Manchester City have built an unbeatable squad over the last few years and it finally paid off for Pep Guardiola when his impressive side completed the treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season.

It's hard to believe that the Sky Blues would be in the market this summer but the ruthless operation at the Eithad has been a testament to their success as they continue to acquire the services of some of the best talent in the world.

Mateo Kovacic became the first signing of the summer transfer window for City and will hope he can make the desired impact on his move to the North West, but it seems like the former Chelsea star hasn't been the only midfielder that Guardiola has been chasing.

The Premier League champions made an attempt to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, as reported by David Ornstein they made a massive bid to rival Arsenal earlier this week:

However, the Gunners upped their bid which quickly led to Man City pulling out of the race and now the England star is set to complete his move to the Emirates imminently.

Whilst Guardiola is unfamiliar with missing out on transfer targets, he could now be set to seek out a cheaper alternative this summer and recently linked Marcelo Brozovic could be the perfect short-term solution at the Etihad next season.

Should Man City sign Marcelo Brozovic?

The Inter Milan midfielder's future has been up in the air for the last few weeks with not only a move to the blue side of Manchester speculated, but has also earned interest from Barcelona and Saudi Arabian clubs.

Brozovic is now 30 years old and whilst he can't provide the longevity that Rice could have given to City, he could provide a great output in the centre of the pitch that would be valuable at the Etihad next season.

Over 28 Serie A appearances last season, the Croatian star – hailed "unbelievable" by journalist Dean Jones – scored three goals, registered five assists and successfully completed 63% of his dribbles, displaying solid attacking attributes in his versatile role.

When comparing Brozovic's output with Rice in league football over the latest campaign, the pair shared many similarities including their pass completion rate (87.7% v 86.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.95 v 2.75) and take-on success rate (59.3% v 55.6%), proving that the Inter Milan midfielder could be a worthy cheaper alternative for Guardiola.

With that being said, if reports are to be believed it would only cost €25m (£22m) to secure the services of Brozovic for next season which would be a steal in comparison to Rice and could make him one to watch for City this summer.