In the Premier League, the once rapidly collapsing Blue Moon has been unbeaten in five rounds since Christmas, with a thrilling 6-0 victory over Ipswich in the 22nd round away from home, returning strongly to the top four and stabilizing the situation! Veteran fans predict that while it's uncertain if Manchester City will win the title this season, their final ranking is sure to be higher than Arsenal!
Pep Guardiola's team has been spending lavishly in the winter transfer window, splashing out a whopping 150 million euros, signing players like Maroush, Husanov, and Reis, and renewing the contract with the talented forward Haaland for a decade. This has set ablaze a fiery passion amidst the cold winter, demonstrating the relentless ambition of the club backed by its wealthy owners. And this is not all; the Blue Moons are gearing up for another assault in the winter window!
This season, Draper's performance at Ipswich has been nothing short of spectacular, emerging as one of the most pleasant surprises in the Premier League. The English striker has made 21 appearances for Ipswich, scoring 8 goals and providing 2 assists. Achieving such statistics in a team with a weak lineup is truly commendable! Draper has quickly caught the attention of giants like Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea, who have all extended their invitations.
Last summer window, the 21-year-old Draper transferred to Ipswich from Manchester City for 20 million pounds. However, the cunning Blue Moons had cleverly included a buy-back clause worth 30 million pounds in the contract, leaving room for the player's future. Draper has indeed proven his worth at Ipswich. Currently, Draper's market value according to Transfermarkt is 25 million euros.
Manchester City is preparing to activate the 30 million pound buy-back clause for Draper in the winter window, but the deal is not without challenges. Besides the competition from other big clubs for Draper, there is also the player's own willingness to consider. Manchester City already boasts top forwards like Haaland and Maroush, so where would Draper fit in? Moreover, with Haaland's ten-year contract in place, any player with long-term vision would be reluctant to settle for a substitute role!
As Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson grows older and his competitive form declines, making him unsuitable for prolonged multi-front battles, the club is scouting for a replacement for the Brazilian international, with Guardiola's top target being Diogo Costa. With Ederson's position already under threat from Ortga, Manchester City hopes the Portuguese international can take on the role of the starting goalkeeper.
Ederson has received an extremely tempting offer from Saudi Arabia. In the twilight of his career, it's hard to resist lucrative offers, much like Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's new contract with Al-Nassr, earning a daily salary of 555,000 euros, and Liverpool's Egyptian Pharaoh receiving a staggering two-year, 300 million-pound offer from Al-Hilal to replace the departing Neymar as the team's star player. Ederson, who has long served as the main goalkeeper under Guardiola at Manchester City, is highly attractive to the Saudi league due to his association with a top club!
If Diogo Costa were to join Manchester City, it would be quite advantageous. Fellow Portuguese internationals Dias and Silva are both key players for Manchester City, and their camaraderie could help Costa adapt quickly both on and off the field. Additionally, they share the same agency, which maintains a good relationship with Manchester City, facilitating smooth negotiations. The 25-year-old Diogo Costa's market value is 40 million euros, and if the financially powerful Manchester City wants to secure the Portuguese international, Porto's asking price will not be less than 50 million euros.