Raheem Sterling says he leaves Manchester City "as a man" as he bid farewell to the club ahead of his transfer to Chelsea.

Sterling is set to end his seven-year association with City and join Premier League rivals Chelsea in a reported £50m move.

The former Liverpool forward is said to have flown out to Los Angeles to complete the transfer and link up with Chelsea's pre-season tour.

Sterling won four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and four EFL Cups during his time at the club.

He also developed into one of the most dynamic attacking threats in European football under Pep Guardiola, scoring 85 Premier League goals since the former Barcelona boss took over as manager in 2016.

The England international will look to have a similar impact for Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea but made clear his affection for City in a post on Twitter on Wednesday.

He wrote: "To the coaching staff who have played a massive role in my development over the years, to my team-mates who have become more than just those I share a pitch with, to the backroom staff, to the office staff, to the fans who have tirelessly supported the team, and to everyone involved with Manchester City my respect for you couldn't be greater. What a ride it's been.

"I am thankful for the ups and the downs. as it's the downs that have, at times, tested my strength and resolve and enabled me to stand here in front of you as the best possible version of myself.

"I arrived in Manchester a 20-year-old, today I leave as a man. Thank you for your endless support. It's been an honour to wear the shirt of Manchester City."

Rodri was hailed as "a manager's dream" as Pep Guardiola's midfield lynchpin signed a three-year contract extension at Manchester City.

The Spain international has been hugely influential in his deep-lying role and hit a crucial goal on the final day of the last Premier League season, as City pinched the title with a 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa.

Although he had two years to run on his previous deal, City have moved to banish any doubts about Rodri's future by tying the 26-year-old to a deal that runs until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Rodri has racked up 151 games for City and twice been a Premier League and EFL Cup winner under Guardiola.

He said: "Joining City in 2019 is the best decision I have made in my career. I have loved every second. I feel totally supported by the club and the manager pushes me every single day.

"I have improved so much as a player, and I want to thank Pep and all the backroom staff for their help. They are completely committed to helping me become the best player I can be, and I appreciate their hard work.

"We have been very successful since I came here, which is something that makes me very proud. But to be honest, that success has made me even more hungry for me. Once you start winning big titles, you don't want to stop.

"City, I feel, offers me the best chance of winning trophies and that's why I am so pleased to be staying here for longer."

The Champions League will be a key target for City in the new campaign, after their elimination at the hands of eventual winners Real Madrid in last season's semi-finals.

Across the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, Rodri ranked first among all midfielders for successful passes (2,629), recoveries (292) and aerial win rate (72 per cent), Opta data showed.

He had an overall passing accuracy of 91.76 per cent in the competition, with an accuracy of 90.36 per cent in the opposition half ranking as the best rate among all midfielders with at least 15 appearances.

He also scored four goals across the final six games of the season, almost out of character given he is usually a player mopping up and allowing City's more attacking midfielders to raid forward.

Director of Football Txiki Begiristain told City's website that Rodri had been an "exceptional" performer, saying the club were "delighted" to get the extension over the line.

"He is the perfect example of what a top professional should be: he has a fantastic attitude, lives his life in the right way, takes care of his body and trains hard every single day. That is a manager's dream," said Begiristain, "and I know Pep loves working with him."

Value in the transfer market is always hard to gauge, but that feels especially true in the Premier League in this window.

Sadio Mane has left Liverpool for £35million, and Raheem Sterling is on his way out of Manchester City for £45m. Meanwhile, Southampton have reportedly asked for £75m for midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

That comparison is perhaps not fair on Ward-Prowse – Saints' most important figure – but it illustrates how erratic these fees can be.

It is slightly tricky then to establish who might be the most valuable Premier League player, yet why not have a go?

Inspired by Bill Simmons' NBA trade value list for The Ringer, ranking the 64 most valuable basketball stars, Stats Perform has put together an equivalent Premier League top 20.

Of course, there are key differences between how the markets work in the NBA and the Premier League, so a brief explainer is required before complaints come from fans of one or two clubs...

This is not a ranking of the 20 best Premier League players but rather the 20 most valuable – or 20 most difficult to sign.

The following factors have all been considered: how important these players are to their clubs, how replaceable they are, how proven they are, how likely they are to be sold now or in the near future, and how much they would cost if they were to move, influenced by ages and contract situations.

So, let's dive in...

1. Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold is Liverpool's chief creator from right-back, unique in his passing ability and set-piece quality. The Reds will have an extremely tough time when they come to replace the England man; fortunately, that will not be any time soon, with the Anfield favourite a local boy, a Liverpool fan and under contract until 2025.

2. Phil Foden – Manchester City

Although perhaps still not quite the main man at Etihad Stadium, Foden is City's answer to Alexander-Arnold. Having waited so long to bring an elite talent through their academy, the champions will be in no rush to sell him – especially as Pep Guardiola is such a big fan.

3. Erling Haaland – Manchester City

If Alexander-Arnold and Foden are completely unattainable for rival clubs, there remains a possibility Haaland's stay at City could last only a few seasons, as Real Madrid and Barcelona are likely to again be interested soon enough. But City could command a huge fee for one of the most sought-after strikers in European football.

4. Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City

It is perhaps no surprise City feature so prominently in this list, although there is a balance to consider. Their financial might means there is little motive to move on a star name, but they are also well placed to sign a replacement. Even at 31, there is nobody who could feasibly replace De Bruyne.

5. Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool

Replacing Van Dijk is a similarly tough ask. Liverpool are not afraid to cash in if it benefits the team, but it is difficult to imagine how losing their highly influential centre-back – undoubtedly the best in the Premier League – could ever be beneficial.

6. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool

Having seen Mane depart, Salah likely would not even have featured on this list had he not agreed a new contract. Now, though, both he and Liverpool are committed to one another for three more years. In the immediate future, Salah remains the Reds' leading man in attack.

7. Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United

It says a lot for the state of the United squad that Fernandes is the only Red Devil to be included. Cristiano Ronaldo is old, on a short-term contract and wants to leave, while Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford endured tough seasons. Fernandes ultimately did, too, but his quality is proven, and he will hope for an improved campaign under Erik ten Hag.

8. Son Heung-min – Tottenham

Spurs have a little more security now with Champions League football assured, surely able to keep Son happy – not that the outstanding forward ever appears too downcast. Son is now 30 but shows little sign of slowing after the best goalscoring season of his career.

9. Harry Kane – Tottenham

Son is just ahead of his strike partner on account of Kane pushing for a move last year. That was an unsuccessful bid, though, and City moved on with Haaland. Kane could perhaps be a candidate to replace Ronaldo, but again Tottenham have Champions League football while United do not.

10. Ederson – Manchester City

A move away from the division's elite attacking stars: Ederson simply could not be better suited for City's style of play, an outstanding goalkeeper with the passing range to fit into their midfield. A rival club surely would not even try to prise Ederson away.

11. Alisson – Liverpool

Liverpool do not rely on Alisson's ability with his feet in quite the same fashion, but there is very little between he and Ederson. Still just 29, the Brazil number one will keep his place between the posts at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

12. Reece James – Chelsea

The first Chelsea player on the list is James, who matches Alexander-Arnold for talent but might be seen as a more attainable transfer target for now. With the Blues still in the early stages of their new ownership, it is tough to tell exactly where they fit into the Premier League's hierarchy.

13. Mason Mount – Chelsea

As above, Chelsea would not have wanted to sell Mount under the previous regime and likely will stand firm again, but keeping players of his ilk relies on the club remaining as successful as they have been over the past 20 years.

14. Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

This Arsenal team is packed with young, hungry, talented players, few of whom their fans would like to see depart. But the Gunners have also long since been positioned as sellers to the elite clubs. Saka, the best of the bunch, could attract attention soon enough.

15. Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle United

As with Chelsea, there is an element of the unknown around Newcastle. With big money and big ambitions, they could eventually join City in having the wealth and status to keep just about any player. Guimaraes – outstanding after talking up a Champions League title bid while still in the relegation zone – looks to be in for the long haul.

16. Declan Rice – West Ham

Rice might have more suitors than Guimaraes right now, but he might also be a more straightforward buy. Although David Moyes suggested £150m would be "the minimum" required to recruit Rice, a player of his talents will want to play in the Champions League – and the Hammers look to have missed their chance.

17. Darwin Nunez – Liverpool

Nunez could jump into the top three in a year's time, yet he still has only two seasons with Benfica on his CV and so will have to continue to prove his class in one of Europe's big five leagues before being ranked alongside Haaland.

18. Kai Havertz – Chelsea

Chelsea are already again having to rebuild the rest of their front line this year, so the future of Havertz appears secure. Despite netting the winning goal in the Champions League final a year ago, it feels like there is still more to come from the forward.

19. Ruben Dias – Manchester City

Besides those listed above, so many of City's outstanding players would be relatively easy to replace given their transfer budget and the pull of working with Guardiola. But the club have consistently lost leaders in recent seasons, so Dias is a key man for the coming years.

20. Cristian Romero – Tottenham

As long as Spurs are trying to keep Antonio Conte happy – and their business so far in this window suggests that is the case – Romero is unlikely to be going anywhere. The centre-back was superb after arriving at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January.

Chelsea have reportedly turned their attention to Bayern Munich winger and Germany international Serge Gnabry.

The decision was made to pivot away from Leeds United winger Raphinha after Barcelona seemingly moved into pole position for the Brazil international, with Chelsea then deciding to test the waters for former Arsenal forward Gnabry.

He is coming off his highest-scoring Bundesliga season, having netted 14 goals and contributed six assists in 34 league fixtures, scoring another three goals in the Champions League.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA GEAR UP FOR GNABRY BID

Despite it being widely reported that Chelsea have secured Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for fee of around £45million, the Blues are clearly not satisfied with their winger stocks. 

This was further fuelled by reports the club tried to include Christian Pulisic or Hakim Ziyech along with cash in a deal for Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, with Ziyech now appearing likely to land a move to Milan.

The Daily Mail claims Chelsea have enquired about Gnabry, 26, who debuted with Arsenal as a 17-year-old in 2012, but his time at the Gunners fizzled out with injuries before a loan move to West Brom, resulting in Werder Bremen scooping him up in a bargain £5m move.

He scored 11 goals in his first season in the Bundesliga to earn a move to Bayern, where he has tallied 171 games and 63 goals across four Bundesliga campaigns, winning four consecutive league titles.

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror is reporting that Barcelona's top priority is to sell Frenkie de Jong to fund their move for Leeds' Raphinha, while the Manchester Evening News claims top Manchester United officials are in Spain ironing out the details for the Dutch international's switch to Old Trafford.

– TalkSPORT claims that if United's chase of De Jong falls through, they are prepared to target Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves or Leicester City's Youri Tielemans.

– Wolves have rejected an offer worth over £20m from Everton for 22-year-old midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, according to The Telegraph.

– According to the Irish Independent, 21-year-old Nathan Collins will become the most expensive Irish player ever when he completes his £20.3m move from Burnley to Wolves this week.

– Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Ousmane Dembele has decided to stay on at Barcelona, shunning interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Finding players of a similar profile to Robert Lewandowski is a difficult enough task, let alone trying to actually replace him.

That is the dilemma Bayern Munich find themselves in with the wantaway striker, however.

But the reigning Bundesliga champions might have identified the player who is closest in skill-set to Lewandowski, should he get his wish and leave for pastures new.

TOP STORY – KANE BAYERN'S TOP TARGET

Bayern have identified Harry Kane as the successor to Lewandowski, according to Kicker.

Kane's contract with Tottenham expires in 2024 and the 28-year-old would command a significant transfer fee, but one that would be reportedly attainable for Bayern in the event Lewandowski leaves.

According to the report, Lewandowski hopes Bayern will accept Barcelona's offer for him by Tuesday.

He is set to return for the commencement of pre-season training this week, but the German club seem to be preparing for the 33-year-old's departure. They have already brought in Sadio Mane from Liverpool.

ROUND-UP

– Barcelona believe they will be able to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, Mundo Deportivo claim.

– Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is reluctant to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge this off-season, the Daily Mail reports.

– Juventus are looking to use the funds from Matthijs de Ligt's sale to pay for Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, per Tuttosport

– Arsenal are in talks to sign Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo after submitting an initial bid, The Express reports.

– Wayne Rooney is set to return to D.C. United to take over as the team's head coach, according to The Athletic.

Erling Haaland believes he can play a key role in delivering the Champions League title that Manchester City are craving.

The Etihad Stadium giants have scooped the Premier League title in four of the past five seasons, but they have yet to be crowned kings of Europe.

That rankles, as City believe they are ideally equipped to challenge the continent's best, and the arrival of a clinical striker of Haaland's ilk should only strengthen their hand.

By bringing in the 21-year-old from Borussia Dortmund, City have made a statement signing, landing a player the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have also admired.

When it was put to Haaland that he might be "a big piece in the jigsaw" when it comes to City's Champions League aspirations, Haaland gave a strong clue regarding his ambition on that front.

"What I'm going to say, and I've said it before, the Champions League is my favourite competition. So I think you have your answer there," he told a news conference.

"This is a big challenge, it's a new country, a new league, a new coach. But I know how it is to come to a new club. I've done it a couple of times before, so I'm really looking forward to it.

"[I will handle pressure] like I've been doing my whole career, trying to enjoy every single minute, every moment and trying not to think too much because overthinking is not a good thing for every human being. I try to relax when I can relax and enjoy every single moment I can and to work hard."

Haaland has gone from Bryne to Molde, to Salzburg, then on to Dortmund, and now he has switched to City. He believes the career trajectory, guided by his father Alf-Inge and his late agent Mino Raiola, has gone as well as anyone could have hoped.

"We've been doing every step perfectly now," Haaland said. "I have a good and small team around me that is focused a lot.

"I have really good friends from my home town, and I have people who push me when they should push me and stop me when they should stop me. I have a really good mix of people around me that make me better every day, and that's what I want."

Haaland said facing City in the Champions League with Dortmund in April 2021, when Pep Guardiola's side won 2-1 in each leg of the quarter-final, had been an eye-opener when it came to appreciating the team's quality.

"You see something on TV, and when you meet it, it's completely different," Haaland said. "I didn't touch the ball for 25 minutes in the game.

"It's a different level, I have to say, how they approach and play the game and how they create chances, and that's what I wanted to be a part of."

He put his decision to join City down to "the feeling in my stomach", convinced they are the right team for him.

Haaland wants to make an instant impact and pointed to how he hit the ground running with Dortmund in January 2020, helped by a player now at Manchester United.

"In Dortmund, it worked really well with Jadon Sancho," Haaland said. "In my debut, after one minute he assisted me, a really nice ball from him and a nice goal, and it's about getting to know each other to play with each other, so we can perform at the highest level.

"I've watched Manchester City ever since Pep Guardiola took over in 2016, so I think I know exactly how they play, and I think I know a lot about everything."

Erling Haaland is aiming to follow Sergio Aguero into the hearts of Manchester City supporters after drawing thousands to his presentation on Sunday.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has joined as the spearhead of the latest incarnation of Pep Guardiola's City team.

After winning the Premier League title last season while often playing with a 'false nine' forward, City will put their faith in penalty box predator Haaland in the new campaign.

Haaland, who turns 22 on July 21, has joined a City side who have yet to win the Champions League, which is the big target now.

The new boy will be expected to contribute a flood of goals both domestically and in Europe, and he said: "I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be really nice. I'm sure we're going to have a good time together.

"The expectations for this season is to come into the new team, to get to know everyone of course now and get the connections and have fun. When I have fun, I score goals, I win games, so it's easy."

There is good reason for the high expectation that has surrounded Haaland's arrival. The Norwegian scored 86 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions during two and a half years at Dortmund, with only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (123 in 108 games) and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe (93 in 111 games) from Europe's top five leagues scoring more in that time.

Last season, Haaland scored 29 goals in 30 games on all fronts at a rate of one goal every 3.6 attempts, and he put away 65.8 per cent of his big chances.

"It's an amazing team and we just have to continue and to get a little bit better," Haaland said of his City challenge. "It's not much to say, I'm just looking forward to everything."

Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, played for City and was present on Sunday for the presentation that took place outside the Etihad Stadium.

"It's going to be nice, my father played here for a couple of years," said Haaland. "It's always special when your father did something, and you get to do some the same things that he did, it's a bit special."

Asked about his idols as a boy, Haaland said: "Of course my dad, but in City I have many jerseys at home from Aguero, so of course him, so from City it was him.

"I love strikers because I've always been a striker myself. Aguero's a good example of scoring goals."

Argentinian Aguero is City's record scorer, leaving for Barcelona a year ago after netting 254 goals for the club in a 10-year spell. He has since retired.

City paraded Haaland along with fellow forward Julian Alvarez and new back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega on Sunday. They could make their first appearances on the upcoming pre-season trip to the United States.

Kalvin Phillips, acquired from Leeds United, was expected to join them at the presentation but was reportedly absent due to illness.

Asked which team he was most looking forward to facing, Haaland could not resist expressing his impatience for derby day. City are due to play Manchester United on October 1.

"I have to say I don't like to say the words, but Manchester United, yeah," Haaland said. "I think it's going to be a really good time together.

"Let's get this pre-season gone quick and good and I can't wait to get started with the important games, and games all the time."

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool will head into the 2022-23 season "as confident as possible" about the prospect of challenging on all fronts once again.

Liverpool fell short of an unprecedented quadruple last season, faltering in both the Champions League final and on the last day of the Premier League season after lifting the EFL Cup and FA Cup.

Liverpool relied on penalties in both of their cup successes as they failed to score in five and a half hours of football in major finals last season, which led to concerns over their ruthlessness in front of goal.

Darwin Nunez has since arrived at Anfield from Benfica in a deal reportedly worth £64million (€75m), with a further £21.4m in potential add-ons, in a move that Klopp will hope provides greater reliability in attack.

Star forward Mohamed Salah has also penned a contract extension and, despite Sadio Mane leaving for Bayern Munich, Klopp remains convinced Liverpool can compete with Manchester City once more.

"As confident as possible. You never know obviously but I saw today on the plane a squad full of quality," he told reporters at Sunday's news conference in Thailand, where Liverpool are on a pre-season tour. 

"You always need a little bit of luck, how we all know, if you want to win a trophy. But to play a good season you need first and foremost consistency, that's what it's all about and that's what we will try.

"I have no doubt about the quality of the boys. We brought in new players – yes, we lost a few players – but we brought in new players; if you want, fresh blood, really helpful.

"There are no places already sorted, who will play where. The boys will make pressure, which is important.

"We have five subs from now on in the Premier League as well – we have to get used to that, we have to adapt to that. I'm really looking forward to it.

"There are no guarantees in football but there's a good chance that we play another good season, I would say."

Liverpool face fierce rivals Manchester United in Bangkok on Tuesday in what will be Erik ten Hag's first game in charge of the Red Devils.

The Reds hammered United by an aggregate scoreline of 9-0 in the Premier League last season, and Klopp insists there will be no such thing as a friendly between the two teams.

"Manchester United, a new manager, trained a little bit longer than us so might be, I'm not sure, in a better situation in the moment," he added.

"But we see it as an important test because it's against United and we don't play friendlies, obviously both teams don't play friendlies against each other, so we will see what we can do.

"We never prepare for one match, we prepare for a full season. That means the boys who started Monday last week had a proper start so far, we could train in the way we wanted.

"We had now a full week already and we are now here to play two games in Asia, first this one and then in Singapore against Crystal Palace. So, we have to see.

"We have to train and we have to play, it means the games are actually like a session as well but the boys have to go really hard.

"Let's see where we stand in this specific moment and then we can go home to England and then we go from there to Austria for another camp."

Sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine plunged Chelsea into uncertainty earlier this year, but an ownership change has seen a degree of stability return.

Despite the departures of Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this off-season, Todd Boehly's consortium has allowed Chelsea to resume with their preparations for the new season.

And it appears they are close to clinching their first signing of the new era, with a transfer for one of the Premier League's best attackers seemingly imminent.

TOP STORY – RAHEEM STERLING SET FOR CHELSEA

Chelsea have reached a deal with Manchester City to sign Raheem Sterling, according to David Ornstein of the Athletic.

The 27-year-old is set to sign a contract until 2027 with the option of an extra season, signalling the first major signing under new ownership.

Starting his senior career with Liverpool, Sterling moved to City in 2015, scoring 131 times in 339 appearances for them in all competitions.

The England international's status under Pep Guardiola became less secure in the past season however, with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish seeing increased time on the left wing.
 

ROUND-UP

– Meanwhile, Barcelona have matched Chelsea's offer of €70.1million (£60m) plus add-ons for Leeds United's Raphinha, Goal is reporting.

– Frenkie de Jong is hoping to remain at Barcelona and will reject an approach from Manchester United, per Sport.

– Bayern Munich have met with the representatives of Matthijs de Ligt, but Juventus are yet to receive an opening bid, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are in talks with Marc Cucurella over an improved deal amid interest from Manchester City, the Athletic reports.

Erling Haaland was confirmed as Manchester City's new number nine on Saturday, taking over from Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian joined Arsenal.

The new recruit from Borussia Dortmund was already expected to lead City's attack in the new season, and now he has the symbolic number to go along with that responsibility.

Haaland, who turns 22 on July 21, has joined a City side who edged out Liverpool to land the Premier League title on the final day of last season.

There is good reason for the high expectations that surrounded his arrival. The Norwegian scored 86 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions during two and a half years at Dortmund, with only Robert Lewandowski (123 in 108 games) and Kylian Mbappe (93 in 111 games) from Europe's top five leagues scoring more in that time.

Last season, Haaland scored 29 goals in 30 games in all competitions at a rate of one goal every 3.6 attempts, and he put away 65.8 per cent of his big chances.

City reached the semi-final stage of the FA Cup and Champions League last season, alongside their Premier League success, playing for large parts of the season with a 'false nine' attacker, rather than the out-and-out centre forward that Haaland is.

Haaland is set to be ceremonially presented as a City player on Sunday, when the club stage an event with the striker and fellow new recruits, including former Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and ex-River Plate forward Julian Alvarez.

Manchester United have added yet another Ajax product to their wish-list for this transfer period, with 20-year-old striker Brian Brobbey emerging as a new target.

Brobbey came through the Ajax academy when Erik ten Hag was in charge and, after leaving to join RB Leipzig ahead of this past season, he was loaned back to Ajax in a successful move.

After returning to the Dutch giants, Brobbey scored seven goals in 11 Eredivisie fixtures, prompting the club to try and bring him back on a permanent deal.

TOP STORY – RED DEVILS SWOOP IN FOR HIGHLY RATED AJAX YOUNGSTER

Brobbey was widely expected to re-join the reigning Eredivisie champions for a fee in the neighbourhood of £13million.

However, the Times is reporting that Ten Hag has caught wind of the move and is hoping to instead coax the promising young striker to Old Trafford.

It is said the deal with Ajax was almost as good as done, so it remains to be seen if he could be convinced to change directions at the 11th hour, but the Times report includes that Ten Hag has been on the phone to Brobbey in an effort to sway him towards the Premier League.

United's interest in Brobbey follows moves for Ajax stars Lisandro Martinez and Antony, with a package-deal for the pair rumoured to be worth north of £100m.

ROUND-UP

– According to French publication Media Foot, Arsenal are showing interest in 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who is also linked with Newcastle United.

– The Mirror is reporting that Barcelona manager Xavi is keen to re-sign Ousmane Dembele to a new contract, but the club's sporting director Mateu Alemany would prefer a move for Leeds United's Raphinha.

– Everton are targeting 20-year-old Chelsea striker Armando Broja and 25-year-old Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters, according to The Mirror.

– Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea have reached personal terms with Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake, although the final transfer fee, believed to be in the £40m range, is yet to be decided.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that West Ham are considering a £13m move for 23-year-old Roma forward Justin Kluivert, while Goal claims Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma told the Hammers he has no interest in moving there.

Perhaps taking a page out of legendary Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson's playbook, it is out with the old at Manchester City and in with the new in what has been a busy transfer window to date.

On the back of winning a fourth Premier League title in five seasons, City have waved goodbye to long-serving and reliable midfielder Fernandinho, while sanctioning the exits of forwards Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling – the latter's move to Chelsea expected to go through in the coming days.

It is undoubtedly a risk from City's perspective, not least with Jesus and Sterling joining fellow big-six clubs Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, but one the reigning English champions feel is worth taking as they freshen up their side.

Plenty of focus will undoubtedly be on new arrivals Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips (sorry, Stefan Ortega), but Pep Guardiola will also need other squad members to step up in City's quest for more major honours.

That is a category Jack Grealish, now into his second season at the Etihad Stadium following last year's British record £100million transfer, fits into on the back of a rather mixed first 12 months or so in Manchester.

Unusually for such a big-money transfer, and for a player moving between clubs in the same league, Grealish was afforded a settling in period at City and occasionally went under the radar – right up until May's title celebrations, that is!

But with Sterling no longer around, the former Aston Villa star must now deliver if Guardiola's gamble is to pay off. Here, Stats Perform looks at exactly what Grealish offers to City, and the areas he can perhaps still improve.

GREALISH OVERLOOKED

Allowing Sterling to leave would not have been an easy decision for City, even if he did become more of a peripheral figure in his final 18 months or so at the club – coinciding with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester United in March 2021.

The versatile forward had started 70 per cent of City's games in all competitions between his debut and that loss to United, compared to 53 per cent of the Citizens' subsequent 77 matches.

He was named among the substitutes in both legs of the thrilling Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, as well as the final-day showdown with Villa in the Premier League.

But rather tellingly, it was Sterling who Guardiola turned to from the bench in the first leg against Madrid, with Grealish playing a watching brief throughout, as was the case in that game against Villa when City were chasing three goals.

Put simply, Guardiola felt he had options better than Grealish when in need of goals. But with wide forwards Sterling and Jesus gone, that surely cannot be the case this season – unless, of course, the plan is to rely on Haaland up top.

THE STATS DON'T LIE

Grealish played 39 times for City in all competitions in his first season at the Etihad, 31 of those being starts, ranking him level with Riyad Mahrez (31 starts) and behind Sterling (32) and Phil Foden (36) in a similar area of the pitch. Jesus, incidentally, started just 28 games for City in 2021-22.

While that is a pretty telling statistic in its own right, Grealish's – let's face it – hugely underwhelming direct-goals involvement of just 10 in a high-scoring City side is what garnered the most attention when picking apart his first year under Guardiola.

Eight other City players directly contributed to more goals in all competitions last season, with Sterling registering 15 more combined goals and assists than Grealish. Mahrez, now well suited to playing in Guardiola's complex system, led the way with 33.

Grealish himself admitted midway through last season that he needed to play a bigger part in front of goal, but felt the statistics were not truly reflecting his performances in the final third.

"I think [stats] are important because at the end of the day that is what people look at such as how many goal involvements us attackers have. Especially when you come to a club with the price tag that I did," he said.

"If you don't get some [goals and assists] for a few games, everyone starts to talk. I think they are important but there will be times where you're playing well and the goals and assists just aren't coming. That's what I have felt recently. 

"In the Watford game the other day I could have scored about four or five and I came off the pitch with nothing. Even the Leeds game, we scored seven goals as well and I only got one."

In that Watford game mentioned by Grealish, the England international finished with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.83 in his 68 minutes on the pitch but could not find the net from any of his five efforts, three of which were on target. 

That compares to two goals from three shots for midfield team-mate Bernardo Silva from an xG of 0.28, with Sterling scoring City's other goal in that 3-1 Premier League win at Vicarage Road.

... OR DO THEY

That Watford game was very much a microcosm of Grealish's time at City to date, with the underlying figures backing up his previous point about his efforts perhaps not paying off. 

His four assists in 2021-22, for example, came from an expected assists (xA) return of 7.08 – that differential of 3.08 being the highest of any City player. Effectively, had his team-mates put away certain chances, Grealish's season would have had a slightly more positive spin.

Indeed, the 78 chances created by the 26-year-old last season was bettered only by Kevin De Bruyne (129) among City players in all competitions, though just 10 of those were defined as 'big chances' by Opta, which is the same number as central defender Aymeric Laporte.

This is by no means to say Grealish's shortcomings last season were down to those around him. If he is to truly thrive under Guardiola, though, the shackles will surely have to be released if the Grealish that lit up the Premier League with Villa is to be seen again.

The Grealish that plays with freedom and flair – the reason Guardiola pushed hard for the club to pay a nine-figure sum for the transfer, after all – was there to see for England in their recent Nations League games.

He made a huge impact down the left-hand side from the bench with England trailing against Germany, managing six touches in the opposition box despite playing just 18 minutes, which was double that of any England player other than Harry Kane (seven).

Grealish then played a part in the incident that led to England being awarded a penalty in which Kane converted to snatch a 1-1 draw. That is very much the difference-making cameo Guardiola did not see enough of last time out.

The good news for Grealish is that he may be afforded more opportunities to get at opponents now that City have a target man in Haaland to aim for. The slick passing moves will not be done away with, as such, but Haaland is completely different in stature to any player City had up top last season.

And after a whole year of working under Guardiola, including a first pre-season, Grealish will now be far more accustomed to the demands expected of him if he is to become a regular in the starting line-up.

"I am just trying to keep improving all of the time and I know for a fact that the longer I am here the more I will improve," he added in that interview seven months ago.

With the old guard gone, the time has now arrived for Grealish to prove he has what it takes to thrive under Guardiola.

Julian Alvarez declared he has already achieved one childhood dream in playing alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina, as Manchester City's new signing targets a spot at the World Cup in Qatar.

Alvarez agreed to join Pep Guardiola's side from River Plate in a reported £14million ($18.8m) move in January but remained on loan with the Buenos Aires giants until their Copa Libertadores exit to Velez Sarsfield on Thursday.

On Friday, the Premier League champions confirmed Alvarez would join up with their first team ahead of the 2022-23 season, having scored 54 goals in 122 outings since coming through River's youth system.

Having also won nine caps for his country, Alvarez is primed to appear at the World Cup later this year and scored his first Argentina goal when appearing alongside Messi in a 1-1 draw with Ecuador in March.

Alvarez will face competition from the likes of Lautaro Martinez and Paulo Dybala to start for the Albiceleste in Qatar, where the City new boy wants to build on his international breakthrough.

"Messi has been my idol since I was a child," he told City's website ahead of his arrival. "He is my family's idol, the idol of my brothers too. So, Messi is a hero for me. 

"Playing for my country is a dream come true. I dreamed as a child to play in the national team with Messi. 

"To have achieved this at the age of 22 obviously makes me feel very proud, happy, and I have to keep going for more success."

Messi is both Argentina's most-capped player (162 appearances) and record goalscorer (86), and will join the likes of Lothar Matthaus, Rafael Marquez, Antonio Carbajal and Gianluigi Buffon in playing at five separate World Cups with an appearance in Qatar.

Julian Alvarez has been provided with plenty of information about Manchester City by club legend Sergio Aguero after officially making his move following his final game for River Plate.

Argentine forward Alvarez penned a five-and-a-half-year deal with City in January for a reported £14million fee but remained with River on loan.

Alvarez's switch has now been completed after River suffered a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Velez Sarsfield in the Copa Libertadores last 16.

The 22-year-old caught the attention of several of European heavyweights thanks to a record of 53 goals and 31 assists in 120 River appearances.

He will have to go some to emulate the achievements of countryman Aguero in a City shirt, with the now retired striker becoming the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 257.

"We all know how important Kun was for Manchester City and what he means for the world too, as a club player and as a player for the Argentinian national team as well," Alvarez, who will wear the number 19 shirt, told City's official website.

"I had the opportunity to speak with him and he told me many things about the city, about the team-mates, about Manchester City in general.

"I also spoke with Willy Caballero and Nicolas Otamendi since we are team-mates in the national team.  

"I am very excited about what's to come and I'm very happy to be part of this club."

Alvarez is another piece in an exciting window for City, who have already added Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips and Stefan Ortega to their ranks.

For Alvarez, the chance to work with Pep Guardiola and play in the Champions League were among the huge lures of leaving South America for Europe.

"I was able to talk to him [Guardiola] in February, when the signing was confirmed," Alvarez added.

"He welcomed me to the club. I am glad to be part of the City project. I think he is one of the best coaches in the world and he has been at incredibly successful clubs. 

"I want to do a good job for him, to continue growing as a footballer and as a person.

"I am very excited and proud having come this far.

"The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world. As a boy I always dreamed of playing in Europe, playing for the best clubs, in the major leagues and so to be here today is a privilege.

"I have watched a lot of City games. It's very satisfying to watch them play. City are one of the best clubs in the world and they have an incredible playing style."

Chelsea are looking to swoop in and scoop up Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has been Manchester United's primary midfield target since the appointment of new boss Erik ten Hag.

De Jong, 25, has 44 international caps for the Netherlands, and has spent the past three seasons with the Spanish giants.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been adamant the club does not want to part ways with the star they paid €75million for back in 2019, but the club's financial position may force their hand.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA LOOK TO STEAL UNITED TARGET WITH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ALLURE

De Jong is reportedly been hesitant about a move to United due to the fact that they could not offer Champions League football, and that is where Chelsea will have their advantage in negotiations.

The Metro is reporting the Stamford Bridge club are preparing an offer that will include both players and cash, with €60million as well as Spanish duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso said to be on the table.

The elephant in the room regarding a De Jong move is that Barcelona reportedly owe the Dutchman £17m in deferred wages, and the Daily Mail claims he wants the balance fully paid before he signs off on any transfer.

ROUND-UP

– United have been told they will need to pay £106m in order to secure the signings of Ajax duo Lisandro Martinez and Antony, according to the Daily Record.

– According to i Sport, Chelsea are working on a new contract extension for Reece James, despite three years still remaining on his current deal, in an effort to fend off interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid.

– The Daily Mail is reporting Wolves will send 19-year-old Fabio Silva on a season-long loan to Anderlecht after purchasing him for £35m two years ago.

– The Mirror claims Leeds United are preparing a club-record offer of £32m for 21-year-old Club Brugge midfielder Charles De Ketelaere, who already has eight senior international caps for Belgium.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, the likely departure of Raheem Sterling has put City in a position to offer Riyad Mahrez a contract extension.