Manchester United midfield target top of Pep Guardiola’s Etihad wishlist

As 'worst keep secrets' in football go, Pep Guardiola's new job makes at least the top five countdown.

The former Barcelona coach is all but set in stone as the new Manchester City manager from the summertime, after confirming last week that his next role will be in England. The current Bayern Munich boss is likely to be named as Manuel Pellegrini's replacement in the spring, but long before that he's sure to begin an aggressive recruitment campaign. We don't believe for a second he will be able to coax Lionel Messi or Neymar to the Etihad, but The Express are today suggesting that he may be able to snatch a key Manchester United target away from the clutches of Old Trafford. Ilkay Gundogan is understood to have come very close to a move to England and Manchester last summer, and now Guardiola has the German midfielder top of his shopping list ahead of what is expected to be a very busy summer in the blue half of the city. Juventus have tried to tempt the Borussia Dortmund man away from the Bundesliga side this month already, but were refused, while many at Old Trafford see him as the ideal long-term replacement for an aging Michael Carrick. However the player is likely to be sold in the summer and City will be able to match any bid from Italy. Atletico Bilbao central defender Aymeric Laporte is also understood to be a key target for Guardiola as he seeks to shore up the former Premier League champions defence,  who have missed injury hit Vincent Kompany this season.