5 players Manchester City are targeting this summer

#3 Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Guardiola is eager to get his hands on Fred

The Brazilian midfielder is extremely strong when it comes to defensive duties. His ability to read the ball is immaculate and he'd be the ideal player to stop the opposition counter-attacks.

Incidentally, Fred was signed to replace Fernandinho a few years ago at Shakhtar and the same could happen at Manchester City as the latter is in his 30s and needs to be replaced. Fred has now gained more League and European experience over the years and could be ready to succeed his Brazilian counterpart.

Guardiola is interested in finalising the deal for Fred who can be the long-term successor to Fernandinho. The player was close to joining the Premier League champions in the winter, but the negotiations did not progress well.

Now, City remain keen on signing the 25-year-old midfielder to strengthen the club's midfield play and further dominate possession. The midfielder is naturally left-footed but he can control the ball which both feet equally well. This gives his opponents some difficulty in figuring out where Fred may run towards and also allows the player to get out of tight spaces with ease.