Manchester City Transfer News: £150M Spending Spree Planned, Top Rumours

Manchester City are reportedly ready to hand Pep Guardiola a further £150 million to strengthen his squad, with Arsenal's Hector Bellerin, Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci and Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all key targets.

According to David McDonnell in the Daily Mirror, the Sky Blues hierarchy is prepared to fund more spending in the January transfer window—following the summer's £175 million spree—in an attempt to build "the best team on the planet."

McDonnell added that City are aware they may need both the January and summer 2017 windows to bring in all the targets they want, with new full-backs and another striker Guardiola's primary demands.

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The £50 million-rated Aubameyang is the Spanish manager's No. 1 option up front in order to bolster a strike unit that includes only Sergio Aguero and the 20-year-old Kelechi Iheanacho.

The Gabon international emerged as one of the most lethal finishers in world football last term, as he netted 25 Bundesliga goals in 31 appearances, and he already has five from five in 2016-17, per WhoScored.com.

He would be difficult to prise away from BVB, not least because manager Thomas Tuchel is the reason Aubameyang is one of the most sought-after strikers in world football, per Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe:

However, Guardiola and City can offer the 27-year-old more, both in terms of money and trophy prospects.

Dortmund are a great team but remain behind Bayern Munich in Germany, and their chances of winning the UEFA Champions League are slim given their relatively limited resources.

City, on the other hand, remain favourites for the 2016-17 Premier League title despite their recent defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and, with Guardiola at the helm, are closer to European glory than ever.

Aubameyang would have to receive a guarantee from the Catalan trainer that he will get sufficient game time and not play second fiddle to Aguero.

But given City's hectic schedule and the Argentinian's regular fitness concerns, that should not be problematic. And the Sky Blues have more than enough money to tempt Dortmund into selling their key striker.

Even more challenging to sign would be Bonucci and Bellerin, and City are aware the duo "may not be attainable until next summer—if at all," per McDonnell.

But a defensive rebuild is a pressing need at the Etihad Stadium. None of Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna or Aleksandar Kolarov are wholly convincing in the full-back positions, while John Stones remains raw at centre-back and Vincent Kompany is becoming a liability fitnesswise.

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The £60 million-rated Bonucci would be the ideal man to come in at centre-back, as he is hugely experienced and fantastic on the ball—a must in Guardiola's teams.

But he is one of Juve's most important players, and they would be loath to let him go.

It is a similar situation with Bellerin, although he reportedly would be keen on rejoining Guardiola at City, having been in Barcelona's academy when the Spaniard was manager at the Camp Nou, per Paul Hirst in the Times.

Bellerin, 21, is contracted to Arsenal until 2019, and Gunners manager Arsene Wenger would surely refuse to sell the young Spain international to a direct Premier League rival, even if City made a huge offer.