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As of writing, Manchester City sit second in the Premier League with 74 points, just two behind league leaders Liverpool. But, with a game in hand, City could soon leapfrog the Reds and regain the top spot they've become so used to occupying.
Last season, City did the unthinkable and secured 100 points. They broke several Premier League records and cemented themselves in the history books as one of the best teams to have ever graced it.
Things haven't been as easy this time round, though, and with Liverpool putting up such a valiant battle, it's clear now that they need to bolster their squad for the next campaign or they risk falling behind the competition.
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#10 Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona)
Samuel Umtiti is a 25-year-old centre-back who currently plays for Barcelona in La Liga. He has also featured for the France national team, having made 27 appearances since his debut in July 2016. In the summer of 2018, Umtiti won the FIFA World Cup with France.
Umtiti has spent most of his career with Olympique Lyon, having graduated from their youth academy to play for the first team. He remained with the club for five more years following his first-team debut before Barcelona signed him for around £22m. But things haven't been as smooth as he might have hoped for at the Nou Camp, and he's found himself being used sparingly.
The Frenchman has only featured in nine matches for Barcelona this season, registering one assist. Much of his absence from the first team has been due to a knee injury sustained in the early half of the campaign, but the more time Umtiti spends sidelined, the less the first team will need him, as they will have had to adapt to a different style of play to accommodate for his absence.
Umtiti would fit well in Manchester City's defensive line-up, offering strength and composure in the centre, something which certain fans might say is missing right now. He would probably cost around £60m-£70m, which is affordable for City, but still a fair risk for a player who's become increasingly prone to injuries.
#9 Callum Wilson (AFC Bournemouth)
Callum Wilson is a 27-year-old striker who currently plays for Bournemouth in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, making his debut in November 2018.
Wilson has been often overlooked by major clubs when they hunt for promising strikers to sign, but his performances so far this season simply can't be ignored. With 11 goals and 7 assists from just 23 appearances, Wilson is one of the most clinical forwards in the division. Bournemouth are a mid-table side at best, too, which makes his achievements all the more impressive.
Wilson signed for Bournemouth in 2014 for just £3m. His market value is now reportedly around the £25m mark. He would be very useful for City as a back-up option up front, as he's a proven goalscorer in the league which eliminates the risk of signing a top player from elsewhere, only to struggle to fit in. Wilson's price tag would make him a shrewd signing for the Citizens.
#8 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Antoine Griezmann is a 27-year-old centre-forward who currently plays for Atletico Madrid in La Liga. He has also featured for the France national team, having made 67 appearances since his debut in March 2014. Griezmann won the FIFA World Cup with France in the summer of 2018.
After a certain point, there isn't much else a player achieve at a club. This is the case right now with Griezmann at Atletico Madrid. Many have felt for years now that he'd be better suited to a team in the Premier League, where he can win prestigious trophies with esteemed clubs; La Liga is a three-horse race (Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid), therefore the excitement of the league has been lost.
Griezmann has scored 12 goals and registered 6 assists in just 28 appearances for Atletico this season. This is slightly less than he's achieved in recent years, but with so much pressure on your shoulders every match, there's no doubting that a lack of confidence might be to blame.
Manchester City would be the ideal destination for Antoine Griezmann. Not only would they pretty much guarantee Griezmann silverware, but he'd also have the privilege of playing with a team of genuine superstars. The only real thing that could thwart this transfer is his price tag; you'd be looking at at least £90m for a player of his services, with a realistic final value of around £120m -- if we're to consider the inflated market.
#7 Ben Chilwell (Leicester City)
Ben Chilwell is a 22-year-old left-back who currently plays for Leicester City in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having made 5 appearances since his debut in September 2018.
Chilwell is just one of many English young talents who are showing huge potential right now, but with him being a left-back -- a position that's rarely taken up by big talent -- City would be wise to make the investment and snap him up before any of the competition do. With him still being so young, too, he has plenty of time to develop and mould to fit the City style of play.
Prying him from Leicester will be a task in and of itself, however, as he's been a huge part of the first team this season. Chilwell has featured in 29 matches and assisted 3 goals in the process.
Chilwell has a market value of around £7m, but Leicester will most likely be asking for a fee of around £25m, at least, to let him go. This is pocket change for a club the size of Manchester City, though, so they simply must take this opportunity whilst they still can.
#6 Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)
Julian Weigl is a 23-year-old defensive midfielder who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. He has also featured for Germany's national team, having made 5 appearances since his debut in May 2016.
Weigl is yet another young player on this list who shows huge promise, but many feel as if he's not going to realise his potential at Borussia Dortmund anytime soon. He has been left out of many games this season, either by being placed on the bench or not being selected at all. As a result, Weigl has only featured in 11 matches, scoring a single goal in the process.
If City were to swoop in and buy him now, they could, like the other young players on their radar, mould and develop them to suit Pep Guardiola's footballing philosophy. There's no doubt that Weigl would get game time as the centre defensive midfielder role isn't filled competently at the club right now, with Fernandinho opting for a more central approach, and John Stones being too clumsy on the ball to execute Pep's instructions properly.
Weigl has a market value of around £20m, but if City want to secure his signature, Dortmund are likely to want them to pay double that. They know the calibre of player Weigl is, so will want to squeeze out every penny from this potential transfer.
#5 Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid)
Saul Niguez is a 24-year-old central midfielder who currently plays for Atletico Madrid. He has also featured for Spain's national team, having made 15 appearances since his debut in September 2016.
After Pep Guardiola failed to sign Frenkie de Jong from Ajax, who opted instead for Barcelona, he will be desperate to land Saul Niguez as the long-term replacement for the struggling Fernandinho. ESPN recently reported that Manchester City are closing in on a deal for the Spaniard ahead of Barcelona.
However, Saul's performances for Atletico Madrid so far this season have been so-so. He's been involved in 24 matches but only scored three goals and registered a single assist. For a player of his calibre, he should really be doubling those numbers. Some have argued that he's just unsettled at the club and a move away could revitalise his form.
So, Saul may fit into the City team, but can City afford to pry him away from Atletico Madrid? Well, we know just how mega-rich the club is, but to splash out such a huge sum on a single player will always carry a big risk. Saul Niguez has a market value of around £80m, but a realistic fee for his services is likely to be closer to £120m.
#4 Declan Rice (West Ham United)
Declan Rice is a 20-year-old defensive midfielder who currently plays for West Ham United in the Premier League. He has featured for the Republic of Ireland's national team, but recently made the switch to play for England instead.
Rice has gone from being a bench-warmer to a solid first team player in the space of a single season. So far this campaign, he's featured in 28 matches, scoring two goals in the process.
This is exactly the sort of player City need as he'd be the ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho and is also a home-grown player, which immediately makes him more valuable than any foreign shortlisted players.
It may be difficult to sign Rice, though, not because of any transfer fees, but because he's at the core of the current West Ham side. He probably also knows that although moving to a team like Manchester City might be tempting, the likelihood of him playing as many matches in the league as he is now is rather slim.
#3 Nicolas Pepe (LOSC Lille)
Nicolas Pepe is a 23-year-old right winger who currently plays for LOSC Lille in Ligue 1. He has also featured for Ivory Coast's national team 10 times, having made his debut in November 2016.
With 17 goals and 10 assists from just 29 matches so far this season, Pepe has turned the heads of virtually all top European clubs. His rapid pace, versatility and agility mark him out as a very special player indeed. He's been compared to Sadio Mane, who both share similar attributes.
Pepe only rose to the surface a couple of years ago, following his £9m move from SCO Angers. Before then, he hadn't really been acknowledged by any team outside of Ligue 1. How things have changed.
In today's market, Nicolas Pepe will undoubtedly cost a fortune, especially given just how well he's been playing in recent seasons. His market value is reportedly around £40m, but a realistic price to acquire his services is likely to be around the £60m-£70m mark. Lille know just how good Pepe is and aren't going to let him go cheaply.
#2 Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain)
Adrien Rabiot is a 23-year-old central midfielder who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He has also represented France's national side, having made 6 appearances for them since his debut back in November 2016.
Rabiot is set to become a free agent in the summer after failing to agree with PSG on terms regarding a new contract. This, naturally, has turned the heads of top clubs around the world, who are now all vying for his signature. But, what will make the difference is what the clubs can offer him.
Manchester City can offer both Premier League football and wild sums of money, which is the ideal combination for a player the calibre of Rabiot. It will be difficult for any rival team to compete with the wages City could offer him.
Adrien Rabiot ticks all the boxes for Manchester City: he's affordable, given the fact he's free; and he would fit into the side well, potentially replacing the lacklustre Fernandinho in a defensive midfielder role. This is a golden opportunity for the City to improve their squad without breaking the bank.
#1 Houssem Aouar (Olympique Lyon)
Houssem Aouar is a 20-year-old central midfielder who currently plays for Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1. He is a French national but has only played up to the U21 squad level as of writing.
Aouar showcases superb skill on the ball and can pick out a pass from just about anywhere on the pitch. He is a solid starter for Lyon, despite his tender age, and has featured in 28 games so far this season. Aouar's bagged 7 goals and 3 assists in the process.
Attempting to pry Aouar away from Lyon might prove difficult, however, as he's been there since he was young, progressing through their youth academy to get to where he is now. But what Manchester City can offer him could very easily persuade him to pack his bags; whether it be money that he's after or simply Premier League football, which would be the next big step in his career, City can give him it all.
His market value is sky-high, though. Due to the fact he's young, full of potential, and plays week-in, week-out for his current club, he's believed to be worth around £40m.
