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Manchester City want to go into the new season with a squad that gives Pep Guardiola TWO top players for EVERY position.

City are looking to bring in up to four new faces in the coming weeks in a bid to hand Guardiola the tools to defend the Premier League title, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, as well as mounting a more sustained challenge for the Champions League.

But Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal how director of football Txiki Begiristain is now working to a blueprint designed to keep the club amongst the elite of European football for the long-term.

After spending almost £300million in 2017 to reduce the average age of Guardiola’s squad, the belief at the Etihad is that City are now moving towards a position where their recruitment policy will be one of evolution rather than revolution.

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A senior City insider explained: “The idea behind Txiki’s plan is for Pep to have a squad that gives him two top-quality players for every single position.

“And the perfect scenario is for one experienced player to be challenging for his position in the team with a younger member of the squad.

“At the start of last season, for example, Ederson and Claudio Bravo were in competition for the keeper’s jersey – until Bravo was injured.

“At centre-back, there was the experience of Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi and younger guys like John Stones and Aymeric Laporte.

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“In midfield, David Silva and Fernandinho are both in their 30s, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne a little younger, with Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden younger still.

“Up front, Sergio Aguero is supplemented by Gabriel Jesus, while the wide positions are filled by Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Riyhad Mahrez.

“As older players are phased out, the younger players come to the fore – and the whole process becomes cyclical with new signings and academy graduates coming through to challenge them.”

City have a net transfer spend of over £1billion in the transfer market in the 11 years since Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group bought the club.

(Image: Sunday Mirror)

But after lavishing more than £500million on players since Guardiola took charge three years ago, the belief is that the squad can now be improved without breaking the bank.

While traditional European giants like Real Madrid , Barcelona , Juventus and Manchester United will take football’s spending in the transfer market to new levels of extravagance this summer, City are planning to invest around £135million.

Begiristain identified Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt and Leicester ’s Harry Maguire as candidates to replace departed skipper Kompany.

(Image: Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

Despite reports that De Ligt has agreed to join Juventus, sources in Holland reckon City still have a “30 percent chance” of landing the Dutchman if they agree to work with the teenager’s controversial adviser, Mino Raiola.

And club sources also believe Leicester will reduce their £90million valuation of Maguire if the players makes it clear he wants to move.

City have earmarked another £55million to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri after deciding the 22-year-old is the long-term replacement for Fernandinho.

An option to trigger a £10million buy-back clause to bring in Spanish defender Angelino from PSV Eindhoven is another deal that is likely to go through.

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And City while are in talks with Juventus about signing £55million-rated full-back Joao Cancelo, as Sunday Mirror Sport revealed last week, the deal hinges on whether versatile Brazilian Danilo opts to leave the Etihad to get more games.

City are also waiting to hear whether Nicolas Otamendi wants to leave for similar reasons, although there are no plans to replace the Argentine centre-back at the moment if he does depart.

Guardiola feels Fernandinho is equipped to move back into central defence if required.

City will listen to offers England international Fabian Delph and will look to recoup around £70million if Danilo and Otamendi decide to leave.