Manchester City have their eyes set on Ajax midfielder Gravenberch

The Citizens are hoping to refresh their midfield in the off season, given the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are in their 30s. Reports suggest that City have placed Gravenberch on top of their wish list for the summer.

The midfielder is under contract with the Dutch giants until 2023, and Ajax have been unable to persuade him to sign an extension. Ajax would not want the 19-year-old to move on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, thus he may depart in the summer.

Manchester City are also prepared to rival Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race to sign the Ajax prodigy. The 19-year-old has established himself as a first-team player, feeling completely comfortable against high-level Champions League opponents.

For Real Madrid, Federico Valverde and summer signing Eduardo Camavinga are expected to ultimately replace their seniors in the midfield, along with Gravenberch and Aurelian Tchouameni, who Madrid also wants to sign, according to the source.

Barcelona have fallen well short of their normal excellent standards this season, and despite having a number of high-profile midfielders such as Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, they lack depth.

City, on the other hand, need of a new midfielder. Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Fernandinho are all in their 30s, and while the former two still have a few years remaining in them, Pep Guardiola will not let emotion stand in the way of his squad’s growth, which is why they are interested in Gravenberch.

The Dutchman has made 89 senior appearances for Ajax, scoring 10 goals and assisting 11. These are impressive stats for a player who prefers to play in the middle third rather than the final third.