He may still be working with Bayern Munich, but coach Pep Guardiola seems to be thinking already about his next gig.
According to reports from English outlet The Sun, Guardiola wants to add new talent to his defense, with Aymeric Laporte and John Stones being the targets to replace Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi as the Citizens' center backs.
Both players are two of the most talented young center backs in Europe, with both their clubs rejecting bids from top clubs during last summer's transfer window. Laporte was among those footballers that Barcelona wanted to add to their squad, while John Stones was the object of Chelsea's desire for most of the summer, with the Toffees rejecting a 50 million euro bid from the Blues.
Laporte(left) and Stones have been linked to a number of top-caliber teams for the past year.
The 21-year-old Laporte has played 37 games for Athletic Bilbao in all competitions, scoring five goals and while being booked nine times. He has become key to Ernesto Valverde's defensive tactics, and his performance against Barcelona was crucial to help Los Leones win the Spanish Super Cup.
John Stones has established himself as one of Roberto Martinez's most valuable assets for Everton this season. The English international was expected to leave the Toffees last summer after Chelsea made a bid to sign him, but Everton's top execs refused to sell one of their young talents. Nevertheless, Stones still has a lot to learn, as he has lacked enough consistency to help Everton reach higher ground this year. He has started 22 games for the Toffees, with no goals scored and only three bookings to his tally.
Guardiola, who is expected to have a €250 million budget for transfers this summer, could add up to eight players to Manchester City's squad, forcing the club to sell some of their players in order to comply with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. The signing of two center backs has been reported as a priority for the Catalan boss, given the team's struggles in the back.
