REPORT: Manchester City make audacious €40m bid for ‘next Anthony Martial’

Pep Guardiola has certainly splashed an awful lot of cash this summer.

Manchester City have spent over £170 million on nine players over the summer and recouped approximately £38.5m by moving on some unwanted souls. The club were expected to ship out more players - Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony to name just two - before the summer transfer deadline expired at 11pm tonight. However, reports from France suggest City are still in the market to bring players to Eastlands. L'Equipe is reporting that City have bid a whopping €40m [£34m] for 17-year-old French forward Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé, who helped his country to an U19 European Championship earlier this summer, has made 13 appearances for Monaco after breaking into the senior squad last season. He has a goal and an assist to his name but has, thus far, only started three games. He featured, off the bench, against Tottenham in last season's Europa League. The teenager has been likened to fellow French striker Anthony Martial, mainly due to his early breakthrough and the fact that he plays for Monaco. Manchester United signed Martial from Monaco for an initial fee of £38m, last September, but that could rise to £55m depending on how the 20-year-old fares over the coming seasons. L'Equipe are reporting that the initial City bid was rebuffed but there is plenty of time to return with an improved offer. The new GAA Hour football podcast is here. Listen to Colm Parkinson, Senan Connell, and Barry Cahill dissect a classic between Dublin and Kerry. Subscribe here on iTunes.