2 Moves Manchester City Should Make in Final Weeks of the Summer Transfer Window

Tension had been building among the Manchester City fans. Two weeks of the summer transfer window without completing a deal was too much for some to bear, though the signing of Raheem Sterling from Liverpool for £49 million has alleviated some of the stress, for now at least. 

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Read @sterling31's exclusive first interview as a #mcfc player: http://t.co/HOIUvT5FzK #WelcomeRaheem pic.twitter.com/CUQAD5KeB9

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) July 14, 2015"

There's little doubt that Manuel Pellegrini's squad needs further additions. Last season saw regression, the kind the City board won't take kindly to for two consecutive years. Pellegrini needs to return his side to the swashbuckling style he implemented in his first league-and-cup-winning season in charge, wowing his own fans and overwhelming the opposition. 

Sterling fits the bill. He's young, hungry, possesses plenty of pace, is homegrown and has shown clear evidence of potentially world-class ability. How many 20-year-olds have demonstrated such brilliance on such a consistent basis? As has been pointed out over and over again, he is far from the finished product, but there's real potential for City's technical staff to work with. It's an exciting transfer. 

But more is needed. City look set to offload a number of current first-team players, with Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic, who both struggled for form last season, the most likely to depart. Jovetic has failed to settle since his arrival in 2013, and Dzeko, 29, looks in need of a move to reignite his career. 

Their exits would need to be followed up by the arrival of a top-quality striker. Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony offer differing attributes, but with City set to compete aggressively in four competitions, a third option would be required. 

Step forward Alexandre Lacazette, the Lyon forward named Ligue 1 Player of the Year having scored 31 goals in 38 games across all competitions in 2014-15. He's 24, has eight caps for France and looks to be blossoming into a fine striker. 

He would bring added dynamism to City's striking options. If pace going forward was a problem last season, it most certainly wouldn't be with Lacazette, Aguero and Sterling in tandem. It would represent a revolutionised forward line packed full with speed, movement, urgency and goals. 

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Perhaps most importantly, though, is a new midfielder. Speculation about Paul Pogba remains intense, and it seems clear that he is the club's principle target. Anthony Jepson, writing in the Manchester Evening News, believes the club have not given up hope of landing him, despite the myriad difficulties in securing their man. 

He would address the fundamental concern in City's midfield: a lack of energy and power. In games where Yaya Toure has been below par, and at 32 that could become an increasingly common problem for City, they have at times looked desperately short of muscle and movement. 

Pogba, a player on the cusp of greatness and capable of going on to become one of the finest players of his generation, would improve City considerably, which is why his signature has become so important to the club's board. 

The problem, of course, is that his profile means the list of potential suitors is long. The world's richest and most illustrious clubs will also want him. It feels like a seminal moment in the 22-year-old's career. The club who gets him next will see his best years. 

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

With Juventus reportedly wanting €80 million for the player, it's a transfer mired in difficulty. Finding the fee, really, is the easier part. Convincing him that City are the side best equipped to fulfil his obvious ambition will be the more difficult aspect of negotiations. 

If City add Lacazette and Pogba to their ranks before the start of the new season, expect a far more aggressive assault on the Premier League title than the one they mustered in 2014/15. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and follows the club from a Manchester base. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.