Manchester City Transfer News: Raheem Sterling, Paul Pogba Top 3-Man Shortlist

Manchester City are targeting Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Wolfsburg playmaker Kevin De Bruyne this summer.

That's according to Chris Wheeler of MailOnline, who reports manager Manuel Pellegrini will remain at the Etihad Stadium to oversee the club's next attempt for the Premier League title. City finished eight points behind champions Chelsea during the 2014-15 campaign, once again failing to retain their crown.

Wheeler believes Sterling and Pogba are both valued "in excess of £50 million," while De Bruyne could be grabbed for £40 million.

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City fell foul of UEFA's financial fair play rules last summer and could be forced to offload players such as Edin Dzeko, Stevan Jovetic, Samir Nasri and Aleksandar Kolarov to make room for new acquisitions, Wheeler noted.

Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has promised significant changes after the club finished trophyless during 14-15, CityTV reported (h/t Wheeler): "I can assure you this squad will be stronger and the team will be more competitive," he said. "I am confident and excited about what is coming next year."

Al Mubarak also indicated he wants City "to go to the next level" by competing on all four fronts. He expects some household names to be moved on: "You will see some changes. Some players who have served us well will move on to the next challenges, while you will see us in the market bringing high quality individuals to fit in with what we are aspiring to coming in this summer."

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Sterling would be a quality capture for the club, particularly as he would add a much-needed homegrown Englishman to City's squad.

Losing James Milner to Liverpool on a free will no doubt frustrate Pellegrini, who previously called the player a "phenomenon," Sid Lowe of the Guardian reported. Sterling is a more explosive attacker but doesn't possess the well-rounded game of his England colleague.

Former Reds striker Michael Owen doesn't think Liverpool fans should get hung up about Sterling possibly leaving, saying he is "replaceable," Paul Brown of the Mirror reported. B/R UK posted the Express' headline following the story:

The likelihood of signing Pogba appears slim, especially when many of Europe's top clubs are said to be courting him, per AS (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express). Barcelona president Jose Maria Bartomeu recently told Radio Catalunya (h/t Sky Sports): "We haven't tried to sign Pogba, although we are monitoring him."

Manchester United let Pogba go on a free before he received an opportunity to impress, no doubt a decision former boss Sir Alex Ferguson regrets to this day. Watching him potentially excel at City would be frustrating for Red Devils fans.

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De Bruyne also experienced irritation in England, as Chelsea sold him after he made just two Premier League starts under Jose Mourinho, per WhoScored.com.

The Belgian—who can play just behind the striker or from the flank—has quickly outlined himself as one of the continent's most creative forces since heading to the Bundesliga. Sky Sports highlighted his quality:

B/R UK's Sam Tighe recently discussed a number of alternative stars the club could target:

According to a Manchester Evening News survey, reported by Simon Bajkowski, "four out of five" City fans who took part outlined Pogba as the most important potential capture. Real Madrid's Isco was given the nod ahead of De Bruyne, who also outranked Sterling in the vote.

Pellegrini needs to concoct a more consistently exciting brand of football. Few teams can live with City when they play at full flow. Crisp and pacey passing allows attacks to sweep forward, many of which are rounded off by Sergio Aguero, who continues to score even when his team-mates are lacking quality.

Sterling, Pogba and De Bruyne would be fantastic individual signings for the club, but it's difficult to suggest more than one could be landed after last year's struggle with UEFA's financial fair play rules. A second fine and squad cap would be disastrous for the club.

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Chelsea, Arsenal, United and Liverpool will all be looking to improve during the summer. Al Mubarak knows if he doesn't spend big, City could be left behind. The foundations of a terrific squad are already in place, so one or two top-class signings may see the return of silverware.