Clarity over De Bruyne key in three main transfer jobs Pr

MANCHESTER City's summer transfer activity has yet to get going as the Blues bide their time in the market.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI, JOE BRAY & ALEX JAMES

Pep Guardiola's men clinched a fourth successive Premier League title in May but fell short in Europe after being knocked out by Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The Blues will once again seek to challenge on both fronts this season.

City have an XI and a squad the envy of most clubs around the world but there remains work to do for Guardiola and Co ahead of a campaign which brings an expanded Champions League and an end of season Club World Cup in the States. With that in mind, here are the three biggest transfer issues facing City over the next few weeks.

The stance on De Bruyne will be the same as the one for any senior player if they want to leave and - present a suitable offer, then City won't stand in their way.

However, De Bruyne showed at the end of the season that even when he isn't fully firing he is still capable of scoring brilliant goals and winning games on his own. City shouldn't give that up too easily.

The easiest way to show they want him to stay would be a new contract, but with a year left and De Bruyne turning 33 on Friday, patience is probably the best way forward.

After some medium-to-long-term injuries in recent years, even De Bruyne isn't exempt from City's pragmatic approach to contracts for their older players.

And if he decides to leave, then City would need to be looking for a successor now anyway for the coming seasons. As much as it would be a shame to see him go, it wouldn't be the devastating loss it could have been when the Belgian was younger.