial Fair Play (FFP) sanctions next season after posting healthy figures for the last financial year, meaning they could have significantly more money to spend than this summer when they had a £49 million net-spend limit placed on them by UEFA.

According to the Daily Telegraph’s Mark Ogden, former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne, currently with VfL Wolfsburg in Germany, is high up on their list of summer targets.

The 23-year-old, who left Stamford Bridge for £18 million last January, has impressed at Wolfsburg, scoring nine goals in 43 games and helping his side to second in the Bundesliga table this term.

However, Ogden believes the fee for the midfielder could reach £30 million—a premium price tag for a player who was deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea 11 months ago.

There was a suspicion at Chelsea that he was a player unprepared to fight for his place, and whenever he was given a chance, bar the odd exception, he failed to demonstrate why he should be in the first XI.

He remains a very highly rated player, though, and he is considered one of the finest young talents in Europe, particularly after being given a run in a side playing at the highest level. Chelsea, of course, have been guilty of letting players with potential leave them before—such is the competition for places at the club—with Nemanja Matic, their best-performing player this season, being a prime example when he was originally allowed to leave for Benfica in 2011.

De Bruyne is an attacking midfielder who likes to play as a No. 10, an area City have plenty of options in already, but at 23, he would be seen as a long-term replacement for some of the club’s older stars.

City’s current squad has the oldest average age of any side in the Premier League, and the signing of Eliaquim Mangala in the summer and the pursuit of De Bruyne appear to suggest a recognition of that fact and an intention to alter it in the coming transfer windows.

Meanwhile, City will travel to West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day still without Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Stevan Jovetic and Vincent Kompany:

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PELLEGRINI ON INJURIES: “The injuries are the same as last week – Sergio, Edin, Stevan and Vincent are not fit for this game."

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 23, 2014"

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PELLEGRINI: “Maybe Jovetic and Kompany will be back at the end of next week. Edin and Aguero maybe will be the second part of January.”

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 23, 2014"

Pellegrini confirmed at his press conference earlier Tuesday that Jovetic and Kompany may well be back by next week, but Aguero and Dzeko will be out until well into the new year.

Exactly when remains unclear, but Pellegrini will be desperate to get them back in time to face Arsenal at home on January 18 before their crucial trip to Stamford Bridge at the end of the month.

City are searching for a club record-equalling nine straight victories when they visit the Hawthornes, with the chance to keep the pressure on Chelsea, whose win away at Stoke City on Monday evening restored their three-point advantage at the summit of the table, of vital importance.

After a patchy start to the campaign, City’s results and performances have improved immeasurably since the last international break, and they are now looking to keep the momentum going during the festive period before welcoming back some of their injured stars to boost them in January.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.