Man City transfer mastermind pays in FFP boost as true £54m Pep Guardiola impact revealed

It’s not too much longer until the first group of Manchester City players return for pre-season. Those not involved in the current international competitions will be the first to come back.

Pre-season will see City travel to America, where they will play four pre-season games. The tour kicks off against Celtic on July 23, with the team also playing against AC Milan (27 July), Barcelona (30 July) and Chelsea (3 August).

All games will be in preparation for the Premier League season opener against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, August 18 (4.30pm kick off). For City the target is clear - a fifth Premier League title in a row.

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While preparations for pre-season continue, eyes are on both the transfer window and on Euro 2024, with several City players representing their national teams in the tournament. While we wait for the new season to come around, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at a couple of the stories over the last 24 hours and given our own take.

City set for cash boost

City are set to benefit from Douglas Luiz’s imminent move from Aston Villa to Juventus, thanks to a sell-on clause in his contract. The midfielder left City for Villa in 2019 and has been a key player for the midlands outfit.

It is reported that the Brazilian is set to complete a move to Juventus that will see Villa take €28 million (£23.7m) in cash as well as Samuel Illing Jr. and Enzo Berrenechea going the other way.

It has previously been reported that City retain a 20 percent sell-on fee for Luiz. It therefore means that they will claim around £4.75 million from the transfer with the architect of the clause bagging City a nice little earner.

MEN Sport says: While £4.75 million is not a massive number in terms of transfers in the Premier League, it’s still money that City wouldn’t have seen if they hadn’t put the clause in the contract. It shows the benefit of the clauses if young players who are sold then go on to impress with their new clubs, it’s extra money five years in the making.

Doku delivers Pep insight

City winger Jeremy Doku has given an insight into what it is like to work under ‘perfectionist’ Pep Guardiola. The £54m winger is currently on international duty with Belgium at Euro 2024 in Germany, and was asked about the City manager during an interview.

“It’s so incredibly intense,” Doku told Bild. “He can tell you days after the game what you could have done better in the fifth minute.

“That shows his passion. Anyone who plays under him becomes a perfectionist.

“Even if you score two goals, he tells you what you need to work on.”

MEN Sport says: The intensity of Pep Guardiola is no surprise, it’s one of the things that sets him apart from other managers. The attention to detail is crucial in being a Premier League manager, with coaches looking for anything that can give their team that extra one percent.

Those little details could just be the difference in the Premier League title race or in lifting the Champions League at the end of the season.