Manchester City believe Pep Guardiola can create a dynasty that will take the club to the next level as a European superpower and are targeting four or five significant signings this summer to realise their ambition.

The Premier League giants want what can be termed a “careful evolution” under their incoming manager and have already seen an immediate benefit in the calibre of player they can hope to attract since it was announced at the end of January that Guardiola was joining them.

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The Spaniard has already received calls from leading players all over the world, including the Premier League, asking if they can join him at City.

More importantly, the club believe they will be able to offer a more conducive environment for Guardiola to work in than he has had at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. At Bayern, for example, Guardiola wanted to keep German midfielder Toni Kroos in 2014 but the club sold him to Real Madrid for £25 million. City hope to avoid a repeat of such a situation.