Barcelona striker Luis Suárez. (Photo : Getty Images)
New Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is reportedly planning a £148 million double swoop on stars Toni Kroos and Luis Suárez as the former Bayern Munich manager allegedly looks to match cross-city rivals Manchester United's signing of Zlatan Ibrahimović last week.
The Daily Mirror reported that the Citizens have not yet "landed a Galactico to match Zlatan Ibrahimović at Manchester United and the arrival of Kroos and/or Suárez would change all that".
Guardiola is said to be preparing a £63 million bid for Real Madrid's Kroos while an £85 million offer to Barça for Uruguayan star Suárez is allegedly also in the works for the Etihad giants.
The 26-year-old Kroos, who is still suited up with the Germany national team in the ongoing 2016 UEFA European Championship, is said to be "happy in Spain", but the chance to play again for his former Bayern boss and also to show his wares in the Premier League are both allegedly appealing to him.
Kroos was acquired by Los Blancos from the Bavarians in the summer of 2014, when Guardiola was still the German club's manager, for an undisclosed transfer fee estimated to be between £20 million to £25 million.
In two seasons for the Bernabéu giants, the 6-foot Greifswald, East Germany native had appeared in a total of 99 competitions and had scored three goals mainly as a defensive midfielder.
Meanwhile, Caught Offside noted that "a less realistic prospect" is the 29-year-old Suárez, who is part of the Blaugrana's three-headed monster attack that also consists of Brazilian captain Neymar and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.
The 45-year-old Spanish manager is said to be trying to convince the 6-foot Salto, Uruguay native to return to the Premier League for months now, but the Barça striker is keen on staying in the Nou Camp as of the moment.
Suárez, who last played for Merseyside squad Liverpool before transferring to Barcelona, was snagged by the Catalan giants also in the summer of 2014, a week before Kroos joined Real, for a fee of £65 million.
His agent, Guardiola's brother Pere, said that the Uruguayan would cost £20 million more than the amount Barça spent on him two years ago if City is indeed interested in luring him away from Spain.
Suárez is the Spanish top flight's number one goalscorer in the last season with 40 goals and 16 assists, followed by Real's Cristiano Ronaldo with 35 goals and 11 assists.
