Man City can kickstart summer transfer business after PSR deadline

It's July, so time for Manchester City to kickstart their transfer window. Right? Right?!

Yes and no. There is no switch that has been flicked with the change of months but the next 31 days should make up the meat of City's activity this summer for the first team, leaving the fringes to run into August and the end of the window.

Pep Guardiola and his players begin their pre-season in a few weeks and are heading out to the United States for four tour games as they prepare for the Community Shield and another Premier League title defence. City's manager will already have a firm idea of what he wants in his squad this season, although there is nothing like being among his players to feel which ones he can rely on and where there might be weaknesses.

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Other clubs are also returning from their holidays, and many of them are pivoting to a new financial year. After the PSR scramble over the last few weeks to round off years, the focus now turns towards the next 12 months.

City are happy to be patient for the right deals yet there is no hiding that they like to be on the front foot in terms of strengthening the first team. Even if they can wait for clubs to come in for Kalvin Phillips or Joao Cancelo, Guardiola likes to start his season with all of the players that he wants to work with.

The Euros and the Copa America lessen the need to get players in for the bulk of pre-season, but the point still stands that the sooner new signings can start learning what Guardiola requires the better. Mateo Kovacic was able to have an immediate impact at the start of the last