Hugo Viana, the incoming sporting director for Manchester City, has already begun early preparations for the club’s summer transfer activities. This was confirmed earlier this week.
Viana, who is from Portugal, has been confirmed as the successor to Txiki Begiristain, who will step down at the end of this season after an impressive 12 years at Manchester City. Begiristain has been a key figure behind Manchester City’s success, including playing an essential role in bringing Pep Guardiola to the club in 2016.
There is also a strong belief in the football world that Begiristain, together with club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has been instrumental in keeping Guardiola at the helm for such a long period.
As Manchester City gears up to refresh its squad, Hugo Viana will take on a vital role in overseeing the team’s transfer business. Viana has officially left his position as Director of Football at Sporting CP to take on this new challenge.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Viana will begin handling all negotiations regarding player arrivals and departures starting in June. Industry sources have confirmed that the Portuguese official has already begun reaching out to agents to prepare for summer transfer activities related to Manchester City.
Although Viana’s plans for Pep Guardiola’s squad are not fully revealed yet, it’s anticipated that several new players will join and some will leave during the upcoming summer transfer window.
One of Manchester City’s top targets for an attacking midfielder position is Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. The club is reportedly keen on Wirtz, especially considering that Kevin De Bruyne, who has been crucial for City, may have fewer years left at his peak.
Along with De Bruyne, players such as Jack Grealish, John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernardo Silva are expected to have their futures evaluated by Viana in the coming months.
