Former Tottenham and England striker Teddy Sheringham believes Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze could enter Manchester City’s thinking as they seek a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

The 26-year-old scored the opener against the Cityzens on Saturday and speaking to casinoapps.com about whether Eze is ready to play at a top club, Sheringham said:

“He’s 26 now. He’s at a good age. He’s at a good age to take the next step to the next level. He should know all about his game by now and understand what he can and he can’t do on a football pitch.”

“He’ll definitely have his suitors. Maybe he’s someone that City would look at if they’re thinking about a De Bruyne replacement.”

Eze does have a release clause in his contract

Manchester City have been linked with the England international in the past, so Sheringham’s suggestion that he could make the switch to the Etihad Stadium is not beyond the realms of possibility.

What makes things even more intriguing is that Eze reportedly has a buyout clause. It is believed that he can be signed for £60m (plus £8m in add-ons) during the next transfer window.

Of course, other teams could also get involved in the battle for the midfielder. Both Newcastle and Arsenal have been mentioned as suitors more recently than City.

City have identified other potential successors for De Bruyne

Respected sources have named Morgan Gibbs-White as a possible target, but Nottingham Forest’s reported £100m valuation would make him a much more expensive option than Eze.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is another alternative. However, City would probably have to break their transfer record if they want to secure the German international’s services, in addition to seeing off competition from Bayern Munich.

Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here