5 Potential Manchester City Summer Transfer Targets

Speaking at his press conference prior to Manchester City's match with Arsenal at the weekend, manager Manuel Pellegrini refused to rule out further January signings but suggested Wilfried Bony was likely to be the last addition this season.

"We will see," he said. "We are not thinking about that in this moment, but I always said the transfer window is the end of January and we will see what happens in the future.

"But if you ask at this moment, I think we have the squad for the end of the season."

It's difficult to argue with. One look at the City squad and, without selling a first-team player first, which would be difficult to manage in this window, there aren't really any areas that need strengthening. Each position has two capable players.

The summer window is the time for major reconstruction, with January being notoriously difficult to attract the best players, and City are likely to be active then, especially if they are free from further FFP sanctions.

So who may City look to target come June? Here we look at five potential incomers.

1. Alexandre Lacazette

EuroFootball/Getty Images

With the future of Stevan Jovetic looking increasingly uncertain, one possible replacement could be Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette.

Lacazette has scored 21 goals in 21 games this season, including 10 in his last six, a record which has put a host of top clubs, including City, on red alert, according to Colin Harvey in the Daily Star.

Jovetic, it has become clear, isn't an out-and-out striker. Instead, he prefers to operate as a withdrawn forward, doing much of his work outside the 18-yard box.

With City already blessed with a host of No. 10s, it's difficult to see where Jovetic fits in.

Lacazette is 23 and an out-and-out goalscorer. It wouldn't be surprising if City were to firm up their interest in the summer.

2. Paul Pogba

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

One signing which seems imperative is that of Paul Pogba, the Juventus and France midfielder.

With Yaya Toure having been so key to City's success in recent years, finding a replacement for him given his advancing years is vitally important, and Pogba is arguably the only player in world football with the attributes and quality needed to step into his shoes.

Clearly, it would take a big-money offer, but with Goal's Paul Clennam reporting of their interest in Jovetic, who could be used as a makeweight in a deal, maybe City have the upper-hand over other suitors?

3. Pepe

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

At 31, Pepe is hardly a long-term option for City, but with Eliaquim Mangala seen as the future, another steady pair of hands is all they need.

Pellegrini is no stranger to signing experienced defenders, having brought in Martin Demichelis during his first transfer window in charge at City. He's turned out to be a revelation, and Pepe could provide a similar level of quality for a few years.

As Samuel Luckhurst at the Manchester Evening News pointed out back in November, Pellegrini is a known admirer of the Real Madrid defender's talent, having tried to sign him for City when he arrived in 2013.

4. A Left-Back

Getty Images/Getty Images

City need a left-back.

Gael Clichy has turned his form around and looks superb all of a sudden, but Aleksandar Kolarov is struggling badly.

It's a familiar story and one which needs ending. Porto's Alex Sandro (pictured) is one option, as is Inter Milan's Alvaro Pereira. Or perhaps even Ricardo Rodriguez of Wolfsburg.

City's scouting network, you can be sure, will be casting its net far and wide to find one this summer.

5. Lionel Messi

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

The rumous simply will not go away. It couldn't happen, could it?

Lionel Messi, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner and arguably the greatest player the game has produced, is wanted by everyone, and tax issues in Spain, as highlighted in this piece by Rob Shepherd in the Daily Mail, could drive him away from La Liga, with City one of the few clubs capable of financing a deal.

It seems unlikely but stranger things have happened.

 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.