Manchester City are ready to take on arch-rivals Liverpool in the battle to sign Brighton World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.
Fresh from their third straight Premier League title win, City are set for a summer spending spree to keep the chasing pack at arm's length and continue their domestic dominance.
Boss Pep Guardiola has identified the £60million-rated Argentina midfielder as the ideal replacement for Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, both of whom are set to leave City this summer. And Guardiola could make it a double Seagulls swoop, with the City boss also said to be a huge admirer of Brighton's 19-year-old Paraguay sensation, Julio Enciso.
Guardiola and City sporting director Txiki Begiristain have drawn up a list of summer targets, with the champions keen to move early once the transfer window opens on June 13.
That list includes Mac Allister, 24, and Enciso, 19, as well as Bayern Munich's versatile midfielder Joshua Kimmich, 28, and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, 21, with Aymeric Laporte potentially on his way.
Should Laporte go, Guardiola has identified Gvardiol as the ideal replacement, following an impressive season which saw him help Croatia reach the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.
City have also been keeping tabs on West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, although the England international is expected to go to Arsenal in a deal worth £100m.
Kalvin Phillips, who had a nightmare first season at City following his £50m move from Leeds, could also leave this summer.
England star Phillips, whose season has been blighted by injury, made his first Premier League start for City in Sunday's 1-0 win over Chelsea.
