A bold player swap deal that could benefit both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
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As we approach the end of a surprising Premier League season, clubs can look back at their performances and approach the summer transfer window as they deem fit.
For former champions Manchester City, securing Champions League football will provide an end-of-season boost but nothing will overturn their disappointing results early on that wrote them out of the title race.
Tottenham Hotspur’s woes have gone from bad to worse, as they are now 17th in the table, with only the relegated teams below them. Spurs are winless in their last five games and can finish the season on a maximum of 43 points.
Despite their defeats, Tottenham haven’t exactly struggled on the goal-scoring front, with 63 on the board so far. Only the top four teams have actually scored more than Spurs this season but they are still keen on signing new options in attack. We’ve pitched a potential swap deal involving Spurs and Man City which would heavily boost both sides this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City could both benefit from swap deal
Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing Jack Grealish this summer, as his hefty fall down the pecking order at the Etihad has opened up an avenue for his potential exit.
The England international could be moved on this summer, with just three goals and five assists on the board all season. His asking price has not been confirmed but a report from the Sunday Mirror in March claimed that AC Milan could move for Grealish this summer with an offer of £40 million, which City would be willing to accept, based on information from Italian sources.
If this figure is accurate, City are expected to make a significant loss on Grealish, having signed him for £100 million in a deal they surely knew would see him only depreciate in value over time. However, they could include the winger in a swap deal to get a target of their own in return.
The former English champions are keen on bringing in Destiny Udogie from Tottenham, who has been impressing with his performances this season. The left-back is a long-standing target of City’s, so they could finally get their man this window.
Is the swap deal likely happen?
From the perspective of the players, this move could actually benefit both parties. Grealish is said to be ‘unhappy’ at City with his reduced role and would benefit from moving to a club where he will start every week.
With Spurs not entirely sold on the impact of Dominic Solanke, they could deploy Son Heung-min up front to allow Grealish to slot into his natural position on the left. Tottenham’s current position may be further down the Premier League table than Grealish might like, but it won’t take much to fine-tune this Spurs side back to their best, and their goal count this season is evidence of that. The only issue that could stand in the way is his hefty wages. If he’s willing to take a cut, it could be a goer.
As for Udogie to City, their lacklustre Premier League season is a mere drop in the ocean when it comes to their transfer lure. At 22, the Italian international will be assessing his career options and looking at where his next move could take him. City are expected to rebuild and bounce back from this disappointing season, so they should by no means be ruled out when it comes to the transfer window.
Pep Guardiola’s side do also have a big chance of winning the FA Cup to patch up their season, which will also put them firmly back on players’ radars.
With the quoted £40 million fee for Grealish and Udogie valued by Transfermarkt at €45 million (£38m), there’s not much to separate the two. Some cash could be exchanged in one way or another to sweeten the deal, but on the surface it balances out pretty well.