Fabrizio Romano: Former Newcastle United 'record' signing linked with shock Premier League move to Man City

It has been widely reported that Begiristain will leave Man City in 2025. The 60-year-old joined City in 2012 and has had an instrumental impact in transforming the club into a global powerhouse.

He played a key role in the recruitment of head coach Pep Guardiola, whom he was team-mates with at Barcelona as a player. Now, City are planning to appoint Begiristain’s successor and have reportedly shortlisted Sporting CP director of football Hugo Viana as their ‘favourite candidate’.

Viana has been director of football at Sporting since 2018, overseeing two Primeira Liga title wins in that time - including last season. Viana’s signings of Viktor Gyökeres, Ousmane Diomande and Morten Hjulmand have helped Sporting climb back to the top of Portuguese football.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Viana is ‘top of Manchester City’s list’ to become the club’s new director of football. If a move materialises it will be the 41-year-old’s first permanent return to England since leaving Newcastle United as a player around 20 years ago.

Viana joined Newcastle from Sporting in 2002 for £8.5million which was a club record paid for a teenager at the time. The record has only just been broken by Newcastle with the signing of Lewis Hall from Chelsea this summer for £28million.

Viana went on to score three goals in 56 games for Newcastle, including one in the famous 3-2 Champions League win over Feyenoord. He spent his last two seasons under contract at Newcastle on loan back at Sporting and then Valencia, whom he joined permanently in 2006.